Coins from the time of the Jewish revolt against the Romans were discovered in the Judean Desert
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The numismatic find was dated to 132 AD
Four coins estimated to date back nearly 1,900 years to a time when the Jewish people rebelled against the Roman Empire have been discovered in the Judean Desert. According to the statement, three of the coins bear the inscription “Simeon”, which may refer to the rebellion leader Simeon.
Ancient coins dating back 1,900 years were found in the Mazuk HaHetekim nature reserve, which is located in the West Bank. They date back to the time of the Bar Kochba Revolt, when the Jewish people rebelled against the Roman Empire. Although the revolt had some initial success, the Roman response resulted in widespread massacres.
“Five hundred and eighty thousand people were killed in various raids and battles, and the number of those who died from hunger, disease and fire could no longer be counted. Thus, almost all of Judea was devastated,” wrote the Roman historian Cassius Dio in his book “Roman History.” The accuracy of the death toll he gave is subject to some debate among modern scholars; there is no doubt that the numbers were very high, and many caves have been found in the region where refugees hid from the Roman army.
One coin has a Hebrew inscription that translates to “Eleazar the priest,” which may refer to Rabbi Eleazar Hamodai, who lived at the Betar uprising headquarters, Israel Antiquities Authority officials said in a statement. A date palm is engraved next to Eleazar’s name.
On the other side of the coins there is another inscription in Hebrew that reads: “The first year of the redemption of Israel.” This indicates that the coin was minted in 132 AD, the first year of the revolt. There is also an engraving of grapes, archaeologists say.
Israel Antiquities Authority researchers have been surveying the Judean Desert since 2017 in hopes of finding artifacts before they are looted. Since then they have made a number of finds, including Roman swords and an ancient scroll containing part of the Book of Zechariah. Work will continue with excavations in the Murabbaat caves.
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