Amazing treasure found by divers in Israel!

During one of their routine dives near Caesarea, divers from the local scuba club came upon the largest treasure ever discovered in Israeli waters. The find, consisting of more than 2,000 gold coins (!), was immediately taken under the care of archaeologists who were conducting the excavation.

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The discovered treasure dates back to the 11th century, when the surrounding area was ruled by the Muslim Fatimid dynasty. The oldest coin found – a quarter dinar – was minted in Palermo, Sicily, and dates to the second half of the 9th century. The majority of the treasure consists of coins from the period of the reign of Al-Hakim 996-1021 and his son Al-Zahir 1021-1036, which were struck in Egypt and North Africa.

The treasure was most likely uncovered as a result of strong storms that hit the region during the winter. Among the coins found are different denominations: dinar, half dinar and quarter dinar, which additionally vary in weight and size. According to the archaeologists studying the find, the common feature of all the coins is that they “belong” to the western part of the Islamic world, represented by the aforementioned Fatimids.

According to archaeologists, the gold probably came from an unknown, and therefore undiscovered to this day, shipwreck that sank in what is now Caesarea National Park.

Kobi Sharvit, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s underwater archaeology department, says the size and value of the find suggests we are dealing with a tax-collecting vessel bound for Egypt, or a wealthy merchant ship whose owner traded in Mediterranean ports.

The condition of the find is sensational. The coins do not show the passage of time at all. As Robert Cole, an expert in numismatics, informed, despite 1000 years spent on the seabed, the find does not require any cleaning or preservation! On some of the coins found, one can even see traces of teeth, testifying to the “inspection” which was carried out to confirm their value.

The aforementioned Kobi Sharvit praised the attitude of the divers, who immediately informed the relevant authorities about everything. This allowed the scientists to deal with the treasure properly and, most importantly, to save the priceless archaeological context. He also pointed out that all ancient finds of this type belong to the state and failure to inform about them is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Source: .i24news.tv