How cool is this?
A rare half-shekel coin, first minted in 66 or 67 C.E., was discovered by 14-year-old Omri Ya’ari as he sifted through dirt removed from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, along with other volunteers. This is the first such coin to be found at the Temple Mount.
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The half-shekel coin was first minted during the Great Revolt against the Romans. The face of the coin has a branch with three pomegranates and ancient Hebrew letters reading “holy Jerusalem.” The back reads “half shekel.”
The coin that was found in the sifting project, though well-preserved, showed some fire damage. Experts believe it was damaged the same fire that destroyed the Second Temple in 70 C.E.
“The half-shekel coin was used to pay temple taxes,” said Dr. Gabriel Barkay. “The coins were apparently minted at the Temple Mount itself by the Temple authorities.”
The half-shekel tax is mentioned in the book of Exodus, commanding every Jew to contribute half a shekel to the Temple every year so it can purchase public sacrifices.
