Latest news with #SecondTemple
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Mysterious coin linked to Jesus' biblical prophecy discovered
Archaeologists have unearthed a 2,000-year-old coin in Jerusalem that was minted shortly before the destruction of the Second Temple, an event Jesus predicted in the Bible. The bronze coin dates to between 69 and 70 AD, just decades after Jesus was crucified, and was made by Jewish rebels during the fourth year of the Great Revolt against the Romans. The revolt, also known as the First Jewish-Roman War, was a major uprising by the Jewish population against Roman rule in Judea, occurring between 66 and 73 AD. Because the coin was minted right before the Temple's destruction, it comes from the exact period when Jerusalem was under siege. Jesus predicted the Temple's fall in the Gospels, saying that not one stone would be left on another. These passages, found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are seen as foretelling the Temple's destruction by the Romans in 70 AD. The coin itself carries powerful symbolism, with its obverse side bearing an inscription in ancient Hebrew script: 'For the Redemption of Zion,' expressing the rebels' hope during the final months of the uprising. On the reverse is a lulav, a palm frond used in the Sukkot festival, accompanied by two etrogs, the citron fruit also used in the ritual. The Sukkot festival commemorates the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Archaeologists noted: 'It is also possible that the representations of the ritual 'Four Species' depicted on the coin were intended to evoke among the rebels a sense of redemption and anticipation of a hoped-for miracle and happier times.' The Great Revolt occurred in Judea, sparked by religious tensions, heavy taxation, and political oppression under Roman rule. The Jewish rebels initially scored victories but were ultimately overwhelmed by the Roman legions. It ended in 73 CE with the fall of Masada, leaving tens of thousands dead and many others enslaved or exiled. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans as punishment for the Jewish revolt and to eliminate the central symbol of Jewish worship and resistance, placing the coin's minting in the tense months leading up to this pivotal event. The coin was found near the southwest corner of the Temple Mount during excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Yanniv David Levy, a researcher and curator in the coin department of the IAA, said: 'The coin is made of bronze, and its state of preservation is quite good. 'On its obverse side, you can see a model of a goblet, and around it is an inscription in ancient Hebrew script: 'LeGe'ulat Zion', 'For the Redemption of Zion.' The coin was found at a monumental fortification discovered by the team last year. Created by extensive quarrying, the moat formed a massive channel separating the City of David from the Temple Mount and the Ophel area. Cliffs on either side made the moat impassable. While its original purpose was uncertain, further excavations and connections with earlier findings revealed it as the northern fortification line of the lower city. 'It is not known when the moat was originally cut, but evidence suggests it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, almost 3,000 years ago, beginning with King Josiah,' the IAA shared. 'During those years, the moat separated the southern residential part of the city from the ruling Acropolis in the north; the upper city, where the palace and the temple were located.' The IAA explained that creating the moat was a massive, monumental undertaking, designed to reshape the natural landscape and demonstrate the power of Jerusalem's rulers to anyone entering the city. According to researchers, the project required advanced engineering skills and substantial resources, highlighting the strength and authority of the city's leaders. The moat itself is at least 30 feet deep and no less than 100 feet wide.
