97 Pure Gold Coins Buried 1,400 Years Ago Reveal How a Byzantine Hoard Tells the Fall of a Flourishing Christian City
Almost 97 Byzantine gold coins and a handful of jewelry lay hidden beneath a large stone, buried about 1,400 years ago. A metal-detecting operator triggered the discovery, and when archaeologists cleared the soil they found a complete 'purse' of wealth: coins, earrings, pendants, beads encrusted with pearls and semi-precious stones. The haul is not only a testament to wealth, but also a window into a city on the brink of collapse: Hippos (Sussita) in Galilee.
In This Article:
- Hippos on the Edge of Empires: A Prosperous Christian Hub at the Crossroads of Trade and War
- 614 and the Invasion: The Persian Onslaught That Changed the Region Forever
- A Mixed Hoard: Coins and Jewelry as a Rare, Personal Cache
- From Ruins to Revelations: What the Gold Tells Us About People, Cities, and History
Hippos on the Edge of Empires: A Prosperous Christian Hub at the Crossroads of Trade and War
Hippos stood on a high plateau east of the Sea of Galilee. Its history stretched from the Hellenistic era through Roman rule to the Byzantine age. By the sixth century, Hippos had become a thriving Christian center: markets bustled, churches rose, and street colonnades framed daily life. Its strategic position at the crossroads of trade routes and military roads made it prosperous—yet dangerously exposed to attack.
614 and the Invasion: The Persian Onslaught That Changed the Region Forever
In the early seventh century, the region lay at the epicenter of a long conflict between Byzantium and Sasanian Persia. In 614, Persian forces swept into Palestine, destroying many cities. Chronicles speak of mass killings and the ruin of churches. For Hippos’s residents, this period was a brutal test; many tried to save what mattered most—money and family heirlooms.
A Mixed Hoard: Coins and Jewelry as a Rare, Personal Cache
Archaeologists had been digging for years when a metal-detection signal near a large stone changed everything. They uncovered a complete 'purse' of the era: 97 coins from the Byzantine period and several pieces of jewelry—earrings, pendants, beads set with pearls and gemstones. The find is unusual for combining coins and jewelry in a single hoard, suggesting it belonged to a well-to-do family. Cloth residues on some coins imply they were stored in a small pouch.
From Ruins to Revelations: What the Gold Tells Us About People, Cities, and History
Numismatists date the coins from the reign of Justin I (early sixth century) to the early years of Emperor Heraclius (early seventh century). The coins bear images of Byzantine rulers and Christian symbols, and they reveal the broad use of money across the empire—evidence of Hippos’s participation in regional and international commerce. No coins post-date 614; the hoard was buried during the Persian invasion, with owners hoping to return for it, only to witness the city’s capture and ruin. Although the Byzantines briefly reclaimed the region, Hippos never recovered. Arab armies arrived in the mid‑seventh century, reshaping the political map, and a 749 earthquake finally forced the inhabitants to abandon the ruins. Today Hippos is an archaeological park that welcomes visitors and scholars. The gold hoard adds a personal dimension to the story of a city’s rise and fall: it tells the tale of a family trying to preserve wealth, tradition, and memory in a world changing too quickly. Each coin and piece of jewelry bears silent witness to fear, hope, and faith in a future that would emerge from a city’s ashes.
