The golden treasure of Hippos: 1,400-year-old gold coins shed light on the demise of a Christian city in Galilee

Archaeologists from the University of Haifa have announced a major treasure discovery in the ruins of the ancient city of Hippos (Sussita) on the Sea of Galilee. Using a metal detector, they discovered gold coins and dozens of fragments of gold jewellery dating back to the early 7th century. The assemblage offers new insights into the economic and social situation of late Byzantine Galilee and the dramatic circumstances of the city's demise.

The treasure was discovered during long-term research led by Michael Eisenberg. It is the work of volunteer team member Edie Lipsman, who walked around the walls with a metal detector. She picked up a strong signal in the clay layer between two basalt walls. The coins were originally housed in a fabric wrapper, of which only fragments have survived.

The hoard consisted of 94 gold coins, all in good condition and of very high quality gold. They date exclusively from the Byzantine Empire. The oldest date back to the reign of Emperor Justinian I (518-527), the youngest to the early reign of Heraclius (610-613). The collection consists mainly of solidi weighing 4.45 grams, but also of fractional values - semisses (half a solidus) and tremisses (a third of a solidus). These smaller denominations are extremely rare in the Galilee.

A coin of unique importance is the one of 610, struck in a field military mint, probably in Cyprus. It is only the second known example of this type in Israel. The collection also includes coins from the rebellion of Heraclius against the emperor Phocas, which are among the rarest coins minted in the early 7th century.

In addition to coins, the collection also contains fragments of gold jewellery. These include earrings set with semi-precious stones and glass. The variation in their design suggests that this is not a single collection, but rather the accumulated possessions or stock of a local goldsmith. An inscription from the church of Martyrion St. Theodore dated 556 mentions a gift from the goldsmith Symeonius. Thus, goldsmiths were active in the town.

"The find is one of the major treasures from the Byzantine era discovered on Israeli soil, and its uniqueness lies in its combination of jewelry and gold coins from the periods of various emperors," said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, co-director of the excavation and a researcher at the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.

Hippos was founded in the 2nd century BC by the Seleucids. In the 4th-7th centuries it became an important Christian center with a bishop's seat. In 614, the armies of Sasanian Persia invaded Palestine and temporarily took control of Galilee. Archaeological evidence shows that one of the main churches in Hippos, known today as the Burnt Church, was burned at that time. Some sources also link the destruction of the city to the participation of Jewish troops from Tiberias who sided with the Persians.

After a few years, Byzantium briefly returned to power, but in 636 the Arabs conquered the area and the administrative centre was transferred to Tiberias. Hippos gradually lost importance and became only a minor settlement. A catastrophic earthquake in 749 finally destroyed the city and led to its abandonment.

Archaeological evidence to date suggests that Hippos declined in the late Byzantine era. The new buildings were less splendid and the city gave a less prosperous impression than in the 4th-5th centuries. The discovery of a large gold hoard, however, shows that some of the inhabitants still possessed considerable wealth. According to Michael Eisenberg, it is therefore necessary to reconsider previous ideas about the economic decline of the city before its destruction.

The discovery from Hippos expands the knowledge of Byzantine coinage. The presence of fractional gold denominations and rare military coinage provide unique information about the economic functioning of the empire at a time of political instability. For the history of Galilee, it is evidence that the region remained connected to wider economic flows even in the early 7th century and was not just an isolated periphery.

Sources: timesofisrael.com, jpost.com, livescience.com

Coin

Volunteer Eddie Lipsman found the treasure with her Minelab Manticore metal detector, fitted with an 8" separation coil

The face of a gold coin depicting a portrait of Emperor Heraclius (610-613 AD).

The set contained 94 gold coins

a 7th century gold hoard