The recent discovery of two Byzantine-era coin weights is pointing to the possibility of a Christian presence on the Temple Mount before the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the seventh century, according to an archeological research journal.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project announced last week the discovery of two unique Byzantine coin weights, both of rare four keration denomination (about 0.6 grams).
“The first is made of purple glass and bears the impression of a known Imperial stamp, suggesting that it was probably manufactured in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and came to Jerusalem before the Muslim conquest,” the organization describes.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a Christian perspective.***
“The second, made of brass, bears a hitherto unknown Greek Kappa Delta (ΚΔ) marking in silver inlay, indicating that it is also of the four keration denomination,” it continued.
The project directors Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Devira, along with archaeologist and researcher Haim Shaham, published the latest findings in the Israel Numismatic Research journal.
The group believes the artifacts were most likely used as official imperial weights that were required by 6th-century Byzantine law to be present in major churches.
“For
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN