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Thursday, 12th November 2009 (5154 views)

A collection of gold and other coins that were burnt during the destruction of Jerusalem's Second Jewish Temple in 70 AD has gone on display for the first time.

The coins were discovered in an ancient street located below the Temple Mount holy site, with some pieces found to be almost completely melted down, the Associated Press reports.

It was a Jewish revolt against the Romans that led to the temple's destruction almost 2,000 years ago.

Gabriela Bijovsky, an antique coin expert at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said the coins - which are on display at the Archaeological Garden in Jerusalem - clearly highlight the troubles that afflicted the city in the first century.

She added: "The most important coins we have are from those last four or five years of the rebellion against the Roman army and one coin we found was actually minted very close to the destruction of the Second Temple."

The coins form part of a wider exhibition of rare coins from around the world that come from different historical periods and were discovered close to Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University found the biggest ever collection of rare gold and other coins dating back to the time of the Jewish Bar-Kokhba revolt against the Romans in a cave in the Judean Hills.

 

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