THE OPHEL TREASURE

Dr. Eilat Mazor with the Ophel Treasure

There have been many exciting archeological finds in Israel during the last twelve months but none more exciting than what is being called The Ophel Treasure. This treasure trove was located in September by Dr. Eilat Mazor and her team from the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archeology, in a ruined Byzantine structure, originally constructed in the 6^th century CE and situated at the foot of the Temple Mount. What Dr. Mazor refers to as “a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” consists of a menorah that was used in the Temple, gold and silver jewelry , 36 gold and silver coins and a gold medallion. According to Dr. Mazor, these items were abandoned at the time of the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 B.C. As there was only a small Jewish presence in Jerusalem during the Byzantine period, Mazor surmises that the treasure was brought to the city by Jewish emissaries some- time after the Persian conquest which lasted only 15 years, when Jews were once more welcome in the city. She thinks it is probable that the Ophel cache was intended as a contribution towards the building of a new synagogue at a location near to the Temple Mount but, for some reason, the mission was unsuccessful and the owners were never able to return and collect their treasure. The way in which the items were found, one bundle carefully hidden underground and the other, scattered across the floor, suggests that they were abandoned in haste. Remnants of fabric show that the coins, large gold earrings and other items found with them had been enclosed in a cloth purse.

LARGE CACHE OF GOLD COINS

The coins, which were found buried together with the gold earrings, under a limestone floor is only the third collection of gold coins to be found at archeological excavations in the Jerusalem area. There are 36 of them, all in good condition, which can be dated to the reigns of different Byzantine emperors ranging from the middle of the fourth century CE to the early seventh century CE. The oldest coin dates from the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine II who ruled from 337 to 361 CE.

THE PRIZE FIND

The elegantly etched gold medallion, considered the prize find, is engraved with depictions of a large menorah, a shofar and a Torah scroll, hangs from a gold chain and is likely to have been used as an adornment for a Torah scroll. If this is so then it is the earliest Torah scroll ornament to have been found in excavations to date. It was discovered in a small depression in the floor, together with a smaller gold medallion, two pendants, a gold coil and a silver clasp all of which Dr. Mazor believes had been made as adornments for Torah scrolls. These had also been wrapped in a cloth purse.

EARLIEST APHABATICAL WRITTEN TEXT TO BE DISOVERED IN JERUSALEM

Dr. Mazor was also in the news in 2012 when she announced the discovery of an ancient Canaanite inscription, recently identified as Hebrew, believed to be the earliest alphabetical written text that has ever been discovered in Jerusalem. These discoveries are not only important and exciting from a historical point of view but of great political importance at a time when our Arab neighbours are trying to convince the world that Jews were never a part of this land in ancient times. Israel and Jews worldwide have more than one reason to thank Dr. Mazor and her team for their dedicated work in uncovering these ancient treasures.

Norman & Lola Cohen