Archaeologists in the Judean desert have unearthed a small wooden box lined with sheepskin and a purple cloth. Within it, they discovered fifteen rare coins minted by Egyptian King Ptolemy VI, representing “the first evidence” of Jews fleeing to the Negev during the Jewish Revolt almost 2,200 years ago.
The Wadi Murabba’at is a deep ravine that was cut by a seasonal stream running from the Judean desert east of Bethlehem over millions of years, past Herodium to the Dead Sea. The hoard of silver coins was discovered in a cave last year and represents “the first solid evidence ever discovered” in the Judean Desert for the Maccabean Revolt against the Greek Seleucid Empire .
The discovery of this coin hoard dating to Ptolemy backs up the Biblical Jewish Exodus tale.Source: Israel Antiquities Authority
