Israelis unearth Byzantine gold hoard, page 1
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Topic started on 22-12-2008 @ 07:12 PM by Icarus Rising

Coins bear the image of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius

Israeli archaeologists said they have unearthed more than 250 gold coins from the seventh century on the edge of Jerusalem's walled Old City. A British tourist volunteering at the dig discovered the trove on Sunday.

Israel's Antiquities Authority said the Byzantine-period hoard was found in the ruins of a building where a striking 2,000-year-old gold earring from the Roman era was dug up last month.

source


I find this story fascinating. It is exciting to get a look into the past with finds like this. What is especially interesting to me is the depiction of Heraclius on the front of the coins.


The coins bear the image of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who ruled between 610 and 641 A.D. He is depicted wearing military dress and holding a cross in his right hand.


Why would he be depicted in military dress holding a cross in his hand? Was the Byzantine scepter shaped like a cross? Is there some other symbolism involved?


[edit on 22-12-2008 by Icarus Rising]


reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 07:40 PM by Allred5923
reply to post by Icarus Rising



It is a very riveting tale, though there is evidence of his existence, there has been little to back the event with artifacts.
First, here's a history from the Byzantine Empire, so you can track it to the time of Heraclius reign.

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

Early Period.

Constantine established precedents for the harmony of church and imperial authorities that persisted throughout the history of the empire. These included his creation of a successful new monetary system based on the gold solidus, or nomisma, which lasted into the middle of the 11th century. The commercial prosperity of the 4th through the 6th century enabled many ancient cities to flourish. Large estates dominated agriculture, and while heavy taxation resulted in much abandonment of land, agriculture continued to be productive. The church acquired vast landed estates and, along with the emperor himself, was the largest landholder during most of the empire’s history. Rigorous imperial regulation of the purity and supply of precious metals, as well as the organization of commerce and artisanship, characterized economic life.

Emperor Justinian I and his wife, Theodora, attempted to restore the former majesty, intellectual quality, and geographic limits of the Roman Empire. At great cost, they reconquered, between 534 and 565, North Africa, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, and parts of Spain. This effort, however, together with substantial expenses incurred in erecting public buildings and churches—in particular, Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople—overstrained the empire’s resources, while plagues reduced its population.


www.history.com...

Heraclius, Emperor of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, reorganized the Byzantine imperial administration and the imperial armies and strengthened the Empire in the process. During his reign, pivotal changes took place in the Balkans and the Middle East.


historymedren.about.com...

Here is a time-lapse Biography of his reign:

i-cias.com...

He was a respected and recognized foe for the most part, but him having the place in history of being more of a humanitarian is the most important of his doings. he was also quite the organiser when it came to sustaining his people and his beliefs. He fought well and hard, but eventually fell to his opponents.
The Byzantines were a very wealthy society, worthy of being talked about here on the ATS forums, "Starred and Flagged"

Great post, and excellent find for past civilizations topics!!

[edit on 073131p://1174 by Allred5923]


reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 08:05 PM by Allred5923
reply to post by aleon1018



After some cleaning, it seems as if the coins of that time sustained remarkable and very articulated for the years they had been lost to the sands of time.



As for these particular coins being "Fake" I would say "No" they have discovered them before, and they are just well preserved.


reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 08:22 PM by RuneSpider
reply to post by aleon1018



Gold itself is a metal that doesn't corrode over time like most metals, part of the reason it has a lot of symbolism attached to it.
So as long as they cleaned off the dust before hand, it's not surprising that they look like new in the picture.


reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 09:55 PM by Icarus Rising
reply to post by Allred5923



Thanks for the background and analysis. I don't know much about the era, and had never heard of Heraclius before.


reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 09:57 PM by Icarus Rising
reply to post by RuneSpider



Yes, seen it that context, it makes perfect sense that he would be holding a cross. It was the combination with the military garb that had me wondering. I knew it was too early in history and too far east to be related to the Crusades.



reply posted on 22-12-2008 @ 10:41 PM by makeitso
I presume the statement below is what the coin was commemorating.

In 630 Heraclius traveled to Jerusalem where he returned the Holy Cross to the city among much acclaim.


Heraclius (October 5, 610 - February 641 A.D.)

I'm not sure what returning the Holy Cross means though.

{edit} To satisfy my curiosity I found an article about the holy cross, its loss, and its return. It is thought to be the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross



[edit on 12/23/08 by makeitso]


reply posted on 23-12-2008 @ 10:31 AM by St Udio
to add to the information:


Article: 12 dec 08, "Buried Treasure Found Outside Temple Mount'

www.israelnationalnews.com...


Why should you read the story:

more info, & the fact that 264 coins found,
Better image of a coin accompanies the story.
poises more questions



reply posted on 23-12-2008 @ 11:51 AM by Hanslune
reply to post by RuneSpider



He recovered the true cross from the Sassanids in 629 - which probably explains his holding up a version of a cross.

Why was the money hidden? In 637-638 the Muslims swept into Jersulem after the battles Ajnadayn, Fahl, and Yarmouk. The money might have been hidden then.


reply posted on 23-12-2008 @ 12:32 PM by Allred5923
i personally think it was "Spoils" of war, with the new edifice on teh coins. I was trying to see if there were any documented records producing factual basis of my theory, but so littke has been written in the near past, it didn't give much explanation, with out the Helenistic jargon o fthat period, But, did find this.

But in the 17th year however after the capture of Jerusalem, in the 3rd year after the murder of Khosro, in the 21st year after the accession of Heraclius, the 3rd indiction, the Persian general Rasmi-Ozan slew the Persian king Artasir, whom we mentioned above. He seized the kingdom, became an ally of the Greeks, and bestowed on the King Heraclius the life-giving tree, the Cross of Christ, as the treasure of the whole world, and as the richest of gifts, and he gave it him. But King Heraclius took it to Jerusalem on the occasion of his going there with Martina, who was daughter of his father's brother; and he had married her against the law, and therefore was very much afraid that the high priests would rebuke him on the score of that indecent action. And when he had entered Jerusalem, he on the 21st of the month of March re-established in its own place the glorious and precious tree of the Cross, sealed as before in a chest, just as it had been carried away. And it was set up altogether unopened; for just as the ark of the covenant was left unopened among strangers, so was left the life-giving tree of the Cross, which had vanquished death and trampled on Hell. Then King Heraclius, seeing the glorious event—namely, the restoration of the holy places, which had been rebuilt by the blessed Modestus, was much rejoiced and ordered him to be consecrated patriarch over Jerusalem; for the blessed Zachariah had died in Persia, and the church was widowed.


homepages.luc.edu...

It was listed under the title of "Temple Treasure Lost" for this era, it is a good era, but pretty much the same history as anything else for this to be "Spoils" of war.


reply posted on 23-12-2008 @ 01:05 PM by Icarus Rising
reply to post by Allred5923



Great background on the return of the Cross to Jerusalem. Gifted to Heraclius by the ascendent Persian General; Heraclius then driven by guilt over his incestuous marriage to return the Cross to Jerusalem in hopes of absolution of his sin. What a script!

I wonder if the 21st of March that year fell on Easter Sunday? Or maybe Good Friday?

[edit on 23-12-2008 by Icarus Rising]
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