Treasure of Gold from Caesarea

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The gold treasure of Caesarea consists of around 2000 coins that were discovered in 2015 in the old port of Caesarea , Israel . Most of them date from the time of the Fatimids , more precisely they originated under the caliphs al-Hakim (996-1021) and his son and successor az-Zahir (1021-1036). The oldest coin, however, comes from Palermo in the second half of the 9th century.

At the end of January 2015 , as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, five Israeli hobby divers found a "gold treasure" in front of Caesarea. The six divers , as noted by National Geographic , were Yoav Lavi, Zvika Fayer, Kobi Twina, Avivit Fishler, Joel Miller and Shai Milner. The head of the diving club immediately informed the Marine Archeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority of the find. This called him the largest coin find in Israel, but also named only five divers (Shai Milner was missing here).

The approximately 2000 coins have a total weight of 9 kg and were recovered from the harbor. The find dates from the time of the Fatimids, an Ismaili dynasty that dominated large areas between Northwest Africa and the Euphrates from 909 to 1171 .

The oldest coin is a quarter dinar from the 2nd half of the 9th century, which was minted in Palermo, which was Muslim at the time. The majority of the coins were minted in Egypt and elsewhere in North Africa under the Fatimid caliphs al-Hakim and his son and successor az-Zahir .

The coins are dinars, half and quarter dinars of various sizes and weights. According to initial investigations, they are 24 carats or 95% pure. Some of the coins were evidently freshly minted, others had been examined by biting, the traces of which could be identified. Coins of this value were usually used for official transactions, and their purchasing power was well above everyday needs. Possibly the coins were supposed to be used to buy prisoners ransom, and there was speculation about wages.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Divers find Israel's greatest gold treasure. In: sueddeutsche.de . February 18, 2015, accessed February 22, 2015 .
  2. ^ Kristin Romey: Archaeologists Stumble Across a Hoard of Gold , in: National Geographic, February 20, 2015.
  3. ^ The Largest Hoard of Gold Coins Ever Found in the Country was Recovered from the Seabed in the Ancient Harbor in (sic!), Website of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
  4. ↑ Accidental discovery in Israel: Hobby divers discover huge gold treasures. In: Spiegel Online . February 17, 2015, accessed February 22, 2015 .
  5. ↑ Divers in Caesarea find largest treasure of gold coins ever discovered in Israel , in: Jerusalem Post, February 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Kristin Romey: Archaeologists Stumble Across a Hoard of Gold , in: National Geographic, February 20, 2015.