Archaeologists discover 'one of the largest hoards' of Byzantine era coins found in Israel during Galilee dig

Archaeologists from the University of Haifa announced the discovery of a rare cache of Byzantine-era gold coins during excavations in the ancient city of Hippos (Sussita), near the Sea of Galilee. 

The excavations at Sussita have been going on for 26 years, under the direction of Dr. Michael Eisenberg and Dr. Arleta Kowalewska of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. 

The large hoard of gold coins was accompanied by articles of gold jewelry, semi-precious stones, pearls, and glass. The archaeologists even found evidence of a coin purse, which likely held the coins in the past in order to protect them. 

“This is one of the largest hoards from the Byzantine period discovered on dry land in Israel, and its uniqueness lies in the combination of jewelry and gold coins from the reigns of different emperors,” Eisenberg said. “Remnants of fabric were found on some of the coins – a trace of the cloth pouch in which the hoard had been hidden.” 

The coins date from the reign of Emperor Justin I (518–527 A.D.) until the reign of Emperor Heraclius (610-613 A.D.). 

The site of Sussita lies inside the Hippos (Sussita) National Park, and is managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The discovery of the 97 gold coins marks the largest coin collection discovered at the site during the years of excavation. 

While the coins were initially discovered in July, the researchers waited to announce the discovery until confirming that no other caches were located in the area. 

During the excavations in July, Edie Lipsman, a metal detector operator working at the excavation, recorded a signal near a large stone. Further investigation revealed a cache of coins. 

“The device went crazy. I couldn’t believe it, gold coins started appearing one after another,” Lipsman related. 

During the Byzantine era, Sussita (called Hippos in Greek), which overlooks the Sea of Galilee, was an important episcopal seat, with at least seven churches. 

The cache includes coins of different value, depending on the purity of the coin. Some of the coins were solidi (full value), while semisses (half value) and tremisses (third value) were also found among the hoard. 

Dr. Danny Shion, the numismatist working with the excavation, explained the significance of finding a tremissis coin. 

“This is a rare find that adds an important layer to the understanding of the political and economic history of the period,” he said. He noted that the tremissis coin found at Sussita is only the second such coin found in Israel. 

“Gold is a noble metal, and when you find coins and jewelry nearly 1,400 years old that look new, it is a rare experience,” Eisenberg said. As a noble metal, gold does not oxidize, so coins made of gold maintain their luster for centuries. 

Sussita was founded during the second century B.C. by the Seleucid Greeks. It became an important town during the Byzantine era (330-636 A.D.) and was abandoned following a devastating earthquake in 749 A.D.

The coin cache appears to have been buried before the Sassanid-Persian invasion of 614 A.D., as the newest coin dates to the period of Emperor Heraclius (610-613 A.D.). While the town survived the invasion, despite some destruction, the coin cache remained buried until its discovery centuries later.