Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Rare Silver Coin From First Jewish Revolt Against Roman Empire Discovered
A rare ancient coin dated to the time of the First Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire has been discovered in the Judean Desert.
Researchers found the silver "half-shekel" coin, which is around 2,000 years old, during a survey carried out in the desert by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The desert, which lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea, covers parts of the West Bank and Israel.
The coin was found in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, which is located in Israel on the western shore of the Dead Sea—during the Judean Desert Survey Project, the IAA said in a statement.
The project, which began about six years ago, aims to retrieve archaeological treasures in the region before they are found by antiquity looters.
During recent work, IAA inspectors came across the coin on the ground outside the entrance of a cave in the Ein Gedi area. The coin was minted in Jerusalem and is dated to A.D. 66/67, around the time of the First Jewish Revolt.
The project, which began about six years ago, aims to retrieve archaeological treasures in the region before they are found by antiquity looters.
During recent work, IAA inspectors came across the coin on the ground outside the entrance of a cave in the Ein Gedi area. The coin was minted in Jerusalem and is dated to A.D. 66/67, around the time of the First Jewish Revolt.
One potential explanation behind the latest discovery is that the coin fell from the pocket of a rebel who escaped to the desert during the revolt, according to the IAA.
On one side of the coin, the phrase "The Holy Jerusalem" appears in ancient Hebrew script, alongside a depiction of three pomegranates.
On the other side of the coin, a chalice is depicted, above which lies the letter "Aleph"—marking the first year of the revolt's outbreak and the value of the half-shekel. Such coins were minted in denominations of half-shekel and shekel—a currency used in ancient Israel.
During the revolt, rebels minted their own silver and bronze coins depicting Jewish symbols without the image of the ruling Roman emperor. This was an act of defiance and an attempt to create a form of internal economy among the Jewish rebels.
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