What this object is and why it matters
This is a museum-grade replica of the famous Ivory Pomegranate, a thumb-sized ornamental pomegranate that for years was presented as a possible First Temple (Solomon’s Temple) relic from ancient Jerusalem.
This replica is matched to the original’s published dimensions (43 mm tall). It is intended as a display object and conversation piece for people interested in Biblical archaeology, the First Temple period, and one of the most debated headline artifacts ever associated with Solomon’s Temple.
Because modern restrictions make real ivory generally illegal, this is made from an ivory-replica material selected to mimic the look, weight, and feel of ivory without using any real ivory. This piece weighs about 8 grams.
Restored details: intact petals, complete inscription, correct size
The original artifact is famously damaged—its petals are broken and parts of the inscription are missing or interrupted by cracks. This replica restores the form to an undamaged state, with the petals present and a complete inscription rendered cleanly around the shoulder so the object can be understood as a whole rather than as a fragment.
The base includes the characteristic drilled cavity associated with the interpretation that the object may have been mounted on a rod or scepter, which is one reason it became linked (rightly or wrongly) to priestly or cultic use.
Provenance, controversy, and the “forgery” question
The Ivory Pomegranate became famous after it entered public view via the antiquities market and was later acquired by the Israel Museum in the late 1980s for a widely reported purchase price of $550,000. The object’s importance was amplified by the inscription, which was read as a dedication connected to the “House/Temple of Yahweh” and the priests.
In the early 2000s, an Israel Antiquities Authority investigation and subsequent scholarly work argued that while the pomegranate itself may be ancient, the inscription was likely added later as a modern forgery. Other scholars have continued to debate aspects of the epigraphy and the evidence, and the artifact remains a touchstone example in discussions about provenance, authentication, and the antiquities market.
Regardless of where one lands on authenticity, the pomegranate remains historically important because it shows how a small object—paired with a powerful inscription—can shape narratives about the First Temple, and how those narratives can change when the evidence is re-examined.
Made in the USA.