New York Post
4 days ago
- General
- New York Post
2,000-year-old coin produced by Jewish rebel unearthed in Jerusalem
A coin minted by Jewish rebels just before the destruction of the Second Temple – an event Jesus predicted in the Gospels – has been unearthed in Jerusalem. The 2,000-year-old artifact was found at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, located in the Old City and just a stone's throw away from the Temple Mount. The discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on July 31, just days before Tisha B'Av – the Jewish day of mourning that marks the Romans' destruction of the Temple, near where the coin was found. 'The obverse side of the coin carries the inscription in ancient Hebrew script: 'For the Redemption of Zion' – expressing the heartfelt desire of Jerusalem's Jews, toward the end of the revolt,' the IAA noted. The bronze coin was minted by ancient Jews between 69 and 70 A.D. The IAA said it was found near the southwest corner of the Temple Mount. The coin was discovered by Yaniv David Levy, a coin specialist with the IAA, who described its state of preservation as 'quite good.' 'On its reverse is a lulav, a palm frond used in the Sukkot festival ritual,' Levy said. 5 A coin minted by Jewish rebels just before the destruction of the Second Temple – an event Jesus predicted in the Gospels – has been unearthed in Jerusalem. Israel Antiquities Authority 'Next to it are two etrogs, the citron used in that same ritual.' He noted, 'The [Year Four] inscription denotes the number of years since the outbreak of the rebellion and allows us to accurately date the coin to the period between the Hebrew month of Nissan (March-April) of the year 69 CE, and the month of Adar (February-March) of the year 70 CE.' Speaking about her experience during the excavation, archaeologist Esther Rakow-Mellet told the IAA she had a feeling it was an unusual discovery. 'From the looks of it, [we thought] it might be a rare coin,' Rakow-Mellet recalled. 5 The 2,000-year-old artifact was found at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, located in the Old City. Israel Antiquities Authority 5 The bronze coin was minted by ancient Jews between 69 and 70 A.D., according to reports. Israel Antiquities Authority 'We waited anxiously for several days until it came back from cleaning, and it turned out that it was a greeting from the Jewish rebels in Year Four of the Great Revolt.' She also noted the striking timing of the discovery, just days before Tisha B'Av. 'Two thousand years after the minting of this coin … [we found] such a moving testimony to that great destruction, and I think there is nothing more symbolic,' said Rakow-Mellet. 5 The discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on July 31, just days before Tisha B'Av – the Jewish day of mourning that marks the Romans' destruction of the Temple. Israel Antiquities Authority The IAA noted that Year Four coins are 'relatively rare,' since they were minted toward the end of the revolt when rebels had reduced production capabilities. Excavation director Yuval Baruch said the coin's inscription 'indicates a profound change of identity and mindset, and perhaps also reflects the desperate situation of the rebel forces.' 'It would seem that in the rebellion's fourth year, the mood of the rebels now besieged in Jerusalem changed from euphoria and anticipation of freedom at hand, to a dispirited mood and a yearning for redemption,' the archaeologist observed. 5 The coin was discovered by Yaniv David Levy, a coin specialist with the IAA, who described its state of preservation as 'quite good.' Israel Antiquities Authority The coin will be put on display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. The recent discovery is one of many archaeological finds made in Jerusalem this year: an ancient garden was recently found at the holiest site in Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the Room of the Last Supper, located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, centuries-old inscriptions have also recently resurfaced.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Haredi Jews protest construction site over alleged ancient burial ground
Haredi Jews protested a Yehud building over possible ancient graves. Police acted. Tombs were found; the origin was unknown, and 300 homes were planned. Ultra-Orthodox (haredi) demonstrators protested at a construction site in the central city of Yehud over the last few days, saying claims that the new construction is located atop an ancient Jewish burial site. Footage from the scene showed a group of haredi men lying on the ground at the construction site and pouring soil into areas of the site that had already been excavated. Border Police officers were seen dragging the protesters away from the site on Tuesday. According to the protesters, several hundred Jewish graves dated to the Second Temple era are located beneath the construction site. In a statement sent to its residents, the Yehud Municipality stated it was 'aware of the incident' caused by 'a fringe haredi group that objects to the construction at the site.' Real estate and development firm Aura Israel, which is carrying out the construction, was threatened with a boycott by the group, with videos of protesters emerging on Monday showing haredi men gathering outside the reported home of Aura Israel's founder and owner, Yaacov Atrakchi. While claims of an ancient Jewish burial ground have yet to be substantiated, the Israel Antiquities Authority told The Jerusalem Post that 'preliminary inspections indicated the presence of archaeological remains. In a statement, the IAA said it had initiated a preliminary excavation of the site commissioned by Aura Israel. 'The excavation is revealing tombs dating to the Roman period and the Bronze Age. At this stage, it is not possible to attribute the finds to any specific ethnic group. Such conclusions may emerge in more advanced stages of the research,' IAA added. Plans would see the construction of 300 new housing units in six new apartment buildings ranging from four to 12 stories tall.
