A Norway man’s recent treasure-hunting find revealed the extent to which Christianity had spread into the northern Scandinavian region almost 1,000 years ago when his exuberant metal detector detected a strong signal toward the end of his day-long search. In one stunning moment, he said a gilded figurine representing a crucified Jesus Christ “revealed Himself” to the detecting enthusiast.
Kim Erik Dybvik, a health professional by day and metal detectorist by night, was exploring a field in a small coastal town several hundred miles north of the Norwegian capital of Oslo with a fellow American ex-pat detectorist. While the successful trip to Andalsnes had resulted in finding buttons, coins, and other an assortment of “the usual finds,” it was in the final moments of the adventure that the figuring dating back to 1100AD alerted the man to its presence.
“I don’t think anything like it has ever been found in Norway before in this way,” Dybvik said in an interview with Fox News Digital after the find. He said he had found plenty of Vikings-era artifacts, including what many metal detectorists seek in the form of old coinage, but the finding of a Jesus figurine was “unheard of” in his experience.
“That’s why I am passionate about this, to help ensure that pieces of our cultural heritage can contribute to a clearer picture of who we are and where we come from,” he continued. He said he hoped the artifact would end up in a museum where others could learn of Christianity dating back nearly 1,000 years in his home country.
Because of rules surrounding the discovery of ancient relics and artifacts in Norway, Dybvik was indeed required to turn over the incredible find rather than keep it for his personal collection. According to local laws, any finds related to cultural heritage artifacts must be reported to the Cultural Heritage Protection Office. The specific date of 1537 is applied to general artifacts, while coins pre-dating 1650 and Sami (Norway’s indigenous population) artifacts older than 100 years also have their own rules. In some cases, finders might receive a reward, but oftentimes they must simply report their find and let so-called experts come handle the discovery.
Recounting the November 1st trip with the American Warren Schmidt, which happened to be All Saints Day, a date of relative significance for Christians, Dybvik noted they had found other notable artifacts before ending the day on such a high note with the gold-covered Christ figure.
“It was extremely windy, so windy that at times we struggled to stay on our feet,” he recalled.
“But we persevered. We found 78 buttons, some coins, buckles, a medieval weight and a lot of the usual finds.”
Speaking about the actual find, he said his partner had called it a day and nearly made it to their vehicle when the metal detector alerted him to something rare. “Warren was almost at the car, and I was a bit behind, when I suddenly got a strong signal from my detector. A strong signal usually indicates a large object and is often not a good sign. It can easily be trash.”
Then, in one special moment, Dybvik said the religious figurine ‘revealed himself.” “I bent down, and right beneath the surface, he revealed himself to me. I looked Jesus straight in the eyes.”
“A hundred thoughts rushed through my head,” he went on. “I quickly dismissed the idea that it could be modern. I recognized the medieval style and remains of gilding. I carefully set it down and ran to Warren, saying, ‘I want to share this moment with you. I may have just made my best find ever.’ Warren was also completely blown away.”
The whole experience was “magical and poetic” according to the metal detectorist. “The wind was blowing, and in the background, a few hundred meters away, you could see a hill where an old church once stood. I had so many thoughts and emotions rushing through me.”