A rare silver coin from the first century was found by an 11-year-old girl volunteering in an archaeological project, the Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Tuesday, November 23. The coin was likely minted by a priest who joined the Jewish rebels against the Romans, which would make it one of the very few remains coming directly from the Temple.
“This is a rare find since out of many thousands of coins discovered to date in archaeological excavations, only about 30 are coins made of silver from the period of the Great Revolt,” said Dr. Robert Kool, head of the Coin Department at the IAA.
The coin, made of pure silver, weighs 14 grams. On one side it features a cup and the inscription: “Israeli shekel” and “second year,” referring to the second year of the revolt (67-68 CE).
On the other side, another inscription reads “Holy Jerusalem” in ancient Hebrew script, accompanied by another word that according to the experts refers to the headquarters of the High Priest in the Temple.
Archaeologist Ari Levy, who lead the excavation on behalf of the IAA, said the street where it was found, “which connected the Shiloah Pool in the south of the City of David to the Temple Mount in the north, was Jerusalem’s main street during the Second Temple period, where thousands of pilgrims marched on their way to the Temple. There is no doubt that there would have been extensive trading here. This is evidenced by the many weights and bronze coins we have found here. But to find a rebel coin made of pure silver is definitely very special and exciting.”
Originally posted at vfinews.com