A 2000-year-old family tomb—one of the most elaborate in Israel—was uncovered in the Salome Cave in the Judean Shefelah

The cave forecourt was excavated as part of the Judean Kings’ Trail Project, led by the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage, and the Jewish National Fund * Evidence for centuries-long veneration of the site was uncovered indicating that an esteemed person from a prominent Second Temple-period family was considered to have been buried here 

 A 2000-year-old Second Temple-Period burial cave designated the Salome Cave—one of the most impressive burial caves discovered in Israel—is being uncovered in the Lachish Forest. The excavation was carried out as part of the Judean Kings’ Trail Project led by the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage, and the Jewish National Fund.

The burial cave continued in use in the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods, becoming known as the Salome Cave due to a popular tradition that identified it as the burial place of Salome, the midwife of Jesus. The excavation of the courtyard uncovered a row of shop stalls that, according to the excavators, sold or rented clay lamps. “In the shop, we found hundreds of complete and broken lamps dating from the 8th–9th centuries CE,” said Nir Shimshon-Paran and Zvi Firer, excavation directors in the Israel Antiquities Authority Southern Region. “The lamps may have served to light up the cave, or as part of the religious ceremonies, similarly to candles distributed today at the graves of righteous figures and in churches.”

The burial cave in the Lachish Forest was first exposed 40 years ago by antiquity looters who broke into the cave, following which Prof. Amos Kloner of the Antiquities Department carried out an archaeological excavation. The cave comprised several chambers with multiple rock-hewn kokhim (burial niches) and broken ossuaries (stone boxes), attesting to the Jewish burial custom. The Jewish tradition of secondary burial in stone ossuaries is well-known in the archaeological record, but the surprise was the adaptation of the cave into a Christian chapel. Judging by the crosses and the dozens of inscriptions engraved on the cave walls in the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods, the chapel was dedicated to the sacred Salome.

“Salome (or in Hebrew: Shalom or Shlomit) was a common Jewish name in the Second Temple period and was also known in the Hasmonean and Herodian families,” say Paran and Firer. “According to a Christian tradition, Salome was the midwife from Bethlehem who was called to participate in the birth of Jesus. She could not believe that she was asked to deliver a virgin’s baby, and her hand became dry and was only healed when she held the baby’s cradle.”

The cave was excavated many years ago, and now the Israel Antiquities Authority is exposing the elaborate cave forecourt. The court, extending over 350 sq. m, is surrounded by ashlar stone walls and has stone slabs and mosaic floors. The entrances leading into the cave and the interior chapel were exposed, some of the stones carved with delicate decorative vegetal designs, including rosettes, pomegranates, and acanthus vases, characteristic Jewish features. The forecourt and the cave attest that the tomb belonged to a wealthy Jewish family who invested much effort into preparing the cave. It is noteworthy that the court leading into burial caves was usually hewn out of the rock and not elaborately built of ashlar masonry as this forecourt.

The veneration of Salome and the use of the forecourt and the cave continued down to the ninth century CE, after the Muslim conquest. Interestingly, some inscriptions were in Arabic, while the Christian believers continued to pray at the site.

“Salome is a mysterious figure,” say the researchers. “The family tomb attests that its owners were a family of high status in the Judean Shefelah in the Second Temple period. The cult of Salome, sanctified in Christianity, belongs to a broader phenomenon whereby the fifth-century CE Christian pilgrims encountered and sanctified Jewish sites. The name Salome may have appeared in antiquity on one of the (no-longer extant) ossuaries in the tomb, and the tradition identifying the site with Salome the midwife developed, the cave becoming venerated by Christianity.”

According to Saar Ganor, the Israel Antiquities Authority Director of the Judean Kings’ Trail Project: “Once the restoration and development works are completed, the forecourt and the cave will be opened to the public, as part of Judean Kings’ Trail Project in cooperation with the Jewish National Fund and the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage. This trail, which crosses the Judean Shefelah, is the backbone of the Jewish people’s cultural heritage. It encompasses dozens of sites from the time of the Bible, the Second Temple, the Mishnah, and the Talmud. In the excavations along the Judean Kings’ Trail, the Israel Antiquities Authority is creating a meaningful deep-rooted connection between archaeology and cultural heritage for the general public.

Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “The Judean Kings’ Trail Project initiative is the result of effective cooperation with the Ministry for Jerusalem and Cultural Heritage and the Jewish National Fund, intending to enhance archaeology and the development of cultural heritage sites for the benefit of the general public. The excavation of the Salome Cave is the result of productive cooperation with the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage and the Jewish National Fund, aiming to enhance archaeology and develop heritage sites for the general public. The Israel Antiquities Authority is developing sites and making heritage trails accessible as part of our understanding that archaeological sites in non-built-up areas are an integral part of the country’s cultural landscape. Many of these trails are located in the Israel Antiquity Authority Southern Region, such as the Judean Kings’ Trail, Incense Trade Route, and Knights Route. We aim to continue developing new ways and initiatives to strengthen the bond between the public and the heritage and cultural landscape in the coming years.”

