Gold coin depicting Queen discovered in Jerusalem

[guy]

 

A gold quarter-drachma has been discovered in Jerusalem. It depicts Queen Berenice II, wife of Ptolemy III, and was minted between 246 and 241 BCE. The coin was minted in Alexandria, possibly as military payment after campaigns against the Seleucid Empire during the Third Syrian War. This coin and other finds from the mid-third century BCE support the idea that Jerusalem was already in the midst of recovering after the destruction of the First Temple (Solomon’s Temple) by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

 During the Third Syrian War (246-241 BCE), Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid Empire, but was forced to abandon the campaign as a result of unrest in Egypt.

 

🪙 Rare Gold Coin of Queen Berenice II Unearthed in Jerusalem

Archaeologists in Jerusalem’s City of David National Park discovered a tiny, nearly pure gold quarter-drachma minted between 246–241 BCE for Queen Berenice II, wife of Ptolemy III.

The coin was discovered in the Givati Parking Lot excavation, making it the first of its kind ever found in a controlled archaeological context outside Egypt.

On the obverse, Berenice is depicted wearing a diadem and veil, adorned with a necklace. The reverse shows a cornucopia flanked by two stars, symbolizing prosperity and fertility, along with the Greek inscription: “of Queen Berenice.”

Experts believe the coin was likely minted in Alexandria and may have been given as a reward to soldiers returning from the Third Syrian War.

The find challenges the long-held view that post-First Temple Jerusalem was a marginal town, suggesting instead that it was economically and politically connected to major Hellenistic centers.

Only about 20 of these coins are known globally, and this is the first ever found in Jerusalem, making it a discovery of exceptional historic significance.

 

 

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-864777

https://www.timesofisrael.com/rare-gold-coin-depicting-hellenic-queen-unearthed-in-jerusalem-dig/

 

 

Edited August 21, 2025 by guy