The Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday that it unearthed a rare 800-year-old lead seal from the Monastery of St. Sabas in Jerusalem.

Although the authority said the seal was found over a year ago in the capital's Bayit Vagan neighborhood, it was only after recent processing and analysis that it officially authenticated the rare relic.

According to the excavation's directors on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, Benyamin Storchan and Dr. Benyamin Dolinka, the discovery is unprecedented.

"This is an extraordinarily rare find because no such seal has ever been discovered to date," the archeologists said in a joint statement. "Also, the object possibly contributes important historical information about the surroundings of the site in the Bayit Vagan neighborhood."

The seal shows a bearded bust of a saint wearing a himation, while holding a cross in his right hand and the Gospel in his left. Surrounding it is a Greek inscription naming him "Saint Sabas."

On the back of the seal there is a longer Greek inscription, reading: "This is the seal of the Laura of the Holy Sabas."

To read the complete article, see:Rare Crusade-era seal found in Jerusalem(www.jpost.com/National-News/Rare-Crusade-era-seal-found-in-Jerusalem-354478)