Half-shekel Great-Revolt coin found near Ein Gedi

NUMISMATICS: Half-shekel coin from revolt against Romans 2 millennia ago uncovered in desert cave. Hebrew coin minted by rebels as part of underground Jewish economy and used to pay tax at Temple in Jerusalem is discovered during six-year survey mapping area of Dead Sea Scrolls (Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel).

IAA inspectors discovered the coin in the area around the Ein Gedi oasis during an intensive survey of all of Israel’s caves in the Judean desert, in an attempt to discover and document archaeological finds before they are stolen by looters — especially additional Dead Sea Scrolls. Inspectors have spent the past six years canvassing the caves, both by foot and by rappelling down steep cliffs to reach caves tucked into the mountainside. The survey is a joint initiative from the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Ministry of Heritage, and the Civil Administration Archaeology Unit in Judea and Samaria.

Just in time for Tisha B'Av.

For more on half-shekel coins and their use for the annual Temple tax, start here and follow the links.

For more on Operation Scroll, see here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.