Hoard of gold coins found at Israel Crusades site

Yahoo/Reuters ^ | 11 Jul 2012

[shove_it]

HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - A 1,000-year-old hoard of gold coins has been unearthed at a famous Crusader battleground where Christian and Muslim forces once fought for control of the Holy Land, Israeli archaeologists said on Wednesday.

[Related: Ancient road discovered in Greece]

The treasure was dug up from the ruins of a castle in Arsuf, a strategic stronghold during the religious conflict waged in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The 108 coins - one of the biggest collections of ancient coins discovered in Israel - were found hidden in a ceramic jug beneath a tile floor at the cliff-top coastal ruins, 15 km (9 miles) from Tel Aviv.

"It is a rare find. We don't have a lot of gold that had been circulated by the Crusaders," said Oren Tal, a professor at Tel Aviv University who leads the dig.

Arsuf, which overlooks the Mediterranean sea, was the site of a famous 12th century victory for England's King Richard I - known as Lionheart - over Muslim leader Saladin.

[...]

[shove_it]

cha ching

[Red Badger]

I lost it on my last trip to the Holy Land.....................

[Da Coyote]

Thought 1: Boy, if those coins could talk.

Thought 2: Boy, if those coins could talk from my bank vault.

[Young Werther]

DUCK AND COVER. THOSE COINS BELONG TO ROBBIN' HOODLUM!

[DoughtyOne]

Those seem to be wonderfully preserved coins. I sure wish they would be handled with gloves, to protect their pristine nature.

[Hardraade]

Expect the UN to put forth a claim from the arabs...

[EQAndyBuzz]

I’m suspecting that those coins will buy a lot of UN ambulances for Gaza.

[Vermont Lt]

Yeah, but you said you lost yours off the boat. I distinctly recall burying them in that old jar I found...remember?

[SJackson]

ping

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[Oatka]

Get thee to a library/used book store and read Dungeon, Fire and Sword by John J. Robinson, which covers the rise of the Knights Templar in the 1090s to their demise in the 1300s.

Appalling stories of stupidity and greed on both sides, with the Egyptian court being in a class by itself. A very readable book with a dry wit.

[shove_it]

Sorry Red, according to the article the stash belongs to the Knights Hospitaller, founders of Hospitality Inns.

[wbill]

Boy, if those coins could talk

"I've been stuck in this @%#$%@ box for the last 1000 years. What have YOU been up to?"

[tumblindice]

[Uncle Chip]

They’re mine. Dropped them last time I was over there ummmm back in 1176 or 1177 was it???

[Rebelbase]

Can't wait for the Franklin Mint commercials for the replica crusader coin clad in .9999 gold start flooding the tube.

/s

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks shove_it, and SJackson for the additional ping. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Red Badger]

Well, I did stay in a Hospitaller Express overnight................