Archaeological Treasure Linked to the Bible Dramatically Found

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]We have biblical archaeology news that feels like it's right out of an Indiana Jones movie. So to help us unpack it all, we're joined now by everyone's favorite Israeli tour guide, Yoo Rotm.

[00:00:13]So you all before we get to exactly what this stuff is, let's talk about this uh this daring heist to get it back.

[00:00:21]>> So shalom Raj. Uh so we're talking about um you know Israel Antiquity Authority has a special unit for uh for uh finding um um antiquities and stuff that has been looted has been stolen from the field with no permission and uh apparently they've been tracking some really rare findings. two of coins that originally from here from this land has popped up in a supposedly been sold in an auction in in America and together with um American um um forces they managed to catch these coins and they're going to be sent back to Israel. These two coins are super rare and this is the background to our story. I think uh I mean that's what we we're having here now.

[00:01:15]>> Right. So, these these these coins um sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.

[00:01:18]These coins um aren't it's not just that they're super rare, it's what's on them and the stories behind them. So, Yav, do your thing, brother.

[00:01:26]>> Yeah. So, one coin is is is is more rare because there's only two of these known is is an older coin from the fifth century, a silver coin from the city of Ashkalon. And it was mighted here in the land of Israel.

[00:01:40]>> Fifth century BC though.

[00:01:42]>> Yeah. So, 2,500 years ago. Sorry. Go ahead. Yes. Yes. Yes. It's a very very old coin. And the other one which I think is more interesting for us in a way because I'll say maybe a little background. It's giving us it's taking us back to the really beginning of the New Testament.

[00:01:59]Um the the the moment before the New Testament begins or the uh or the theme or the story of the of all the figures uh at the beginning of the New Testament. And um it's a coin that was uh created by the last Hasmonian Makabian, the Makabes who created the holiday Kanuka. He is the last king that was put in charge in Jerusalem for um before King Herod the Great. You know, everyone knows King Herod uh was uh taking Judea.

[00:02:33]Matathias Antigonus, he's the last king.

[00:02:35]The Romans put him uh in power.

[00:02:37]Actually, he's the last king after um years of a lot of fighting between these these, you know, this um dynasty. The the brothers and sons and mothers are involved. Game of Thrones is, you know, and all of that sums up to um to a guy named Mat Matawa Antigonos. He's the guy who makes this the last coin. And this coin has the earliest the earliest that we ever found depiction that this this you know um um um painting or vision of the manora from the temple that's a big wow and um it's first century BC middle or the even before the middle part of the first century or right after the middle part of the first century BC and That's the oldest manora that heaven I mean the I mean the image of manora that have ever been found.

[00:03:39]>> I think we know this from other paintings. Um >> yeah, go ahead.

[00:03:44]>> Well, what what what I was going to say, sorry, we're having a little bit of internet connection uh issues. What I was going to say is that is something worth worth talking about, right?

[00:03:51]Because there's this idea that somehow the Jewish people aren't um indigenous to the land of Judea. And here you have a coin that predates Jesus with the Jewish manura on it. And I know, correct me if I'm wrong, but Israeli shekels have that same Jewish manure on it 2,000 years later.

[00:04:08]>> Exactly. I'm holding now just to show you that the current 10 cents 10. You see this manora is the same manora on on the coin that has has been found. And u again there's only few pieces of this original coin. And what's special about it is that the the king himself was also a priest, a high priest. He was corruption, you know, uh religion and power it's and and and um and politics is not good as we know. But he saw the manora at the temple before the temple was destroyed. He saw the showbread which is also on the coin itself.

[00:04:51]um the shared table and and and this is what was mighted on the coin and that's amazing and this is I mean obviously the connection that we have to our days today the original and the vision that someone who really saw these things in the temple and and again even without um you know without Israelis don't even know that this coin I mean if you're not an archaeologist or a tour guide or someone who interested in ancient coins you So you just walk with a coin like that in your pocket and this is first of all it's the manora obviously it's our emblem today but this is the same design of the manora on this early coin from the first century BC.

[00:05:33]>> So yo you are a Jewish person living in the land of Judea. Currently you are in Judea uh what you know a handful of miles away from Jerusalem itself.

[00:05:44]And I I I think the the question is you find this manora from 2,100 years ago.

[00:05:51]What do you think the message is? Your ancestry, correct me if I'm wrong, is uh partially European. Your father's side is Iraqi. It's the story of the Jewish people exiled to the four corners of the world to 190 countries coming back to the land in these biblical times. Um, what is the message do you think that this incredible coin uh says to the world?

[00:06:14]>> Wow. I mean, if I'll if I'll communicate with the news coming out of the world today is that there's no doubt that I belong here. I mean, me and my people belong here. And we're you want the word indigenous, people talking about it, but it's more than that. There's something spiritual over here that connects me to the land. you know these um these coins were found in the ground and every time I walk in this ground I walk in Jerusalem you know not with everything happening around I agree on one hand but on the other hand I feel this is my my land this is where God puts us thousands of years ago this is where my ancestors had in their you know uh happy moments and tough moments during the Holocaust or during the uh the time in Iraq that were they were pushed out. This is the land they were they had in their mind to go back to because this is home.

[00:07:15]And these symbols are just um in a way just a symbol a symbolic connection to a spiritual stronger connection that I feel personally and I think many of us feel to this land to the air to the plants to the nature over here to everything here to the holiness and that's something that can't be taken from us >> and and and again especially on today it's a stronger feeling.

[00:07:42]>> Well said brother uh you are you are a brother of mine. Uh and it's always great to be able to say this to someone who's currently in Judea. Shabbat shalom, my friend. was.