Ancient Coin Found in Tower of David

With Chanukah only days away, archeologists have discovered a coin they believe dates back to the period of the Chashmona’im.

Orna Cohen, archeologist and chief conservation officer at the Tower of David, just outside the Old City of Yerushalayim, spotted a metallic item among stones near a wall. It turned out to be a bronze-leaf cent, once used during the reign of the evil King Antiochus.

A portrait of Antiochus is engraved on the coin, which was worth approximately 10 agorot at the time it was in circulation.

Eilat Lieber, director of the Tower of David, exclaimed of the find: “It is thrilling to hold in your hand a piece of history that brings the stories of Chanukah right up to the present day!”