Marine archaeologists have recovered ancient treasures from two shipwrecks off the coast of Israel.
They included an extremely rare gold ring engraved with a figure of the Good Shepherd.
The gemstone depicts a young shepherd boy dressed in a tunic with a sheep on his shoulders.
Antiquities experts believe it would have been owned by an early Christian.
The theme of the Good Shepherd is referenced throughout the Bible.
It’s one of the oldest images used in Christianity for symbolising Jesus as humanity’s compassionate shepherd.
In John 10, Jesus even called himself “the good shepherd laying down his life for the sheep.”
CBN News reports the ring was discovered off the ancient port of Caesarea, one of the earliest centres of Christianity.
It’s where the apostle Peter baptised the Roman centurion Cornelius.
Other valuables recovered include hundreds of silver and bronze coins from the Roman and Mamluk periods.
