gold coins

Hoard of Gold Coins Found in Caesarea Harbor

Archaeology news

Robin Ngo   •  02/19/2015

A hoard of gold coins—the largest discovered to date in Israel—was found by divers in the Caesarea harbor.Photo: Courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced that a massive coin hoard has been recovered from the waters off the ancient port city of Caesarea Maritima in Israel. The hoard of almost 2,000 gold coins was spotted by a group of divers, who immediately reported their discovery to the Marine Archaeology Unit of the IAA.

The majority of the gold coins, which were minted in Egypt and North Africa, date to the Fatimid caliphs Al-Ḥākim (996–1021 C.E.) and Al-Ẓāhir (1021–1036 C.E.). The rulers of the Fatimid dynasty, who traced their descent from Islamic prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, came to reign over Egypt, North Africa, the Levant and Sicily between the 10th and early 12th centuries.

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/post-biblical-period/hoard-of-gold-coins-found-in-caesarea-harbor/