Victor Halfon, Director of the Jewish National Fund Lachish Region: “Salome’s Cave is one of the many sites in the Jewish National Fund Lachish Forest and along the Judean Kings’ Trail. The Jewish National Fund supports the development of cultural heritage sites in forest areas to attract the general public to open spaces. The cooperation over the last few years has led to the development of several exciting sites. After the excavations, Salome’s Cave will be a new focus of interest accessible to visitors.

First evidence for the Maccabean Revolt against the Greek Seleucid Kingdom in the Judean Desert

A rare wooden box containing a small hoard of 15 silver coins dating to the reign of Antiochos IV was discovered in an excavation in the Darageh Stream Nature Reserve, overlooking the Dead Sea

*A refugee probably hid the wooden box in the cave, intending to return to collect his money after the Revolt * The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage, and the Archaeology Staff Officer of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, invite the public to take part in December in this special archaeological expedition in the Judean Desert, focused on discovering additional finds * The coins will be exhibited to the public in the Hasmonean Museum in Modi'in, as part of the "Israel Heritage Week" that will take place on Hannukah

Evidence for a dramatic moment in the history of the Jewish people has been uncovered in the Judean Desert: A rare wooden box containing a small hoard of 15 silver coins, dated to the days leading up to the Maccabean Revolt. The box was hidden in Muraba'at Cave in the Darageh Stream Nature Reserve about 2,200 years ago, and it was discovered in excavations carried out there last May. The coin hoard has since been researched. It will be exhibited to the public over Hannukah in the Hasmonean Museum in Modi'in, in the context of Israel Heritage Week, which takes place during Hannukah.

The rescue excavation was carried out in Muraba'at Cave in March–May 2022 in the framework of the Judean Desert Excavation and Survey Project run by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Archaeological Office for the Military Administration of Judea and Samaria, in cooperation with the Ministry for Jerusalem and Heritage. Among the many finds, the unique lathe-turned wooden box was discovered in a crack in the cave.

When the lid was removed, it turned out that the upper part of the box was full of packed earth and small stones. Below this earth layer, a large piece of purple woolen cloth was found, covering the 15 silver coins that were arranged with pieces of sheep's wool in the lower part of the box.

The coin hoard, cleaned in the Israel Antiquities Authority metal finds laboratory, comprised a homogeneous group of silver tetradrachma coins minted by Ptolemy VI, King of Egypt. Ptolemy VI reigned over Egypt at the same time as his uncle Antiochos IV Epiphanes ("the Wicked") reigned over the Seleucid Kingdom, including Judea. The earliest coins in the hoard were minted in 176/5 BCE, and the latest was dated 171/0 BCE. The name "Shalmai" in Aramaic script was secondarily incised on one of the coins.

Based on the date of the latest coin in the hoard in 170 BCE, the year when the cache was hidden can be fixed to the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt and the war declared against Antiochos Epiphanes IV decrees against the Jewish religion or the events that led up to the Revolt.

According to Dr. Eitan Klein, who studied the coins with Dr. Gabriela Bijovsky, Israel Antiquities Authority numismatic expert, "It is interesting to try to visualize the person who fled to the cave and hid his personal property here intending to return to collect it. The person was probably killed in the battles, and he did not return to collect his possessions, which awaited almost 2,200 years until we retrieved them. This unique find presented the first clear archaeological evidence that the Judean Desert caves played an active role as the stage of the activities of the Jewish rebels or the fugitives in the early days of the Maccabean Revolt or the events that led up to them.

According to Dr. Klein, the Books of the Maccabees describe the dramatic events of the times that would have led people to hide their possessions in the Judean Desert until the danger passed. One explanation could be the plundering of the Jerusalem Temple treasures by Antiochos IV and the destruction of the Jerusalem city wall in the years that led up to the Hasmonean Revolt. Another explanation could be the religious decrees imposed on the Jews in 167 BCE. The First Book of Maccabees records that groups of Jews fled to hiding places in the desert due to the decrees imposed on the Jews: "Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to dwell there: they, their sons, their wives, and their cattle because evils pressed heavily upon them. And it was reported to the king's officers and the troops in Jerusalem in the city of David that men who had rejected the king's command had gone down to hiding places in the wilderness. Many pursued and overtook them; they encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the sabbath day…. and they died, with their wives and children and cattle, about a thousand persons." (I Maccabees 2:29–37).

Amir Ganor, Director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority: "The Survey and Excavation Project carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Judean Desert over the past six years has proved itself, in that thousands of archaeological artifacts have been saved from destruction and plundering, including parts of biblical scrolls, arrowheads from the Bar Kochba Revolt, a 10,500-year-old basket, and more."  

