Natural Sound
A collection of coins, bearing the likeness of Jesus on one side and Greek inscriptions on the other, were found among thousands of bronze items in an archaeological site near the Sea of Galilee.
Three large jugs, filled to the hilt with treasures, were discovered on the site of ancient Tiberias, dating between the 10th and 11th centuries.
A unique discovery was announced at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, Institute of Archeology, on Wednesday.
A trove of rare, thousand-year-old coins bearing the likeness of Jesus have been discovered in an area of the Holy Land that was predominantly Muslim at the time.
The coins were found in three large jugs along with broken pottery, oil lamps, a candelabra, tweezers, half a pair of scissors and a single blue glass vase.
The 58 Jesus coins - the largest such collection uncovered to date - were among thousands of bronze items discovered last October at an archaeological site near the Sea of Galilee.
They were hidden underground, untouched for one thousand years until October 1998, when Hirschfeld directed rescue excavations - digs required by law before major construction takes place.
He never dreamt that he would unearth the largest cache of Islamic period objects ever uncovered in Israel.
Workers on the dig applauded and cheered when the jugs were uncovered.
Hebrew University professor Yizhar Hirschfeld it was an excavation without any expectations, but recently while archaeologist were washing the coins, they realised that they made an important discovery.
The only other Jesus coins ever found were located through dealers.
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"It is unique, it is perhaps the largest collection of the Jesus coins that were found in archaeological dig. Usually these coins are found among antique dealers, so that was a big surprise and the great discovery that was done by us near the Sea of Galilee. "
SUPERCAPTION: Yizhar Hirschfeld, Hebrew University, Institute of Archeology
Hirschfeld said the owner, likely a collector or a dealer, may have buried two of the vases for fear of theft or invasion from Christian Crusaders.
The third and largest vase was used as a safe, because it was hidden from view but was easily accessed through a hole in the wall.
The Crusaders, on a bloody mission to claim the Holy Land for the Pope, invaded and destroyed ancient Tiberias at the end of the 11th century.
Some of the uneven, blue-green coins show Jesus standing with a cross behind him, others have him sitting on a throne; another is a depiction of Jesus' face.
The Greek inscriptions read "Jesus the Messiah, the King of Kings," or "Jesus, the Messiah, the Victor."
Together, the 82 coins are the only items among the thousands that are inscribed in Greek. Others bear blessings written in the ancient square-like Kufic Arabic script.
Researchers believe the coins were used as currency during the Fatimid period by Christians seeking to evangelise Muslims.
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