Ancient coin with the head of Zeus found in northern Israel

A rare coin, dated back to about 2,300 years ago, was discovered near the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Friday.

It was found by police officers, who discovered two young men with shovels and metal detectors in a forest northeast of the city. In a search of the two young men’s car, the officers found ancient coins, including the rare one, said the IAA.

One side of the coin bears the head of the Greek god Zeus, turned to the right, while the other side is decorated with an eagle with wings closed standing on a bundle of lightning, and around it the name of King Ptolemy was engraved in Greek letters.

Nir Distelfeld, inspector for the IAA’s robbery prevention unit, told Xinhua that the coin was probably minted in Alexandria in Egypt, as during the Hellenistic period, Alexandria was an international trading city and a manufacturing center.

[Xinhua]