The Associated Press reports that the Israel Antiquities Authority said the ancient disc once adorned the bow of an equally ancient warship or cargo ship. Dating back to the 4th or 5th century B.C., the white, 8-inch disc that is flat on one side and convex on the other, was found off the coast of Palmahim beach where the ancient Yavne-Yam port city once stood. A hole is in the center of the disc, and the remains of two circles are painted around the center so the hole looks like the pupil of an eye.
Look what they found off Israel's Dor Beach--a treasure from the 8th century.
Yaakov Sharvit, director of the Marine Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority, told AP the finding confirms mythological tales about superstitious sailors. "We know from drawings on pottery vessels...that this model was very common on the bows of ships and was used to protect them from the evil eye and envy and was meant as a navigation aid and to act as a pair of eyes which looked ahead and warned of danger," he explained to AP. "But we thought the eyes were only on fighting ships, not merchant ships. Only four eyes like these have been discovered in the world."