According to the Minister of Construction and Housing, Jerusalem and Heritage, Zeev Elkin: "This moving find, coming just before the festival of Hannukah, is symbolic, emphasizing once again the importance of our activity in the field of heritage. Over the recent years, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, which I am responsible for, has invested millions of shekels in the Judean Desert Survey, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Archaeology Staff Officer of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, we have taken steps to save and preserve many heritage sites in the Judean Desert and Judea and Samaria, and  I commend all the participants in this important task. During Heritage Week, which will take place on Hannukah, dozens of sites will b open to the public with special activities for families and children, including the possibility of seeing the discovery in the Hasmonean Museum in Modi'in, and I invite all Israel to visit and enjoy the national heritage."

Eli Escusido, Director General of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The coin hoard that will be exhibited to the public in the framework of the Israel Heritage Week events fires the imagination and connects us with "those days in this season." This is the Hannukah' gelt' (money) that the Israel Antiquities Authority is donating to the people and the State of Israel. I invite the public to participate in the excavations in the Wadi Muraba'at cave in December. We consider that the shelter has not yet said its final word!"

According to Hananya Hizmi, the Archaeology Staff Officer of the Civil Administration, "The historical discovery of the coins dating to the time of Antiochos IV represents another step in the extensive activity of the Archaeology Staff Officer of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria Unit. We work tirelessly to preserve all the archaeological sites in Judea and Samaria, and we will not cease to look for and excavate historical discoveries such as this."

Discovery of a rare lead sling bullet bearing a magic inscription for victory

During excavations of the Israel Antiquities Authority in Yavne, a rare lead sling bullet was discovered - possibly belonging to a Greek soldier, bearing a magic inscription for victory

On the sling bullet was the Greek inscription “Victory of Heracles and Hauronas”

The inscriptions were part of psychological warfare, the main purpose of which was to terrorize the opponent, and in addition, to unite the warriors and raise their spirits,” says Prof. Yulia Ustinova of Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Was the projectile used for warfare against the Hasmoneans?

New research has revealed a lead sling bullet from the Hellenistic period, a rare of its kind in Israel, with an inscription in Greek intended to ensure victory in battle. The 2,200-year-old sling bullet, which bears the inscription - “Victory of Heracles and Hauronas,” was uncovered in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Yavne as part of the Israel Lands Authority’s initiative to expand the city, in cooperation with the Yavne Municipality. The length of the sling bullet is 4.4 cm, and it was intended to be used in an early sling.

“The pair of gods Hauron and Heracles were considered the divine patrons of Yavne during the Hellenistic period,” says Prof. Yulia Ustinova from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, who deciphered the inscription. “The inscription on a sling bullet is the first archaeological evidence of the two guardians of Yavne, discovered inside Yavne itself. Until today, the pair was only known from an inscription on the Greek island of Delos.”

As a couple, the gods Heracles and Hauron were a perfect team of victory-givers. “The announcement of the future victory of Heracles and Hauron was not a call addressed to the deity, but a threat directed towards the adversaries,” says Prof. Ustinova. “Lead sling bullets are known in the ancient world beginning in the 5th century BCE, but in Israel, few individual sling bullets were found with inscriptions. The inscriptions convey a message of unifying the warriors to raise their spirits, scare the enemy, or a call intended to energize the sling bullet itself magically. These inscriptions were part of psychological warfare, the main

Purpose of which is to terrorize the opponent, and in addition, to unite the warriors and raise their spirits.”

It seems that we will not be able to know for sure if the sling bullet belonged to a Greek soldier,” said Pablo Betzer and Dr. Daniel Varga, the directors of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “but it may be related to the conflict between the Greeks and the Hasmoneans. In the 2nd century BCE, pagan Yavne - an ally of the Seleucids (the Greeks who ruled Eretz-Israel), were subject to attacks by the Hasmonean armies. The Hasmoneans sought to subjugate the other nations and create a homogeneous and ‘pure state’ from a religious-ritualistic point of view. The tiny lead sling bullets, announcing the imminent victory of the gods of pagan Yavne, are tangible evidence of a fierce battle in Yavne at that time.

“One can only imagine what that warrior who held the sling bullet 2,200 years ago thought and felt as he held on to the hope of divine salvation,” says Eli Escusido, Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Yavne excavation is a ‘mega’ excavation - one of the largest conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, has yielded fascinating discoveries that testify to a rich and varied history of 7,000 years, and we eagerly await future findings.”

Scarab from over 3000 years ago discovered during an archaeological tour in Azor

 “At first, I thought it was a toy lying in the dirt, but an inner voice said to me: ‘Pick it up and turn it over!’ I was astonished! It was a scarab seal with an inscribed scene—every archaeology lover’s dream!” said Gilad Stern of the Israel Antiquity Authority Educational Center, who led the tour.

