Trove of Jewish Revolt coins discovered near Jerusalem
Bronze bits minted months before destruction of temple on Tisha B’Av; ‘Judea Capta’ coin found in north in summer excavations
Read more: Trove of Jewish Revolt coins discovered near Jerusalem | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/trove-of-jewish-revolt-coins-discovered-near-jerusalem/#ixzz3AtOFM0Yo
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A hoard of coins from the fourth year of the Jewish Revolt against Rome — minted months before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE — was found outside the capital and announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Tuesday to coincide with the Ninth of Av, the date commemorating the destruction of the Second Temple.
The trove, which consists of 114 bronze coins, was unearthed during the expansion of Route 1, the major highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in February. In the past several months, the IAA team led by Judea District chief archaeologist Pablo Betzer has excavated the remains of a small Roman-era Jewish village near the modern town of Abu Ghosh. Amid the ruins was a broken juglet containing the verdigris-coated coins.
The coins are all of identical size and age, and possibly from the same mint. Their value has yet to be determined, but they are likely quarter or one-eighth shekel bits, Betzer said. They are all marked with the words “For the redemption of Zion” and “Year four,” indicating they were made during the fourth year of the revolt against the Roman Empire, or between spring 69 and spring 70 CE. They are decorated with the Biblical four species — palm, myrtle, citron and willow — and a vessel that may symbolize those used in the temple. The coins are still encrusted in nearly 2,000-year-old dirt and oxidation, and await cleaning and study by IAA specialists.
Read more: Trove of Jewish Revolt coins discovered near Jerusalem | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/trove-of-jewish-revolt-coins-discovered-near-jerusalem/#ixzz3AtOKVo7Y
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http://www.timesofisrael.com/trove-of-jewish-revolt-coins-discovered-near-jerusalem/
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