This week, approximately 1800 ancient coins, pieces of jewelry and seals, clay cuneiform tablets, and an ancient bronze figurine were seized from the home of a Modiin resident, thwarting an antiquities dealer’s plan to sell the objects abroad. Among the recovered items are ancient coins from the Persian Period, the time of the Hasmoneans, and the time of the Great Revolt, including a coin with the name “Simon,” the leader of the Bar Kokhbva rebellion.
During the search, conducted by the inspectors of the IAA’s Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit with the assistance of the Modiin Police Department, fresh earth was discovered on some of the coins and objects, indicating that these objects were removed from antiquity sites illegally. “It is heartbreaking to think about the many antiquity sites which were destroyed for the monetary gain of merchants selling valuables of our heritage,” says lan Haddad of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “We are talking about our collective history, and it will be impossible to reconstruct.”
The coins recovered date to different periods: silver coins from the Hellenistic Period, bronze coins from the Roman Period, and Jewish coins from many periods—Persian, Second Temple, Hasmonaean Kingdom, Great Revolt, and the Bar Kokhbva rebellion. During the raid, an extraordinary Jewish silver coin of the silver “sheqel” type from the days of the Great Revolt (67 CE) was discovered in a work room in the state of being cleaned. On one side of the coin appears the inscription “Jerusalem the Holy” decorated with a cluster of three pomegranates. On the other side of the coin, the inscription “Sheqel of Israel Year 2” appears above a goblet decoration.
In another room in the house, dozens of coins in mailing envelopes addressed to recipients were found being readied for mailing abroad. According to Haddad, “The operation by the IAA Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit jointly with the Modiin police enabled thwarting the smuggling of the ancient objects from Israel to foreign markets. The suspect admitted to illegal dealings in smuggling hundreds of coins out of Israel and purchasing coins from robbers and merchants operating illegally.
According to Eli Escusido, Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The inspectors of the IAA struggle day and night with the phenomena of robbery of antiquities and illegal trading in antiquities. The ancient finds belong to the State and the public; a unique story about the history and heritage of the country can be learned from each and every coin. Traders who are not authorized in antiquities and acquire coins from robbers and thieves encourage the theft of antiquities that are torn away from their historical context. The IAA will continue its operation with the cooperation of additional enforcement groups to prevent the illegal antiquities trade.”