8 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Researchers find evidence of the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of Roman soldiers

Israeli researchers find evidence of the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of Roman soldiers.

The discovery of a rare coin in Jerusalem’s City of David National Park has revealed tangible evidence of the destruction of the Second Temple and the devastating events that occurred 2,000 years ago.

The City of David Foundation announced the find on Thursday as Jews marked Tisha B’Av, a somber fast day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples, which both occurred on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av.

Tisha B’Av, marking 1,953 years ago when the Jewish revolt against the Romans culminated in the disastrous defeat in the bridging of the Second Temple Walls, and its ultimate destruction at the hands of Roman soldiers. The fasting day is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, and it is thus believed to be a day that is destined for tragedy.

The coin was inscribed with the words, “For the Freedom of Zion,” and was pierced in the middle. Presumably, it was worn as a pendant.

“It seems clear that the coin was pierced on purpose and the hole was not created as a result of natural weathering of the material,” Yaniv David Levy of the Israel Antiquities Authority explained. “The coin is pierced on purpose to probably allow it to be hung.”

The destruction of the temple of Jerusalem – 1867/Francesco Hayez Photo: Wikipedia

Yaniv David Levy added described that the coin features three pomegranates in its center, “a familiar symbol on the Israeli pound, used by the State of Israel until 1980.” A goblet appears on the other side and above it the Hebrew letter indicating the first year of the rebellion, as well as the inscription “half-shekel” for the coin’s value.

Levy explained that during the time of the Second Temple, pilgrims would pay a tax of half a shekel to the Temple and that this discovery proves worship of the Temple continued even during the Jewish rebellion.

“The coin is direct and touching evidence of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans – a turbulent period in the life of our people from 2,000 years ago, during which extremism and discord divided the people and led to destruction,” IAA director Eli Escusidoaded.

The seeds of the Great Revolt was in part caused by increasing religious tensions and high taxation, leading to the plundering of the Second Temple and the arrest of senior Jewish political and religious figures by the Romans.

The Romans assembled four Legions (supported by forces of Agrippa) to quell the uprising and punish the Jews as a lesson to others. When the legions arrived in Jerusalem in AD 70, they imposed a four-month siege on the city.

Titus Flavius Josephus, a historian of the time, wrote: “Jerusalem… was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those who demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left to ever persuade visitors that it had been a place of habitation.” After several battles, the entire city and the Second Temple were destroyed.

IAA

Cover Photo: IAA

Related Articles

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue in Israel

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at a Jewish synagogue at Huqoq in Israel,...

A Medieval Barbican and a Network of Passages Uncovered in Western Slovakia’s town of Trenčín

5 December 2024

5 December 2024

A medieval barbican (fortified outpost or fortified gateway), and a network of passages that acted as a sewerage system have...

Metal Scraps were Used İnstead of Money in Bronze Age Europe

8 May 2021

8 May 2021

Bronze scrap uncovered in hoards in Europe was used as currency, according to researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and...

Mysterious Mongolian Arc in Eastern Mongolia Studied for the First Time

30 December 2023

30 December 2023

Researchers have studied the 405-km wall system in eastern Mongolia known as the Mongolian Arc to learn more about its...

Manuscript Portal Brings Medieval Manuscripts from Greifswald Online

24 April 2024

24 April 2024

Greifswald’s oldest books can be accessed digitally via another new portal. The Manuscript Portal (HSP) is the central online portal...

World’s Oldest Pants was Made through Three Weaving Techniques

26 February 2022

26 February 2022

Back in 2014, a group of archaeologists discovered in China a pair of wool pants dating back to around 3,300...

14,000 years old vessels made by Hunter-gatherers in Japan

1 May 2022

1 May 2022

The Late Pleistocene inhabitants of Tanegashima Island were making pottery about 14,000 years ago. In the Jomon period, people obtained...

3000 years old wooden wishing well discovered in Germany

7 January 2023

7 January 2023

In the town of Germering, in the Germany state of Bavaria, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a well-preserved Bronze...

Sacred Hill of Moon God Sin “Sogmatar”

23 June 2022

23 June 2022

Sogmatar, Şanlıurfa is 53 kilometers from Harran. It is located in Yağmurlu village, where there are important springs in the...

Archaeologists find a 3,000-year-old bronze sword in Germany

15 June 2023

15 June 2023

Archaeologists discovered a bronze sword more than 3,000 years old during excavations in the town of Nördlingen in Bavaria, Germany....

The first and largest astronomical observatory of the 6th century BC discovered in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh

24 August 2024

24 August 2024

Archaeologists in Egypt unveiled the first and largest astronomical observatory from the 6th century BCE in the Buto Temple at...

Traces of fossilized crabs in the Zagros Mountains, Iran which may hint at a hotbed of biodiversity dating from 15 million years

18 April 2022

18 April 2022

A group of paleontologists from the  University of Tehran has discovered traces of fossilized crabs in the Iranian which may...

First direct evidence of drug use as part of Bronze Age ritual ceremonies in Europe

6 April 2023

6 April 2023

An analysis of human hair strands recovered from a burial site in Menorca, Spain, reveals that ancient human civilizations used...

Remains of a Submerged Roman Harbor Discovered in Slovenia

7 March 2024

7 March 2024

Archaeologists from the Institute of Underwater Archaeology (ZAPA) have uncovered the remains of a submerged Roman harbor, off the coast...

Mandrin cave in France shows Homo Sapiens arrived in Europe almost 10,000 years earlier than thought

10 February 2022

10 February 2022

According to archaeological research published in Science magazine on Wednesday, Homo sapiens ventured into the Neanderthal territory in Europe far...