Since 2007, archaeologists have been exploring the nuermous treasures found underneath what was once the Givati parking lot, located on the outskirts of the Old City of Jerusalem. Judy Siegel-Itzkovich reports on the recent discovery there of a gold ring set with a precious stone, likely designed for a child:

“It is an unusual and deeply moving find; not one that we discover every day,” the archaeological team said. The red precious stone was apparently a garnet, and the gold is a very refined material that was very well-preserved. . . . Stylistically, it reflects the common fashion of the Persian and early Hellenistic periods, dating from the late-4th to early 3rd century BCE and onwards. In that period, people began to prefer gold with set stones rather than decorated gold.

The Givati parking lot excavation finds are beginning to paint a new picture of the nature and stature of Jerusalem’s inhabitants in the early Hellenistic period. In the past, researchers found only a few structures and finds from this era, so most scholars assumed that Jerusalem was then a small town limited to the top of the southeastern slope (the City of David), and with relatively very few resources. However, these new findings suggest a different story. . . . They revealed that the structures being unearthed now consist of an entire neighborhood.

In 2003, the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, spooked by the American display of might in Iraq, decided to destroy or surrender his entire nuclear program. Informed observers have suggested that the deal he made with the U.S. should serve as a model for any agreement with Iran. Robert Joseph provides some useful background:

Gaddafi had convinced himself that Libya would be next on the U.S. target list after Iraq. There was no reason or need to threaten Libya with bombing as Gaddafi was quick to tell almost every visitor that he did not want to be Saddam Hussein. The images of Saddam being pulled from his spider hole . . . played on his mind.

President Bush’s goal was to have Libya serve as an alternative model to Iraq. Instead of war, proliferators would give up their nuclear programs in exchange for relief from economic and political sanctions.

Any outcome that permits Iran to enrich uranium at any level will fail the one standard that President Trump has established: Iran will not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. Limiting enrichment even to low levels will allow Iran to break out of the agreement at any time, no matter what the agreement says.

Iran is not a normal government that observes the rules of international behavior or fair “dealmaking.” This is a regime that relies on regional terror and brutal repression of its citizens to stay in power. It has a long history of using negotiations to expand its nuclear program. Its negotiating tactics are clear: extend the negotiations as long as possible and meet any concession with more demands.