Israeli archaeologists discover gold cash at Judean Desert monastery

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Israeli archaeologists lately unearthed ancient gold at a former Christian monastery within the Judean Desert.

The announcement was made by Israel's Coordinator of Authorities Actions within the Territories (COGAT) this month. The traditional treasure was discovered on the Hyrcania archaeological site within the northern Judean Desert, positioned round ten miles east of Jerusalem within the West Financial institution.

The treasure consisted of two gold cash and a fragile gold ring. Regardless of the location being susceptible to antiquities looting previously, the artifacts miraculously survived 1,400 years.

The positioning was based within the late Hellenistic interval, between the second and first centuries BC, when it was used as a fortress.

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<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/343/192/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/686/384/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/672/378/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1344/756/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/931/523/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1862/1046/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/720/405/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1440/810/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> Israeli archaeologists uncovered gold cash and a hoop on the Hyrcania web site (seen left), highlighting Christian exercise within the Judean Desert throughout the Byzantine period. (iStock; COGAT Spokesperson's Workplace)

The gold cash had been solidi and bore the picture of Heraclius, who dominated the Byzantine Empire from 610 to 641 AD.

In line with COGAT, the finds "attest to Christian exercise within the area throughout the Byzantine period."

"Through the Byzantine period, with the event of Judean Desert monasticism, a Christian monastery was established on the web site, attributed to the exercise of Saint Sabbas, one of many founders of desert monasticism, which operated for a whole lot of years," the company's press launch famous.

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"These discoveries reinforce the understanding that Hyrcania was a part of the monastic and spiritual panorama lively within the Judean Desert throughout the Byzantine interval."

In an announcement, archaeologist Binyamin Har-Even mentioned that the artifacts "mirror an essential chapter from the Byzantine interval and the early Christian custom within the area."

<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/343/192/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/686/384/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/672/378/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1344/756/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/931/523/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1862/1046/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/720/405/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1440/810/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> The invention at Hyrcania consists of two gold solidi that survived roughly 1,400 years regardless of previous looting. (COGAT Spokesperson's Workplace)

"As an Israeli physique working within the space and entrusted with safeguarding its historic heritage, the Archaeology Unit on the Civil Administration sees nice significance in preserving and researching websites from all durations and communities which have operated right here over the generations," mentioned Har-Even.

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" Our work is meant to guard the previous, allow its research, and make it accessible to everybody."

The invention is not the one Judean Desert discover that made worldwide headlines this 12 months.

<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/343/192/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/686/384/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/672/378/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1344/756/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/931/523/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1862/1046/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/720/405/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1440/810/israel-judaean-desert-ancient-byzantine-gold-biblical-archaeology-history-discovery-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> Israeli officers say the gold ring provides uncommon bodily proof of Byzantine-era Christian exercise within the area. (COGAT Spokesperson's Workplace)