An ancient 3000-year-old scarab was a surprise discovery in a school field tour in Azor, located about 7 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv, Israel. The scene depicted on the scarab probably represents the bestowing of legitimacy on a local ruler.

"We were wandering around when I saw something that looked like a small toy on the ground,” said Gilad Stern of the Israel Antiquity Authority Educational Center, who was leading the tour. "An inner voice said to me: 'Pick it up and turn it over.' I was astonished: it was a scarab with an incised scene, the dream of every amateur archaeologist. The pupils were excited!"

The tour of the eighth-grade pupils from the Rabin Middle School took place in the context of a Tour-Guide Course organized by the Israel Antiquity Authority for the third year. The course enables the pupils to teach the local Azor residents about their local archaeological heritage.

The scarab was designed in the shape of the common dung beetle. The ancient Egyptians saw the act of the little beetle, which rolls a ball of dung twice its size where it stows its future offspring, as the embodiment of creation and regeneration - similar to the act of the Creator God.

According to Dr. Amir Golani, Israel Antiquities Authority specialist of the Bronze Age period, "The scarab was used as a seal and symbol of power and status. It may have been placed on a necklace or a ring. It is made of faience, a silicate material coated with a bluish-green glaze. It may have dropped from the hands of an important figure of authority who passed through the area, or it may have been deliberately buried in the ground, and other objects came to the surface after thousands of years. It's difficult to determine the exact original context."In the lower, flat part of the scarab seal, a figure is depicted sitting on a chair, and in front of it is a standing figure whose arm is raised above that of the seated person. The standing figure has an elongated head, representing the crown of an Egyptian pharaoh. It is possible that we can see here a snapshot of a scene wherein the Egyptian Pharaoh is conferring authority to a local Canaanite subject. "This scene basically reflects the geopolitical reality that prevailed in the land of Canaan during the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500-1000 BCE), when the local Canaanite rulers lived (and sometimes rebelled) under Egyptian political and cultural hegemony," says Dr. Golani. "Therefore, it is possible that the seal was indeed from the Late Bronze Age when the Egyptian EmpireEgyptian EmpireEgyptian Empire ruled the local Canaanites.

Scarab seals are distinctly Egyptian, but their wide distribution also reached far outside the borders of Egypt. Hundreds of scarabs were discovered in the Land of Israel, mainly in graves and settlement layers. Some were imported from Egypt, and many more were imitated in Israel by local artisans under Egyptian influence. The quality of the particular scarab found now is not typical for Egypt and may represent a product of local craftsmen.

The close cooperation between the Israel Antiquity Authority and the Azor Municipality and its education department and schools led to the recent opening of an impressive local museum exhibiting the archaeological story of Azor.

According to Eli Escusido, Director General of the Israel Antiquity Authority, "The find of the scarab in the framework of a field tour with pupils participating in the Tour-Guide course, is symbolic, in that the pupils were gaining archaeological knowledge, and at the same time contributing to our archaeological heritage. This cooperation is truly moving, as we are working towards connecting communities with their cultural heritage."

Looters caught in an ancient well near Rahat

The antiquity looters were digging for treasure in the well, following a southern Bedouin myth * One of the robbers was previously charged for antiquity looting and was released on probation.

Last Tuesday, the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit in the Israel Antiquities Authority caught a team of three antiquity robbers "on the job" while excavating and destroying historical layers in an Ottoman well next to the Rahat cemetery. The team is suspected of searching for a hidden treasure, which, according to a Bedouin myth, was buried in the well in the cave.

The archaeological site of Horvat Maaravim, near Rahat, where there are ancient remains from the Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, and Ottoman periods, was being watched by the Israel Antiquities Authority. On Tuesday, in the early evening, suspicious figures were seen approaching the site and entering the cave covering the rock-hewn water well on the southern side of the site.

The Israel Antiquities Authority Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit inspectors hurried to the site. They reached the cave entrance without being spotted, catching the robbers in the act of digging up the archaeological site.

The suspects, in their twenties, were arrested—with the assistance of Border Patrol Police and the security staff of the Rahat municipality—and were taken for questioning during the night.

One of the looters was arrested in the past and charged for a similar offense in 2020 when he received a punishment on probation of half a year imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 shekels.

"After the summer heat, we witness an increase in antiquity robbing activities," says Israel Antiquities Authority Director-General Eli Escusido, "The Israel Antiquities Authority is busy combatting the phenomenon of antiquity theft day and night. The looters are motivated by financial gain; they rip the finds from their archaeological context, thus damaging the country's heritage."  

According to Amir Ganor, Director of the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit in the Israel Antiquities Authority, "It must be absolutely clear to the public that rumors of hidden treasures have no archaeological or historical basis. No treasure has been discovered to date, but irreparable damage has been done to the archaeological sites, undermining the possibility of reconstructing the history of this country's peoples."

