A coin dating back to Talmudic times was found by a family visiting the Korazim National Park in the Galilee, the Nature and Parks Authority announced Tuesday.
Korazim features the remains of a Jewish village from the third to sixth century CE), including houses, an olive press, a ritual bath and a decorated synagogue built around the end of the fourth century, when Korazim was in its heyday.
The area is located on a plateau separating the Hula Valley and the Kinneret Valley, offering a beautiful view of the lake.
The Yitzhaki family was visiting the site and participating in one of the activities offered to visitors, when one of the daughters found the coin near the ritual bath.
“We are talking about an ancient bronze coin that according to a preliminary examination dates back to the Talmudic period between the fourth and fifth centuries CE, about 1,500 years ago,” said Dekel Segev, the director of Korazim.
Segev praised the girl and the family for handing over the coin, which will be transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority for further research.
In antiquity, it was common for cities to mint their own coins and the Jewish settlements in the Galilee, where Jews continued to live after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, were no exceptions.
Korazim appears in sources from the Second Temple period, as well as in the New Testament.
The national park offers the visitors several activities, including participation in excavations guided by an archaeologist.