Rubble yields silver Temple 'tax' half-shekel - Israel Jewish Post
Arizona Coin Collector
You can view the image of the coins on the
link below.
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FROM:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1228728255435&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel Jewish Post
Dec 18, 2008 21:35
Updated Dec 18, 2008 21:37
Rubble yields silver Temple 'tax' half-shekel
Two ancient coins, one used to pay the Temple
tax and another minted by the Greek leader the
Jews fought in the story of Hanukka, have been
uncovered amid debris from Jerusalem's Temple
Mount, an Israeli archeologist said Thursday.
The two coins were recently found in rubble
discarded by Islamic officials from the Temple
Mount. It is carefully being sifted by two
archeologists and a team of volunteers at a
Jerusalem national park.
The first coin, a silver half-shekel, was
apparently minted on the Temple Mount itself
by Temple authorities in the first year of the
Great Revolt against the Romans in 66-67 CE,
said Bar-Ilan University Professor Gabriel
Barkay, who is leading the sifting operation.
One side of the coin, which was found by a
14-year-old volunteer, shows a branch with
three pomegranates, and the inscription "Holy
Jerusalem"; the other side bears a chalice
from the First Temple and says "Half-Shekel."
In the Bible, Jews are commanded to contribute
half a shekel each for maintaining the Temple
in Jerusalem. At the time of the Temple's
construction in the sixth century BCE, every
Jew was ordered to make an obligatory symbolic
donation of a half-shekel. This consistent yet
small payment allowed all Jews, irrespective
of socioeconomic position, to participate
in building the Temple.
After the construction was completed, the tax
continued to be collected for the purchase of
public sacrifices and for maintaining the
Temple's furnishings.
The coin uncovered shows signs of fire damage,
most likely by the fires that destroyed the
Second Temple when it was invaded by the Romans
in 70 CE, Barkay said.
Although similar coins have been discovered at
various locations throughout Jerusalem -
including one found at the ancient City of
David earlier this year - this is the first
time such a coin has been discovered in rubble
from the Temple Mount itself, he said.
No archeological excavations are carried out
on the Temple Mount, in keeping with the
religious sensitivities of both Muslims and Jews.
The second coin discovered in the rubble was
minted by, and bears a portrait of, the Greek
leader Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who ruled from
175-163 BCE. During that time, he looted the
Temple of its treasures and erected a statue
in the sanctuary.
The Hasmonean rebellion was directed against
his actions. The rebellion, the Hasmoneans'
liberation of the Temple, and the events
surrounding the Hanukka story took place on
the Temple Mount.
The sifting operation began four years ago,
after Islamic officials discarded truckloads
of rubble from the Temple Mount in the Kidron
valley following illegal Wakf construction
work on the ancient compound - work that
caused irreparable archeological damage to
Judaism's holiest site.
The operation under way at the Jerusalem
park, which is funded by the City of David
Foundation, has retrieved more than 3,500
ancient coins that range from the Persian
Period to the Ottoman Period.
..
Arizona Coin Collector
Since the photos do not stay up very long, I posted and image
on the Newsgroup "alt.binaries.pictures.numismatic", relating
to the story below. You can also reach it from the link below
as well.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Arizona Coin Collector"
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.numismatic
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 6:49 AM
Subject: Gold Coins - Israel Antiquities
Nadine Ross, a British volunteer for Israel's
Antiquities Authority, holds coins she helped
unearth during excavations in Jerusalem
December 22, 2008. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
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