The Israel Antiquities Authority communicated that damaging an archaeological site is a grave criminal offense, for which the punishment by law is up to five years imprisonment.

A graffiti with the name of Knight Adrian von Bubenberg discovered on Mount Zion in Jerusalem

Written sources record that Adrian von Bubenberg came on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1466. More than five centuries later, in a research project documenting pilgrims’ inscriptions, Michael Chernin and Shai Halevi of the Israel Antiquities Authority discovered graffiti of his name and family emblem on a wall in the “King David Tomb Complex” on Mount Zion, Jerusalem. The research results were presented yesterday at the joint conference of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Hebrew University, and Tel Aviv University on “New Archaeological Studies in Jerusalem and the Vicinity.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists carrying out the archaeological survey on Mount Zion were not expecting to discover a graffiti inscription of Knight Adrian von Bubenberg, one of the admired heroes of Switzerland.

The Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem Region has recently been carrying out a unique project in the “King David Tomb Complex” on Mount Zion, focusing on documenting graffiti and ancient inscriptions left on the walls by Christian and Muslim pilgrims. They have revealed more than 40 inscriptions in different languages and the family emblems of medieval knights. The decipherment of the hidden graffiti was made possible by advanced technological methods developed by the Israel Antiquities Authority to research the Judean Desert scrolls. These technologies, using multispectral photography and different wavelengths invisible to the human eye, bring inscriptions that have faded and erased over the years to light.

“In the Mamluk period, between 1332–1551, the building complex adjacent to the traditional Tomb of King David was owned by the Monks of the Franciscan Catholic

Order,” said Michael Chernin and Shai Halevi of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who leads the project. “The building served as a monastery and a hostel for the western pilgrims, who left their mark on the walls. Technological methods developed today enable reading the faded inscriptions.”

Amongst the inscriptions and graffiti, the researchers were stunned to discover a charcoal inscription with the name and the heraldic emblem of the family of Adrian von Bubenberg, a Swiss military man and politician from the 15th century, admired to this day as a Swiss National hero. Von Bubenberg was born to a noble family in 1424. After long service as Mayor of Bern, he gained fame in 1476 when he led the Swiss Confederate army in the Battle of Murten and defeated the army of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who threatened the independence of Switzerland. Following this glorious victory over one of the strongest armies in Europe, the Swiss soldiers gained prestige as fierce fighters who did not fear more powerful enemies. This reputation enabled Switzerland to maintain its independence amongst more extensive and aggressive neighboring states until modern times.

After he died in 1479, and in gratitude for his protection of Bern and Switzerland, von Bubenberg was buried in a place of honor in the Cathedral of Bern. A statue of Adrian von Bubenberg adorns one of the central squares of Bern, and many streets in Swiss cities are named after him. Since his son, Adrian (II) von Bubenberg (1458–1501), also visited Jerusalem, it is impossible to determine whether father or son wrote his name. Still, the discovery of the Israel Antiquities Authority researchers provides direct evidence for the connection between medieval Switzerland and Jerusalem.

Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “The research carried out in Jerusalem embraces religions and cultures worldwide. Believers, pilgrims, and visitors seeking to contact sanctified Jerusalem left traces that the Israel Antiquities Authority researchers reveal and record daily.”

A buried treasure of 44 Byzantine gold coins was discovered in the Hermon River National Park

The hidden coin hoard provides evidence for a dramatic moment in the country’s history – the Muslim conquest of the Byzantine Empire and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. According to Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologist Dr. Yoav Lerer, “the person who hid the coins between the stones of the wall probably fled, hoping to later retrieve his property, but he failed to return.”

A treasure of 44 pure gold coins was recently discovered in archaeological excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority at the site of Paneas (later known as Banias), within the Hermon River Nature Reserve. The excavations, funded by the Israel Electric Corporation, were carried out before connecting the adjacent Druze holy site Maqam Nabi Khadr to the national electricity grid.

Dr. Gabriela Bijovsky, Israel Antiquities Authority numismatic expert, examined the coin hoard, composed entirely of gold solidus coins, and identified some coins of Emperor Phocas (602–610 CE), and many coins minted by Emperor Heraclius (610–641 CE). The latest coins of Heraclius date the coin hoard to the time of the Muslim Conquest of Byzantine Palestine in 635 CE.

According to Dr. Yoav Lerer, Director of the excavation on behalf of the the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The coin hoard, weighing about 170 g, was concealed within the base of an ashlar stone wall at the time of the Muslim conquest. The discovery reflects a specific moment in time, when we can imagine the owner concealing his fortune in the threat of war, hoping to return one day to retrieve his property. In retrospect, we know that he was less fortunate.” Lerer adds, “The discovery of the coin hoard may also shed light on the economy of the city of Banias during the last 40 years of Byzantine rule.”

