Israeli archaeologists on Tuesday displayed a rare and “extraordinarily well-preserved” 1,850-year-old Roman-era bronze coin depicting the moon goddess Luna, the first find of its kind in Israeli waters.
The coin minted in Alexandria in present-day Egypt with the zodiac sign Cancer below the Moon and the Roman emperor of the time, Antony Pius, on the other side, was discovered by archaeologists from the Authority of ‘Antiquities of Israel during explorations in Haifa, northern Israel.
At the bottom of the sea near the coast of Carmel, a rare and spectacular 1,850-year-old bronze coin, representing the Roman moon goddess Luna…
Posted by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Monday, July 25, 2022
It bears the date of the “eighth year”, referring to the eighth year of the reign of Antony Pius, from 138 to 161, part of an era known as the Pax Romana, when there was relative peace throughout the ‘Roman Empire.
The coin is part of a series of 13, examples of which have been discovered elsewhere in the world, depicting the 12 signs of the zodiac and another the complete zodiac wheel, the IAA said.
“This is the first time such a coin has been discovered off the coast of Israel,” Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA’s marine archeology unit, said in a statement.
“These finds, lost at sea and out of sight for hundreds and thousands of years, have been remarkably well preserved; some are extremely rare and their discovery completes parts of the historical puzzle of the country’s past,” added.
Sharvit told AFP the Luna piece was found among a “small pile” of other coins and the circumstances of the find indicated there had been a shipwreck nearby.
Last year, Israeli researchers showed third-century Roman coins and a Roman-era gold ring with an early Christian symbol of Jesus inscribed in its gemstone, found in a shipwreck in the ancient port of Caesarea
IAA Director General Eli Eskosido said in a statement on Monday that in the past decade, “Israel has changed its perception of the sea.”
“Rather than simply defining the country’s border, the sea is now recognized as an integral part of our cultural heritage,” Eskosido said. “The maritime survey around Haifa is part of this process, and the rare recovered coin is a living reminder of its cultural importance.”