Amid stormy weather, a resident of Lod saw the figurine floating toward her on the waves.
It was carved from volcanic rock sometime between 800-400 BC during the heyday of the Olmec civilization, one of Mexico's earliest complex societies.
The researchers see it as likely that dysentery outbreaks due to Giardia plagued towns throughout the near east in the Iron Age.
The site in question contained artifacts that are approximately 2,000 years old, dating back to the Roman-Byzantine era, according to the IAA.
Researchers have connected a recent excavation with a 16th-century hospital that dealt with plague victims.
In some of the specimens, nerves and digestive systems are still fully intact, which is extremely rare.
The site, a grave mound in Karmoy in western Norway, was discovered by archeologist Haakon Shetelig over 100 years ago.
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