“Most of the coins are of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius,” adds Dr. Bijovsky, “and what is particularly interesting is that in his early years as emperor, only his portrait was depicted on the coin, whereas after a short time, the images of his sons also appear. One can actually follow his sons growing up – from childhood until their image appears the same size as their father, who is depicted with a long beard.”

In the excavation, which took place in the northwestern residential quarter of the ancient city of Banias, the remains of buildings, water channels and pipes, a pottery kiln, bronze coins, and fragments of many pottery, glass, and metal artifacts, were found. The finds date to the end of the Byzantine period (early seventh century CE), and to the early Middle Ages (11th–13th centuries).

Banias, now a National Park, is an archaeological site that was settled around a large spring in several periods, first established by Canaanites, who dedicated a shrine to the god Baal. In the Hellenistic period, Banias served as a cultic site to the god Pan (from whence the original Greek name of the site). The settlement reached its peak in the Early Roman period, when Herod the Great, and his son Philip II, entirely rebuilt the city and named it Caesarea Philippi, in honor of the Roman emperor Augustus.

According to Christian tradition, Banias gained fame as the place where the Apostle Peter proclaimed Jesus to be the Christ, and Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In the Byzantine period, a church was built next to the spring. In the Crusader period, in 1129, the Crusaders undertook the fortification of the city to make it a military base from which to attack and conquer Damascus, but this was short-lived as the Moslems conquered the city in 1132 CE.

According to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The coin hoard is an extremely significant archaeological find as it dates to an important transitional period in the history of the city of Banias and the entire region of the Levant. The Israel Antiquities Authority, together with the National Parks Authority, will work together to exhibit the treasure to the public.”

Raya Shurky, Director of the National Parks Authority: “The Banias Nature Reserve, endowed with its unique nature and landscape, does not cease to surprise us from a historical-cultural point of view. The gold coin hoard is on a par with the Byzantine Church, possibly the Church of St. Peter, that was recently discovered. The finds include the remains of a mosaic floor and a stone engraved with many crosses, indicating that Banias became a Christian pilgrim site. The church, that was damaged in an earthquake that struck the north of the country, will soon be exhibited to the public visiting the nature reserve.”

World’s Earliest Evidence of Opium Use

Opium residue was found in pottery vessels excavated at Tel Yehud, dating back to the 14th century BC. According to the researchers, the Canaanites used the psychoactive drug as an offering for the dead.

A new study by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science has revealed the earliest known evidence of the use of the hallucinogenic drug opium, and psychoactive drugs in general, in the world. The opium residue was found in ceramic vessels discovered at Tel Yehud, in an excavation conducted by Eriola Jakoel on behalf of the Antiquities Authority. The vessels that contained the opium date back to the 14th century BC, and they were found in Canaanite graves, apparently having been used in local burial rituals. This exciting discovery confirms historical writings and archeological hypotheses according to which opium and its trade played a central role in the cultures of the Near East.

The research was conducted as part of Vanessa Linares’s doctoral thesis, under the guidance of Prof. Oded Lipschits and Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archeology and Prof. Ronny Neumann of the Weizmann Institute, in collaboration with Eriola Jakoel and Dr. Ron Be’eri of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the study was published in the journal Archaeometry.

In 2012, the Antiquities Authority conducted a salvage excavation at the Tel Yehud site, prior to the construction of residences there. A number of Canaanite graves from the Late Bronze Age were found in the excavation, and next to them burial offerings – vessels intended to accompany the dead into the afterlife. Among the pottery, a large group of vessels made in Cyprus and referred to in the study as “Base-Ring juglets,” stood out.

Because the vessels are similar in shape to the poppy flower when it is closed and upside down, the hypothesis arose already in the 19th century that they were used as ritual vessels for the drug. Now, an organic residue analysis has revealed opium residue in eight vessels, some local and some made in Cyprus. This is the first time that opium has been found in pottery in general, and in Base-Ring vessels in particular. It is also the earliest known evidence of the use of hallucinogens in the world.

Dr. Ron Be’eri of the Israel Antiquities Authority says, "In the excavations conducted at Tel Yehud to date, hundreds of Canaanite graves from the 18th to the 13th centuries BC have been unearthed. Most of the bodies buried were those of adults, of both sexes. The pottery vessels had been placed within the graves were used for ceremonial meals, rites, and rituals performed by the living for their deceased family members. The dead were honored with foods and drinks that were either placed in the vessels or consumed during a feast that took place over the grave, at which the deceased was considered a participant. It may be that during these ceremonies, conducted by family members or by a priest on their behalf, participants attempted to raise the spirits of their dead relatives in order to express a request, and would enter an ecstatic state by using opium. Alternatively, it is possible that the opium, which was placed next to the body, was intended to help the person’s spirit rise from the grave in preparation for the meeting with their relatives in the next life".

