Background on the Bar Kokhba-era hoard is here and links. Background on the Megiddo hoard is here and links (also with links to past ancient-bling posts).
In related news, in The Media Line (via the Agade list) Aryeh O'Sullivan reports on an exhibition of ancient gold objects at the Bible Lands Museum: Pure Gold to Celebrate Museum Anniversary. Excerpt:
Gold, and lots of it.
The Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem is marking its 20th anniversary with an exhibit of a collection of ancient gold jewelry and artifacts. Most of it has been tucked away in storerooms and never seen in public before, not in Israel nor anywhere else in the world.
The private collection is called Pure Gold and fills the ground floor of the museum where its 400 pieces literally shimmer in their glass cases.
Among the displays are a Roman-era wreath of gold laurel leaves, a magnificent silver and gold horn cup made literally for kings two thousand six hundred years ago, a Canaanite goddess pendant and an exquisite Greek pendant of Aphrodite.