Half-shekel coin recovered in the Judean Desert

NUMISMATICS: Rare half-shekel coin used in biblical census count discovered by archaeologists in Judean Desert. The survey is an ongoing project by the IAA meant to protect archaeological sites in the Judean Desert from looting and unauthorized excavations (Miriam Sela-Eitam, Jerusalem Post).

According to the IAA, the coin is approximately 2,000 years old and may have fallen from the pocket of a rebel fleeing into the desert during the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome, approximately between 66 and 74 CE.

“The coin bears the Hebrew inscription 'Half Shekel' alongside a chalice motif, a characteristic symbol found on Jewish coins from the late Second Temple period,” IAA researcher Yaniv David Levy said. “Above it appears the letter Aleph, denoting the first year of the outbreak of the revolt.”

The article also refers to the recent apprehension of real and forged ancient coins in East Jerusalem, already noted here. But I see no new details.

For more on half-shekel coins and their use for the annual Temple tax, see the links collected here, plus here. Also, according to Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus once manifested a shekel coin to pay his and Peter's half-shekel temple tax.

By the way, I commend the Post for going back to having humans write its archaeology articles instead of AI.

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