by Reuters, Yori Yalon and Israel Hayom Staff
Hikers find trove that includes 2,300-year-old coins and jewelry from the period of Alexander the Great • Eitan Klein, of the Israel Antiquities Authority, says the treasure is the first of its kind to be found from the period in Israel.
One of the ancient coins
discovered in the Galilee cave
|
Photo credit: Shmuel Megel, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority 
Cave explorers in Israel have
uncovered a small trove of coins and jewelry from the time of Alexander
the Great that archaeologists believe was hidden by refugees during an
ancient war.
The 2,300-year-old treasure is the first of
its kind to be found in Israel from the period of the conqueror, said
Eitan Klein, of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Credit: Reuters
Last month, scuba divers off Israel's coast came upon an even larger find, about 2,000 gold coins from the 11th century that archaeologists hope will shed light on Muslim rule during that time.
Hiker Reuven Zakai, his son Chen, and their friend Lior Haloni discovered the latest hoard in a narrow crevice of a stalactite cave in the Galilee region. It includes two silver coins minted during Alexander's reign and several pieces of silver jewelry, including rings, bracelets and earrings.
The findings date back to the Chalcolithic era some 6,000 years ago through the Bronze Age, about 5,000 years ago, to the biblical period 3,000 years ago and the Hellenistic period.
"The valuables might have been hidden in the cave by local residents who fled there during the period of governmental unrest stemming from the death of Alexander," the Antiquities Authority said in a statement. "Presumably the cache was hidden in the hope of better days."
Alexander the Great, ruler of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia, led a military campaign throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia. He died in Babylonia, the present day Iraq, in 323 B.C.E.
Reuters, Yori Yalon and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=24061
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment