In October 1998 a hoard of Byzantine gold coins was discovered at Bet She'an, during salvage excavations carried out in the southern neighborhoods of the city, on the eastern side of the Tiberias-Jericho road. At the end of the Byzantine period this area was outside the city-walls. During the Umayyad period (7th-8th centuries CE) this southeastern neighborhood continued to grow, still unfortified.

A complex of dwellings, dating to the Byzantine and Umayyad periods, was unearthed. It was apparently destroyed by the earthquake of 749 CE. The gold hoard was found at the corner of a courtyard in one of the dwellings, beneath a floor upon which were a group of jars. It consisted 751 gold coins hidden within a small cooking pot. Although the pot is characteristic of the Umayyad period, all the coins found within it are Byzantine solidi , the standard gold coin of the Byzantine empire, minted in Constantinople during the 7th century CE. The dates of the coins cover a period of seventy years, ranging from 610 to 681 CE. The four emperors that ruled during that time are represented: Phocas (603-610 CE, 95 coins), Heraclius (610-641 CE, 382 coins), Constans II (641-668 CE, 219 coins) and Constantine IV (668-685 CE, 55 coins). The Bet She'an hoard is apparently represents the currency of the transitional period known as Arab-Byzantine. The hoard was probably buried during the unstable decade preceding the monetary reform of caliph Abd al-Malik in 696/697 CE, when the use of Byzantine money was finally prohibited.

This is the largest gold hoard from the 7th century CE found in archaeological excavations, weighing ca. 3,400 gm. The iconography of Byzantine solidi of the 7th century is quite consistent. The obverse (front side) contains the effigy of the emperor and includes his name, with or without his sons. Until the rule of Phocas a standing facing angel appears on the reverse (rear side), with the inscription: VICTORIA AVG (Victory of the Caesar). This is followed by a final letter, called the officina, probably indicating the atelier or serial issue. Below, a short abbreviation appears: CONOB - a combination of the mint-name Constantinople, and the term obrizum, which means "refined gold". From the time of Heraclius onwards, a new type of reverse was introduced: the cross on three steps. This remained the commonest type during the 7th century. A most striking phenomenon in coins from the hoard is the prevalence of graffiti. Many of these marks are random incisions, yet others represent symbols, monograms and letters that sometimes match into short words.

Hoards such as that from Bet She'an clearly show that even after the Arab conquest, Byzantine gold continued to circulate until the days of Abd al-Malik's reform. They testify to the extensive use of Byzantine money by the Arab population during this transitional period.


For more information, please contact Mrs Helena Sokolov , Coordinator of Special Projects - National Treasures