Archaeologists have now discovered a fascinating ancient coin that could tie in with one major moment in history over 2,000 years ago, and it even links to a significant prophecy that Jesus made repeatedly throughout the Bible.
Researchers and archaeologists are still finding ancient artefacts often several millennia after they were created, and they tend to illuminate and rewrite our archaeological understanding of what happened in the distant past.
Only recently have archaeologists made a major religious find in the biblical city of Shiloh by uncovering what they believe to be the legendary Tabernacle, leading to further theories surrounding the potential location of the Ark of the Covenant.
Analysis of a major flood could also further contextualize the story of Noah's Ark as scientists analyze ancient cities hidden underneath a major lake to reveal evidence of great floods of the past.
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Another recent find could add further context to a significant event only a few decades after Jesus' death too, as a mysterious coin likely dating over 2,000 years old has been discovered by researchers.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the coin in question was unearthed in Jerusalem and is believed to have been minted around the time that the Second Temple was destroyed — roughly between 69 and 70 AD.
The fall of the Second Temple was prophesized numerous times by Jesus throughout the New Testament, and its realization is understood to be a major part of the Jewish uprising against their Roman rules in Judea.
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Specifically, Jesus mentioned his belief that the Second Temple would fall across the Gospels, noting in Matthew 24:2 in reference to the soon-to-fall religious building: "See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."
Known more broadly as the First Jewish-Roman War, the conflict was sparked by religious tensions, heavy taxation, and political oppression, with the Second Temple destroyed by Roman rules as punishment for the revolt.
The coin itself features illuminating imprints on both sides, with one side bearing a lulav, or closed palm frond used during Sukkot, alongside two etrogs, which are citrus fruit used alongside lulavs in the Jewish festival.
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On the other side bears a message written in ancient Hebrew, translating roughly to 'For the Redemption of Zion', likely denoting the hope and collective action that the Jewish rebels believed in amid the uprising.
"It is also possible that the representations of the ritual 'Four Species' depicted on the coin were intended to evoke among the rebels a sense of redemption and anticipation of a hoped-for miracle and happier times," explains one archaeologist in reference to the coin, and its existence serves as another key piece of evidence that informs our understanding of what happened nearly 2,000 years ago.