The exhibition was organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which together with the East Jerusalem Development Company, views it as the first of many other changing archaeological exhibitions that will be presented in the compound.
The coins, which were uncovered in the numerous excavations there and are on display in the exhibition, are a living tangible testimony of Jerusalem’s rich history and it being a focus of pilgrimage for thousand years. Among the many artifacts on display are a rare collection of 2,000 year old coins that were burnt during the Great Revolt by the Jews (in which the Second Temple was destroyed), unique coins that were minted in Jerusalem during this period, as well as those that were found in different excavations in the region and have a wide geographic provenance (from Persia, via North Africa and as far France), a fact that attests to the centrality of Jerusalem for all of the people who visited it thousands of years ago while leaving behind a “souvenir” in the area. Another interesting aspect presented in the exhibition is the difference between the Jewish coins and the rest of the coins. Contrary to pagan coins, the ruler was usually not depicted on Jewish coins due to the Jewish abstention from portraying images (“You shall not make for yourself a graven image or likeness of anything…”). For that reason, a variety of inanimate symbols, such as a wreath, scepter and helmet, appear on many Jewish coins.