Int'l Business Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Israel Marks Second 'Jerusalem Day' Under Shadow Of Gaza War
Israeli police were deploying near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday ahead of an annual event marking Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, held this year under the shadow of the war in Gaza. Jerusalem Day, or "Yom Yerushalayim" in Hebrew, commemorates what Israel considers the reunification of the city under its authority in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Every year, thousands of Israeli nationalists, many of them religious Jews, march through the streets of Jerusalem and its annexed Old City, including in predominantly Arab neighbourhoods, waving Israeli flags, dancing and sometimes shouting inflammatory slogans. The route will ultimately take them to the Western Wall -- the last remnant of the Second Temple, destroyed in the year 70 by the Romans and the most sacred place where Jews are allowed to pray. Jerusalem Day events began the evening before, as is common with Jewish holidays, with a crowd unfurling a massive Israeli flag on Sunday in the plaza facing the Western Wall. Local authorities sometimes compel Palestinian businesses within the Old City to close for the march, which many Palestinians consider a deliberate provocation. Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state. It is the second time the event is being held since the start of the war in Gaza. Skirmishes are common during the event, especially in the streets of the Old City, where some marchers have been known to chant racist slogans. It is the second time the event is being held since the start of the war in Gaza. Last year, two journalists, including a Palestinian photographer, were assaulted by teenagers participating in the march. In 2021, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets towards Jerusalem as the march began heading towards the Old City, sparking a 12-day war with Israel, as well as outbreaks of violence in Israel between Jews and Arabs. Monday's march will take place for a second consecutive year against the backdrop of Israel's current war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the group's October 7, 2023 attack. The war has revived talk among right-wing figures in Israel about annexing Palestinian territory. The police said on Sunday that they were deploying "thousands" of officers across the city to "ensure the security and safety of the public". In a unique wrinkle to this year's observances, the Israeli cabinet is set to meet nearby on the outskirts of the Old City on Monday in the predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Silwan houses an important archaeological site known as the City of David, considered the location of the ancient city of Jerusalem during the time of the biblical ruler. Since June 1967, Israeli settlement in the eastern part of the city -- considered illegal under international law -- has expanded, drawing regular international criticism. Israel considers Jerusalem its indivisible capital, though the international community does not recognise this. During his first term, however, President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem after declaring the city Israel's capital. On Sunday evening, his ambassador to the country, Mike Huckabee, and visiting US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem briefly attended the commemorations at the Western Wall. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (C) and Janet Huckabee (R), wife of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, visit the Western Wall on Sunday AFP
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israel marks second 'Jerusalem Day' under shadow of Gaza war
Israeli police were deploying near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday ahead of an annual event marking Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, held this year under the shadow of the war in Gaza. Jerusalem Day, or "Yom Yerushalayim" in Hebrew, commemorates what Israel considers the reunification of the city under its authority in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Every year, thousands of Israeli nationalists, many of them religious Jews, march through the streets of Jerusalem and its annexed Old City, including in predominantly Arab neighbourhoods, waving Israeli flags, dancing and sometimes shouting inflammatory slogans. The route will ultimately take them to the Western Wall the last remnant of the Second Temple, destroyed in the year 70 by the Romans and the most sacred place where Jews are allowed to pray. Jerusalem Day events began the evening before, as is common with Jewish holidays, with a crowd unfurling a massive Israeli flag on Sunday in the plaza facing the Western Wall. Local authorities sometimes compel Palestinian businesses within the Old City to close for the march, which many Palestinians consider a deliberate provocation. Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future state. It is the second time the event is being held since the start of the war in Gaza. Skirmishes are common during the event, especially in the streets of the Old City, where some marchers have been known to chant racist slogans. It is the second time the event is being held since the start of the war in Gaza. Last year, two journalists, including a Palestinian photographer, were assaulted by teenagers participating in the march. In 2021, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets towards Jerusalem as the march began heading towards the Old City, sparking a 12-day war with Israel, as well as outbreaks of violence in Israel between Jews and Arabs. Monday's march will take place for a second consecutive year against the backdrop of Israel's current war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sparked by the group's October 7, 2023 attack. The war has revived talk among right-wing figures in Israel about annexing Palestinian territory. The police said on Sunday that they were deploying "thousands" of officers across the city to "ensure the security and safety of the public". In a unique wrinkle to this year's observances, the Israeli cabinet is set to meet nearby on the outskirts of the Old City on Monday in the predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. Silwan houses an important archaeological site known as the City of David, considered the location of the ancient city of Jerusalem during the time of the biblical ruler. Since June 1967, Israeli settlement in the eastern part of the city considered illegal under international law has expanded, drawing regular international criticism. Israel considers Jerusalem its indivisible capital, though the international community does not recognise this. During his first term, however, President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem after declaring the city Israel's capital. On Sunday evening, his ambassador to the country, Mike Huckabee, and visiting US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem briefly attended the commemorations at the Western Wall. crb/mib/smw/dv
