Rare 1st century coin of the Jewish Revolt found in the ancient Jerusalem Drain

Expert believes the piece was thrown by a Jewish agent hiding from the Roman pursuers.

Last week, while sifting through the debris of the City of David, the workers discovered an old currency struck by the forces of Jewish rebellion in AD 69. He was originally found in the sewers under ancient Jerusalem, where he had to be seated for nearly 2,000 years.

The coins that the Jews struck in the year 69 bear all the words "For the Redemption of Zion"; it represents a cup of wine, while the opposite side shows the so-called "four species" (fruit and symbolic branches used in the celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot) and the words "Year Four". This refers to the fourth year of the Jews' rebellion against Rome, which began in 66 AD.

The words on the coin were printed in Paleo-Hebrew, a language much older than the original. Hebrew that had been spoken and written since the 2nd Temple era. The presence of such an ancient form of Jewish writing suggests that the resistance honored their heritage.

It is possible that the room fell on the street and rolled into the sewers; however, Reut Vilf of the City of David Foundation believes that he was abandoned by a Jewish agent who was hiding Roman forces in the sewers.

We know that Jews sought refuge with Roman prosecutors from the writings of Yosef ben Matityahu, aka Roman Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote: "For they could not hide, either from God, or from Romans "(" The Wars of the Jews ", Book VI, chapter 7: 3)

. Vilf explained to Haaretz: "The piece was found exactly in the same place as the Jews hidden in the drainage channel under the street." Further evidence that the sewers were used as a shelter was in intact oil lamps and cooking pots. whole, suggesting that Jewish agents would spend a lot of time there.

"These objects could not have fallen there.They would have broken.Since they were found whole, someone had to deliberately put them there," Vilf said. Among the items found in the sewers, there was also a Roman sword, although it is not known whether it was left by a soldier or hidden as a prize by a Jewish agent.

There was also a section of bricks on the road uprooted, suggesting that Roman soldiers were looking under the road for their prey.

It is very rare to find a coin minted in the fourth year of the revolt, because most of the currency of their ephemeral movement was minted 67 AD. The year 69 was the last year they hit any currency, as the following year saw the final victory of the Roman armies on the resistance.

There was also a subtle difference between the pieces of 67 and 69 AD; they changed the expression "Freedom of Zion" to "Redemption of Zion". Vilf speculates that writing on the coins can be an indicator of the declining hope of Jewish forces:

"Freedom is an immediate thing, while redemption is a process," said Vilf, interpreting the message of the short text. "This could attest to their understanding that the end was near." Realizing that they were not going to deliver Zion from the Roman oppressor, they began to hope one day for future redemption.