SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD SHEKEL REDISCOVERED

In the midst of one of the most comprehensive conservation projects currently taking place in Israel, archeologists in Jerusalem's Old City discovered a Tyre coin, believed to have been used to pay the Temple tax by pilgrims making their way to the Temple for Passover, Shavuot or Sukkot.

The ancient coin was found inside a box of artifacts originally excavated in the 1980s, when the last conservation project took place at the site. The box was somehow lost and only discovered recently as part of a well-needed conservation project currently taking place at the Tower of David Museum.

The box included the rare silver coin, called a "Tyre shekel," which was used during the Second Temple Period and produced in the ancient city of Tyre, where Tyrian shekels were minted from 125 BCE until the outbreak of the Great Revolt in 66 CE.

Tyrian shekels are often mentioned in historical accounts from the Second Temple Period, but very few have actually been found. The Tower of David complex, where the exciting finding was made, includes the ancient palace of Herod, where many theologians and historians believe that the trial of Jesus took place. The tallest tower in the complex is called the Phasael Tower, which was the first to be identified as the "Tower of David" in the 5th century CE.

The coin that was recently discovered will be displayed next year in a new and permanent exhibit at the museum.

To read the complete article, see:
Coin from 2nd Temple Mount era found during Tower of David conservation (https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/coin-from-2nd-temple-mount-era-found-during-tower-of-david-conservation-663456)

Some pictures of the Tower of David Museum complex I took during one of my many trips to Jerusalem:

Entrance to the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem over the dry moat that surrounds The Citadel.

The ruins of the courtyard of the Citadel as seen from the Phasael Tower which some believe was the Praetorium at the time of Jesus.

Recent excavations reveal subterranean dungeons beneath the Citadel which could have been where Jesus was held. which some believe was the Praetorium at the time of Jesus.

To read the other articles, see:
Rare coin from Second Temple era discovered in Jerusalem's Old City (https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/israel/1617049431-rare-coin-from-second-temple-era-discovered-in-jerusalem-s-old-city)
Rare coin rediscovered during conservation project of Jerusalem museum tower (https://www.timesofisrael.com/rare-coin-rediscovered-during-conservation-project-of-jerusalem-museum-tower/)
Archaeologists expose 2,000-year-old coin from biblical Jerusalem - 'Token from the past' (https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1416447/ancient-coin-bible-second-temple-period-tyrian-shekel-jerusalem-archaeology-news-evg)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web