Vanessa Linares of Tel Aviv University explains: “This is the only psychoactive drug that has been found in the Levant in the Late Bronze Age. In 2020, researchers discovered cannabis residue on an altar in Tel Arad, but this dated back to the Iron Age, hundreds of years after the opium in Tel Yehud. Because the opium was found at a burial site, it offers us a rare glimpse into the burial customs of the ancient world. Of course, we do not know what opium’s role was in the ceremony – whether the Canaanites in Yehud believed that the dead would need opium in the afterlife, or whether it was the priests who consumed the drug for the purposes of the ceremony. Moreover, the discovery sheds light on the opium trade in general. One must remember that opium is produced from poppies, which grew in Asia Minor – that is, in the territory of current-day Turkey – whereas the pottery in which we identified the opium was made in Cyprus. In other words, the opium was brought to Yehud from Turkey, through Cyprus; this of course indicates the importance that was attributed to the drug.”

Dr. Ron Be’eri added, “Until now, no written sources have been discovered that describe the exact use of narcotics in burial ceremonies, so we can only speculate what was done with opium. From documents that were discovered in the Ancient Near East, it appears that the Canaanites attached great importance to ‘satisfying the needs of the dead’ through ritual ceremonies performed for them by the living, and believed that in return, the spirits would ensure the health and safety of their living relatives.”

According to Eli Escusido, Director General of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “New scientific capabilities have opened a window for us to fascinating information and have provided us with answers to questions that we never would have dreamed of finding in the past. One can only imagine what other information we will be able to extract from the underground discoveries that will emerge in the future.”

Ancient finds found in a burial cave from the time of Pharaoh Rameses II

The cave, exposed by a mechanical digger during development works, was accessed for the first time since it was sealed at the time of Rameses II. The artifacts lay on the cave floor as they were laid out in the ancient burial ceremony. Israel Antiquity Authority archaeologists: “A once-in-a-lifetime discovery.”

An exceptional and amazing discovery from the time of Rameses II, the Pharaoh associated with the Biblical Exodus from Egypt, was revealed last Wednesday when a mechanical digger penetrated the roof of a cave in the Palmahim Beach National Park, in the course of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority development works. Dror Sitron, Israel Antiquities Authority inspector, was the first to discover the cave.

The Israel Antiquity Authority archaeologists mobilized to the site and descended a ladder into the astonishing space that appeared to have frozen in time. The hewn cave was square in form with a central supporting pillar. Several dozens of intact pottery and bronze artifacts were laid out in the cave, precisely as they were arranged in the burial ceremony about 3,300 years ago. These vessels were burial offerings that accompanied the deceased to believe they would serve the dead in the afterlife.

According to Dr. Eli Yannai, Israel Antiquities Authority Bronze Age expert, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery! It is extremely rare to come across an ‘Indiana Jones film set”—a cave floor laid out with vessels untouched for 3,300 years, since the Late Bronze Age, about the time of the powerful King Rameses II. The fact that the cave was sealed, and not looted in later periods, will allow us the employ the modern scientific methods available today to retrieve much information from the artifacts and the residues extant on the vessels, for example. These organic remains are not visible to the naked eye. The cave may provide a complete picture of the funerary customs of the Late Bronze Age. The cave predominantly contains tens of pottery vessels of different forms and sizes, including deep and shallow bowls, some red-painted, footed chalices, cooking pots, storage jars, and lamps for lighting.”

Dr. Yannai considers that some of the storage jars were manufactured along the coast of Syria and Lebanon. Additional smaller vessels, mainly jugs, and juglets, used to store and trade smaller quantities of expensive commodities, were imported from Tyre, Sidon, and other ports along the Lebanese coast. In contrast, other pottery vessels came from Cyprus. These vessel types were imported in large quantities and were popular burial goods.

In addition, bronze arrowheads or spearheads were found in the cave; based on how they lay, they were probably in a quiver made of no longer extant organic material.

“The finds in the cave date to the thirteenth century BCE (Late Bronze Age IIB),” says Dr. Yannai. “In this period, in the long reign of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty Pharaoh Rameses II, the Egyptian Empire controlled Canaan, and the Egyptian administration provided certain conditions for extensive international trade. These economic and social processes are reflected in the burial cave that contains pottery vessels imported from Cyprus and from Ugarit on the northern Syrian coast, as well as from nearby coastal   towns, including Yafo (Jaffa), Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Tel Ajjul, clearly showing that the population of Yavneh-Yam (Palmahim Beach), played an integral part in the lively trading activity that took place along the coast.”

Once discovered, the burial cave was sealed and guarded, but it is evident that it was disturbed by one looter or more, who stole some vessels; this is now under investigation.

