A cache of coins, weighing 6 kilos (13 pounds) in total, was discovered by a tour guide near west Israel’s coastal town of Atlit on Tuesday, the 10th of August. Yotam Dahan, the tour guide from Klil in the Western Galilee area of Northern Israel found the antique coins on a family camping trip in Habonim beach. Dahan instantly handed over the coins to Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) Treasures of the State Department and was subsequently handed a certificate of appreciation for his act of Good Samaritanism.
He decided to share his findings on Facebook, which prompted IAA archaeologist Karem Said to contact him. Dahan took him to the place of discovery the next morning, just 70 meters (229 feet) from the water, reports Ynet News .
"Handing such findings over to the national collection helps us, the archaeologists, complete more parts of the puzzle that is the history of the land of Israel," Said told Ynet. Dr. Donald Zvi-Ariel, a coin expert for the IAA, estimated that the stash was from the 4th century AD.
