London, Dec 23 (IANS): Facebook users solved the mystery of a gilded object unearthed in Jerusalem within hours after Israel's antiquities authority turned to the social networking site in an effort to identify it, a media report said.

The antiquities authority spent six months trying to identify the object, which was thought to be an ancient Jewish relic.

However, within hours of issuing the appeal for help, Facebook users identified it as a Weber Isis Beamer -- a new-age device that claims to protect against radiation, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

Discovered by a groundskeeper in a Jerusalem cemetery, the eight kg solid metal object was handed over to police about six months ago.

After getting clearance from police, antiquities authority x-rayed the sceptre and analysed its materials, Amir Ganor, authority's director of theft prevention was quoted as saying.

But experts failed to recognise this gold sceptre with seven grooves. Six months on, and with no further ideas, the authority posted a picture on Facebook asking for help.

Within hours, one of over 300 responders identified the object as a Weber Isis Beamer, a device that claims to create "a protective field" against radiation and is, according to the authority's Facebook update, "intended for the use of naturopaths and people dealing with energy healing".

"The wisdom of the masses has done its part," the authority said on Tuesday. It said an Italian man named Micah Barak was the first to crack the mystery -- he has been invited to visit Jerusalem to see the object up close.