According to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Raya Shurky, the Director of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, “The discovery in the Palmahim National Park is unique and absolutely astonishing! The news of the discovery of the cave spread like wildfire in the academic world, and we have already received requests from many scholars to participate in the planned archaeological excavation. Unfortunately, despite the guard setup, a few items were looted from the cave before it was sealed up, an issue that is now being investigated. Within a few days, we will formulate a plan to carry out the research and the protection of this unique site, which is a feast for the archaeological world and the ancient history of the land of Israel.”

RARE QUARTER-SHEKEL COIN, MINTED BY JEWISH REBELS IN THE GREAT REVOLT 2000 YEARS AGO, WAS HANDED OVER IN THE UNITED STATES TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN AN OFFICIAL CEREMONY

Following a transcontinental intelligence operation by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York, yesterday (Monday) the US returned to Israel an extremely rare coin, the fourth of its kind known in the world, which was stolen and smuggled out of Israel years ago. It is a quarter shekel coin made of silver, from the fourth year of the Jewish Great Revolt (66-73 CE).

 The ceremony took place Yesterday (Monday) at the office of the Manhattan District Attorney, in the presence of The director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Eli Escusido, Consul General of Israel in New York Asaf Zamir, The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, The Manhattan District Attorney, Mr. Alvin Bragg, and Homeland Security Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Mike Alfoso

 The Roman Empire had granted local rulers limited permission to mint bronze coins, according to the client rulers' respective degrees of importance and how close they were to the central government. Minting silver coins was a much more limited privilege granted to lesser number of more important and central cities.

"Because of this, the minting of silver coins by the leaders of the Great Revolt was in fact a declaration of independence by the Jews in the land of Israel, a statement against the mighty empire that stood before them. Many of the rebels' silver coins were struck over imperial silver coins, covering the emperor's face with Jewish motifs. This gave the coin a much greater symbolic value than the monetary value of the coin itself," explained Ilan Hadad, archaeologist and inspector in charge of commerce at the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit (ATPU) of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Quarter Shekel coins from the fourth year of the revolt have not previously been found in situ in archaeological excavations. One similar coin was acquired in the 1930s by the British Museum, and about three more unofficially "circulate" in the antiquities black market and among various collectors.

 In 2002, Palestinian antiquities looters unearthed a hoard of coins from the period of the Great Revolt in the Elah Valley area. Among the coins in the hoard was a quarter shekel made of silver from 69 CE –– a year before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

The Israel Antiquities Authority spent the next two decades attempting to locate the coin, which passed through illicit antiquities markets in Israel, Jordan, and the United Kingdom. In London, false provenance papers were prepared to export the Quarter Shekel from the UK to the US, where it was offered for sale at the Heritage Auction's World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction scheduled for August 3, 2017, in Denver, Colorado.

 Earlier this year, the case was passed to Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU). Working closely together, the Israeli Antiquities Authority and the ATPU developed sufficient evidence to execute a seizure warrant for the coin and received a court order repatriating the coin to Israel.

The investigation was conducted by Supervising Investigative Analyst Apsara Iyer, Investigative Analysts Daniel Healey and Hillary Chassé, and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Megan Buckley, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, Chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, and Senior Trial Counsel. Investigative support was provided by Ilan Hadad and Eitan Klein of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Shaaban Abdel Gawad of Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, Detective Constable Sophie Hayes of New Scotland Yard, Aktham Oweidi of Jordan's Department of Antiquities, and Homeland Security Investigations in both Tel Aviv and Denver. We also thank Afeef Herzalla for his assistance and cooperation with this investigation.

According to Bogdanos: "Today's repatriation to Israel of this extraordinary coin represents a cherished piece of history finally going home. But it also represents an equally extraordinary partnership between New York's Antiquities Trafficking Unit and the Israeli Antiquities Authority. It is a partnership that should be used as a model in recovering pillaged cultural heritage worldwide." 

 At an official and state restitution ceremony held Today at the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York, Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido said, "This is a historic achievement for the State of Israel and the preservation of its cultural heritage assets, as this is only the second time they were ever looted and smuggled out of Israel that they were returned to the state. This is the beginning of a very positive and important trend for restoring cultural heritage assets."

Ambassador Asaf Zamir, Consul General of Israel in New York, said, "This singular artifact is a stark reminder of the Jewish people's millennia-old connection to the land of Israel. We thank the IAA and the DA's office for restoring this priceless coin to its rightful home."

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said in his speech: "As Israel's Ambassador to the UN, this event is especially important to me because the Palestinians are working at the UN to hide the history of our people and erase our connection to the Land of Israel. But no matter how many lies are spread, the truth cannot be erased and the truth is laid out here this evening for all to see. This coin is evidence of the eternal bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, and as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, I can also utilize it in my mission to fight the lies of our enemies."