Dec 19 2008
Coin Minted in 67 A.D. Found by Sifting Through Mounds of Dirt
Wow… okay, first of all, this is one seriously old coin. Minted only 67 years into time as we know it, this coin is possibly the oldest thing we’ve reported on at TreasureHunting.com.
Second of all: This coin was found by sifting through dirt dug from the side of a mountain where a temple used to be. It’s an unauthorized project in Temple Mount, Jerusalem, begun in 1999, that has caused extensive an irreversible archaeological damage to the ancient layers of the mountain.
40,000 volunteers have participating in this giant sifting project and over 3,500 coins have been discovered in the dirt so far. But while many of them go back to the Persian era, this is the first coin found that was actually minted right there and is the oldest.
This ancient coin does have what looks like fire damage. Experts believe it was the same fire that destroyed the Second Temple in 70 A.D. The coin is worth a “half shekel,” the face is decorated with a branch of three pomegranates and ancient Hebrew letters reading “holy Jerusalem.” On the flip side, the letters say “half shekel.”
Go to Haaretz.com for a picture of this old coin. Reminds us of something made in playdough,… very old and odd looking. What do you think?
- Shaun
