Israeli archaeologists have found in the city of David near Jerusalem a rare Muslim amulet made about a thousand years ago, in the era of the Baghdad Caliphate. As reported on the site of the National Park "City of David", the artifact was written either as a blessing, or a personal prayer of a certain Karim.

The city of David is located to the south of the Old City, outside of the city walls of the 16th century surrounding Jerusalem. According to legend, here King David built a palace and founded the capital. Subsequently, Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and Romans, it was under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, and in 638 it was captured by the Arabs. The city was part of the caliphates, first Damascus (661-750), then Baghdad (750-1258).

Excavations in the City of David are held from the middle of the XIX century. Here were found the walls of a large structure, which, according to some archaeologists, built under King David (other researchers refer it to a later time). Archaeologists have found buildings and artifacts from the era of the First Temple and subsequent periods of the city's history. Since 2007, excavations have been conducted at the former Givati ??parking lot, located at the western entrance to the City of David. Here were found the ruins of a building of the 1st century, which, perhaps, was the residence of Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Nearby archaeologists have found the building of the Byzantine period and more than 200 gold coins of the 7th century.

A new artefact was found by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. On a piece of burnt clay one centimeter in length, two lines were cut in Arabic: "Karim believes Allah. Allah is the ruler of the universe ". The first line was familiar to researchers on roadside graffiti VIII-X centuries on the pilgrimage to Mecca, as well as on inscriptions on amulets of semiprecious stones. The second line was partially erased, and the scientists recovered the phrase from the inscriptions on similar seals and quotations from the Koran.

Researchers have found an amulet on the floor of a building for residential or household purposes, between layers of plaster. Recently near the building archeologists found the remains of a large market, on the ruins of which were built houses and a small factory.

Perhaps the found building belonged to this complex. Near the artifact was found a ceramic lamp, typical for the era of the Baghdad caliphate. According to her and the style of calligraphy on the amulet, the scientists dated it to the 9th-10th centuries. It is not known whether its owner Karim lost the artifact, or he purposely hid it during the construction "for good luck". Apparently, the man wore an amulet or in some kind of container, or he was attached to a suspension that was lost.