A 2,200-year-old coin discovered near Israel’s border with Lebanon is the heaviest gold coin ever found in Israel.
The coin was discovered in late June at the Tel Kedesh archeological dig site near the border with Lebanon by a team of U.S. archeologists, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced last week. The archeologists were from the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota.
At one ounce, the coin weighs six times more than previous coins found from the same era. It’s believed the coin had a symbolic function and wasn’t in popular use.
It bears the name and image of the wife of Ptolemy II, Arsinoe II Philadelphus. A cult was established in honor of the queen, who was the sister of the king. The coin was minted 80 years after her death. However, the image on the coin also could be that of Cleopatra I, who married Ptolemy V. — jta