The rare coin hoard discovered in the Galilee hiding complex. Photo: (Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority)
Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable stash of copper coins hidden deep within an underground refuge below the ancient settlement of Hukok, in Galilee, shedding new light on one of the final Jewish uprisings against Roman rule.
The 22 coins, dating back more than 1,600 years, were found within a narrow crack deliberately carved at the end of a winding tunnel.
The find was made during joint excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Zefat Academic College, as part of a wider effort to set up the site for visitors under the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael–Jewish National Fund.
IAA researcher, Uri Berger and Prof. Yinon Shivtiel from Zefat Academic College explained: “It seems that the people stashing this hoard carefully planned its hiding place, hoping to return to it when the threatening troubles were over. The coins were discovered in a pit, deliberately dug at the end of a narrow winding tunnel.”
Beneath Hukok is a sprawling network of tunnels and chambers first used during the Great Revolt (66–70 CE) and later expanded before the Bar-Kochba Revolt (132–136 CE).
While researchers expected the coins to originate from these earlier struggles, they were astonished to find the likenesses of Roman emperors Constans I and Constantius II on the currency.
These rulers reigned during the Gallus Revolt of 351–352 CE, the last known Jewish uprising against Rome.
The discovery suggests the complex was repurposed centuries after its original construction.
The researchers stated: “The hoard provides – in all probability, unique evidence, that this hiding complex was used in one way or another during another crisis – during the Gallus Revolt – a rebellion for which we have only scant historical evidence of its existence.”
The Hukok site has been excavated since 2019 with the help of Zefat Academic College’s graduate students, local residents, soldiers, and volunteers from the Israel Cave Explorer Club.
According to Dr Einat Ambar-Armon, who oversees the IAA’s Community Archaeological Educational Center in the Northern Region, it was volunteers who stumbled upon the treasure, making the find “not only an important scientific event, but also an significant communal educational experience – one that brings the public closer to its heritage, and strengthens the sense of belonging and the connection to the past.”
Beyond its scholarly value, the researchers, Prof Shivtiel and Berger, say the discovery highlights the resilience of Galilee’s Jewish communities under Roman oppression.
Israeli Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu called the hoard “a living testimony to the determination of Jews of the Galilee and their ongoing struggle to maintain their identity and traditional Jewish lifestyle even in difficult times under the Roman rule.”
He continued: “Finds of this type connect us directly to the lives of our ancestors, and remind us of the depth of our historical roots here.”
The IAA and Keren Kayemet LeYisrael (KKL) plan to further develop Hukok into a major heritage and tourism destination.
The Director of IAA, Eli Escusido, shared: “The Israel Antiquities Authority considers the Hukok site, considering all its discoveries, as a flagship project, which will be a magnet for tourists from Israel and the world.
“We are working together so that the entire public can enjoy the hidden treasures of this site.”
Similarly, Sheli Ben Iishai, who directs KKL-JNF’s Northern Region, described the site as “a model for the successful integration of nature, tourism and archaeology, in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jordan Valley Regional Council.”
The full scientific study of the coins will be published in the forthcoming issue of the Israel Numismatic Research Journal.
Ancient coin hoard unearthed in Galilee reveals secrets of last Jewish revolt under Romans
