2,100-Year-Old Hoard of 160 Coins Discovered at Archaeological Site in the Jordan Valley

The coins date to the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (circa 103 to 76 B.C.), who was both a high priest and a king of the Hasmoneans

A large hoard of 160 coins, dating back over 2,100 years, has been discovered at an archaeological site in the Jordan Valley.

The coins, which were found by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, belong to the period of Alexander Jannaeus, who ruled as both a high priest and a king of the Hasmoneans from 103 to 76 B.C. The Hasmoneans were a dynasty of Jewish kings who established a kingdom covering present-day Israel, the West Bank and parts of neighboring regions, starting in 167 B.C., when Jewish inhabitants of the area revolted against the Seleucid Empire and managed to seize portions of it. During the first century B.C., the Roman Republic conquered the Hasmoneans' territory and permitted King Herod to establish his own kingdom.

According to a translated statement from the University of Haifa, the coins feature engravings of eight pointed stars and inscriptions in both Aramaic and Greek, identifying Alexander Jannaeus and indicating that the coins were minted in the 25th year of his reign. This type of coin was produced around 80 or 79 B.C., the statement adds.

"It is a very common coin type," Shay Bar, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa leading the team, told Live Science in an email. However, he noted that Hasmonean coins are not typically found in large hoards in the region, making this discovery unusual.

The archaeologists uncovered the hoard near a collapsed wall in the food preparation area of a building, which might provide clues about why it was buried there. The building was located at the archaeological site of Rujm es-Sia in the Jordan Valley, which served as a way station for travelers heading to the nearby Hasmonean fortress of Sartaba, the statement said.

However, the precise reason for burying the hoard remains unknown, according to Bar.

"The question of deposition intent is very hard to answer in archaeology," Bar said. It could have been concealed during a period of unrest, he suggested. Alternatively, it might not have been deliberately hidden at all; it could have been part of a cash desk for individuals selling food, according to Bar. Another possibility is that it was placed in the wall as an offering or foundation deposit, a practice that was uncommon during this period, Bar said.

The excavation of the site and examination of the remains are still in progress. A study on the coin hoard will be published in the future.