Who was Eleazar the Priest? Coin found in Judean Desert unfurls new archaeological mystery
IAA anti looting and theft team finds a rare coin from the Bar Kokhba Revolt period, precisely during its first year in 132 CE, during survey of area
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Monday morning announced the discovery of a rare coin from the Bar Kokhba Revolt period, precisely during its first year in 132 CE, engraved with the name “Eleazar the Priest” in ancient Hebrew script.
Found in the Mazuq Ha-he'teqim Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert, during a survey in cooperation with Israeli authorities operating to prevent archaeological theft and looting, the discovery leads to its own mysterious case regarding the identity of “Eleazar the Priest.”
On the reverse of the coin, a bunch of grapes could be seen surrounded by the text “Year One of the Redemption of Israel,” again in ancient Hebrew script, which may serve as a clue for the researchers alongside providing a time period.
The researchers indicated there were a few possibilities to the identity of the coin’s Eleazar, one of whom could be a Tannaic Rabbi from the period of Rabbi Akiva, who was a disciple of Rabbi Yohana ben Zakai.
“Rabbi Eleazar Hamod‘ai played a significant religious role at the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, and he was living in the town of Beitar— the location of the revolt headquarters. The Talmud accounts that he died in Beitar, probably during the Revolt,” the researchers explained, citing the Jerusalem Talmud Ta‘anit 4:5.
Alongside the “Eleazar the Priest” coin were three other coins from the time of the Revolt, bearing simply the name “Simeon.” In the same Judean Desert area, the IAA Prevention of Archaeological Theft Unit discovered a number of significant finds, including a scroll fragment from the Twelve Minor Prophets, Roman iron swords and the earliest complete basket in the world,
“We invite the public to join us in the seventh excavation season in the desert, to help save the Judean Desert archaeological finds, endangered by antiquities theft,” IAA Director, Eli Escusido, announced new excavations starting from March 11.
“The Judean Desert excavations do not cease to amaze us, and we hope that in this season we will also be able to report important finds,” he concluded.
Read more stories like this>>
• City of David canals leave archeologists with more questions than answers >>
• Displaced Israeli boy finds 2,000-year-old Hasmonean coin in Dead Sea area >>
• Archeologists unearth 'extremely rare' intentionally broken 2,500 year-old silver coin >>