Small perforated ornaments made of such materials as glass, gems, gold, and silver. They are usually worn as necklaces and have been found on Egyptian mummies, in Greek and Roman graves, and in Assyrian temple ruins, as well as at Megiddo, Ashdod, and Beth-shemesh.

Concerning the lovely Shulammite girl of The Song of Solomon, it is said: “Your cheeks are comely among the hair braids, your neck in a string of beads.” (Ca 1:10) Clearly, then, strings of beads were among the articles of adornment used by Hebrew women of ancient times.​—See ORNAMENTS.