Around 1,400 years ago, an Israeli landowner was busy hiding his riches from an invading Persian army. Fearing danger, he buried his money in an alcove in the wall of his property, hoping to return home at the end of the disturbances and collect his cash. But this would never happen and archaeologists have now uncovered this treasure trove, still buried in its hiding spot after so many centuries. The hoard was found during salvage excavations that the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) conducted as part of a widening Highway One, the main road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. During the course of the excavations, which were carried out last June, a large two story structure and a nearby wine-press were found. A cache of nine bronze coins from the end of the Byzantine period - the seventh century AD - was found among large stones that had collapsed alongside the main building. It appears the property was abandoned and destroyed, and eventually covered over and incorporated into the agricultural terraces that cover the region. Annette Landes-Nagar is director of the excavation on behalf of the IAA. About the find, she said: 'It seems that during a time of danger the owner of the hoard placed the coins in a cloth purse that he concealed inside a hidden niche in the wall. 'He probably hoped to go back and collect it, but today we know that he was unable to do so'. The coins bear the images of three important Byzantine emperors: Justinian (483-565 AD), Maurice (539-602 AD) and Phocas (547-610 AD) They were struck at three different mints, Constantinople, Antioch, and Nicomedia, all of which are located in what is today Turkey. An image of the emperor wearing military garb and carrying crosses is depicted on the front of the coins, while the back shows the coin's denomination and is inscribed with the letter M. The building and the winepress beside it belong to a larger site that extends across Highway One, and which was exposed on the other side of the road about a year ago. A Byzantine church was revealed in that part of the excavation. The IAA believe this was a settlement called Einbikumakube, whose name was preserved in the neighboring Arab village of Beit Naquba. This site is situated alongside the main road leading from the coastal plain to Jerusalem. Settlements and way stations, some of which were near flowing springs, developed next to the road that was used by Christian pilgrims who were traveling to Jerusalem. Ms. Landes-Nagar added: 'The hoard indicates the end of the site. 'The historical background to its having been hidden is apparently related to the Sassanid Persian invasion that occurred in 614 CE. 'This invasion, was one of the factors that culminated in the end of Byzantine rule in the land of Israel'. The IAA and construction firm Netivei Israel are now working together to conserve the site as a landmark in the scenery alongside Highway One.
