Pontius Pilate Road Uncovered in Jerusalem: Numismatic Evidence

[guy]

Once again, numismatic evidence has been used for understanding ancient history. In this case, the evidence has been used for attributing a road to Pontius Pilate:

To uncover an ancient stepped street in Jerusalem, Israeli archaeologists and engineers are building what resembles a subway tunnel under a Palestinian neighborhood.

Quote

An excavation revealed more than 100 coins trapped beneath the paving stones.

These coins were dated to as late as 17 to 31 CE, suggesting that the work was begun and completed under Pilate's rule.

"Dating using coins is very exact," said Dr Donald T. Ariel, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority.

"As some coins have the year in which they were minted on them, what that means is that if a coin with the date 30CE on it is found beneath the street, the street had to be built in the same year, or after that coin had been minted. So any time after 30CE.

"However our study goes further, because statistically, coins minted some 10 years later are the most common coins in Jersualem.

"So not having them beneath the street means the street was built before their appearance.

"In other words, only in the time of Pilate."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/10178842/lost-road-pontius-pilate-jerusalem-rome-jesus/

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-monumental-street-in-jerusalem-was-built-by-pontius-pilate-archaeologists-say-1.8004004

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2019/10/road-built-biblical-villain-uncovered-jerusalem/

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited November 2, 2021 by guy

[caldrail]

Coins can lead to other discoveries. I'm told coins have been found showing Alfred the Great of Wessex and Ceolwulf of MErcia together, suggesting an alliance long since forgotten (and Ceolwulf has received bad press from anglo-saxon writers too).