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- Two coins unearthed in the Judean Desert bear markings of the Jewish uprising against the Romans 2,000 years ago
- The first coin was made during the Great Revolt and minted 67 to 68 AD
- It has a vine leaf on one side and 'Freedom to Zion' inscribed on the other
- The other was minted around 134 to 135 AD and bears a palm branch surrounded by a wreath with an inscription that reads 'for the freedom of Jerusalem'
- The coins were found about a mile way from each other in areas believed to have been refugee for Jews who fought against Roman rule
The two coins were found in the same region, but about one mile apart.
The coin inscribed with Freedom to Zion was discovered at the Khirbat Jib'it archaeological site, just south of the West Bank town of Duma.
The other coin was found inside a cave on the Wadi Rashash cliffs, which dates to the Bar Kokhba revolt.
Dr. Dvir Raviv, who led the survey, told The Times of Israel: 'The Bar-Kokhba coin from Wadi Rashash indicates the presence of a Jewish population in the region up to 134/5 CE, in contrast to a previous claim that Jewish settlement in the highlands north of Jerusalem was destroyed during the Great Revolt and not inhabited afterward.
'This coin is also the first evidence that the Acrabatta region, the northernmost of the districts of Judea during the Roman period, was controlled by the Bar-Kokhba administration.