Fragment of 16th Century Ming Dynasty Bowl Uncovered on Mount Zion

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In a remarkable find, archaeologists have uncovered an inscribed fragment of a 500-year-old genuine Chinese Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, Ha’aretz reports.

Discovery of the fragment of bowl was announced by the Israel Aniquities Authority on Tuesday December 3. The fragment is inscribed with the Chinese words: “We will forever guard the eternal spring,” Ha’aretz reports.

The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. Highly influential and overseeing an important period of Chinese history, the Dynasty was also well-known for its advanced production of porcelain objects, including bowls.

In a statement to Ha’aretz, Michael Chernin of the IAA explained that the bowl could have made its way to Jerusalem because trade between China and the Middle East had been ongoing since the 8th century.

Indeed, a significant among number of Chinese artefacts have been found in Jerusalem as well as in Ramle, Safed, Tiberias, and other places from about the ninth and 10th century, pottery specialist Anna de Vincenz told Ha’aretz.

“Also, Jerusalem had been under Ottoman rule from 1516, and the Ottomans and Chinese had intense trading relations in the 16th and 17th centuries,” Ha’artez added in its report. “The Ottomans were obsessed with Chinese porcelain. So, finding a piece of it in Jerusalem from the 16th century is not surprising – even if finding it in a layer from a thousand years earlier may startle.”

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.


Latest News from Worthy News

Global Debt Nears $353 Trillion — Could a Financial Crisis Accelerate a New Monetary System?
Global Debt Nears $353 Trillion — Could a Financial Crisis Accelerate a New Monetary System?

The United States is rapidly approaching another historic fiscal milestone, with the national debt now nearing $40 trillion as Washington continues running massive annual deficits and interest costs consume a growing share of federal spending.

Kushner Meets Hamas Leadership in Egypt as U.S. Pushes Gaza Disarmament Plan
Kushner Meets Hamas Leadership in Egypt as U.S. Pushes Gaza Disarmament Plan

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner met senior Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday as the Trump administration intensified efforts to move Gaza toward disarmament and postwar governance, even as Israel continued targeted strikes against terrorist operatives inside the Gaza Strip.

Third Red Heifer Born in Israel as Temple Preparations Advance
Third Red Heifer Born in Israel as Temple Preparations Advance

A third red heifer has been born in Israel this season, giving rabbis three candidates now being examined as part of renewed efforts connected to the biblical purification rites required for Temple service.

Rare August Storm Shatters Rainfall Records in Israel, Sends Floodwaters Through Judean Desert
Rare August Storm Shatters Rainfall Records in Israel, Sends Floodwaters Through Judean Desert

A highly unusual midsummer storm swept across parts of Israel on Saturday, August 15, bringing heavy rain to Jerusalem, shattering August rainfall records near the capital, and sending floodwaters through a Judean Desert stream in what meteorologists described as an unprecedented summer event.

France’s Constitutional Council Upholds Euthanasia Law, Clearing Way for Assisted Death
France’s Constitutional Council Upholds Euthanasia Law, Clearing Way for Assisted Death

France’s Constitutional Council has upheld the core provisions of a sweeping new law establishing a legal right to assisted dying, clearing one of the final major obstacles to euthanasia and assisted suicide in a nation long shaped by Catholic tradition.

Scores Killed As Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia’s Flores Island; Second Quake Strikes Sumatra
Scores Killed As Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia’s Flores Island; Second Quake Strikes Sumatra

Scores of people have been killed after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, authorities said, as rescuers struggled to reach some of the hardest-hit areas, while a less powerful tremor was reported in North Sumatra province.

Five Injured In Virginia State University Shooting; Multiple Gunmen Sought
Five Injured In Virginia State University Shooting; Multiple Gunmen Sought

Five people were injured, one critically, in a shooting involving multiple gunmen at Virginia State University early Saturday, authorities said, a day after six people, including a suspected shooter, died in separate shootings in Michigan.