The Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem announced the discovery of a rare silver “Tyre Coin.” This coin was likely used to pay the Temple Tax during the reign of King Herod.
“We know from the Gospels that Jesus visited Jerusalem … and we know that He talked to the money changers. So here we have the evidence, the archaeological evidence to the historical sources,” Eilat Lieber, the Director of the Museum told CBN News.
The museum discovered the coin during a major renovation and conservation project. A big part of the project is the work done on the Phaesel tower built by King Herod.
“The Tower of David is one of the most important structures in Israel, both in terms of its history and location,” said Yotam Carmel, head of the conservation project, in a press release. “The last conservation project at the Tower of David was carried out in the 1980s. Since then, the citadel has been in desperate need of conservation.”
In 37 BC, Herod established himself as King of Judea and began some of the most ambitious building projects in the ancient world including the reconstruction of the Second Temple. He transformed the city of Jerusalem, so much that Pliny the Elder wrote Jerusalem was “By far the most distinguished city not in Judea only, but of the whole Orient.”
Lieber said the Tower of David connects the ages.
“You can see how the past, the present, and the future are actually here at the Tower of David. During the work for the future of the citadel, we found the evidence from the past. And we can actually, know more about our identity. Christians can see how the sources, the Gospels are coming alive here in Jerusalem.”
She says their goal is to tell Jerusalem’s story.
“This is the most exciting part of our work because all we want is to bring Jerusalem to the world, the story of Jerusalem, the rich history of all of us, Jewish people, Christians from all over the world,” she added.
The coin will be part of the new exhibition at the Tower of David Museum.
