Israeli girl discovers an ancient amulet

JERUSALEM - Associated Press

A 12-year-old Israeli girl has discovered an ancient Egyptian amulet dating back more than 3,200 years to the days of the Pharaohs, an official said April 19.

Neshama Spielman and her family took part in the Temple Mount Sifting Project, an initiative to sort through earth discarded from the area of the biblical temples in Jerusalem.

There she found a pendant-shaped amulet bearing the name of the Egyptian ruler Thutmose III. The girl said she found the amulet four years ago, when she was eight.

More than 170,000 volunteers have participated since the project began in 2004.