Ancient Jewish Revolt Coin Unearthed Near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
A rare bronze coin minted by Jewish rebels during the fourth year of their revolt against Roman rule has been discovered near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. The 2,000-year-old artifact, inscribed with the Hebrew phrase ‘For the Redemption of Zion,’ was found at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park and dates back to between 69 and 70 A.D. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the find on July 31, just days before Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning that commemorates the Romans’ destruction of the Second Temple.
The coin’s reverse bears a lulav, a palm frond used in the Sukkot festival, alongside two etrogs, the citron used in the same ritual. The coin’s Year Four inscription places it within the final stages of the Great Revolt, reflecting a shift in the rebels’ mindset from hope to desperation. The discovery, which coincided with the timing of the destruction of the Temple, underscores the emotional significance of the artifact and its role in understanding the historical context of Jewish resistance against Roman occupation.
The coin was uncovered by Yaniv David Levy, a coin specialist with the IAA, who described its state of preservation as ‘quite good.’ ‘On its reverse is a lulav, a palm frond used in the Sukkot festival ritual,’ Levy said. ‘Next to it are two etrogs, the citron used in that same ritual.’ He noted that the [Year Four] inscription allows researchers to accurately date the coin to the period between the Hebrew month of Nissan (March-April) of the year 69 CE, and the month of Adar (February-March) of the year 70 CE.
Speaking about her experience during the excavation, archaeologist Esther Rakow-Mellet told the IAA that she had a feeling it was an unusual discovery. ‘From the looks of it, [we thought] it might be a rare coin,’ Rakow-Mellet recalled. ‘We waited anxiously for several days until it came back from cleaning, and it turned out that it was a greeting from the Jewish rebels in Year Four of the Great Revolt.’ She also noted the striking timing of the discovery, just days before Tisha B’Av. ‘Two thousand years after the minting of this coin … [we found] such a moving testimony to that great destruction, and I think there is nothing more symbolic,’ said Rakow-Mellet.
The IAA noted that Year Four coins are ‘relatively rare,’ since they were minted toward the end of the revolt when rebels had reduced production capabilities. Excavation director Yuval Baruch said the coin’s inscription ‘indicates a profound change of identity and mindset, and perhaps also reflects the desperate situation of the rebel forces.’ ‘It would seem that in the rebellion’s fourth year, the mood of the rebels now besieged in Jerusalem changed from euphoria and anticipation of freedom at hand, to a dispirited mood and a yearning for redemption,’ the archaeologist observed.
The coin will be put on display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. The recent discovery is one of many archaeological finds made in Jerusalem this year: an ancient garden was recently found at the holiest site in Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the Room of the Last Supper, located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, centuries-old inscriptions have also recently resurfaced. Fox News Digital’s Ashley DiMella contributed reporting.