Coins of Gallus Revolt Discovered in Hukok
A rare hoard of 22 copper coins, over 1,600 years old (4th century CE), was discovered in a small crevice prepared deep in an underground hiding complex lying beneath the ruins of the Lower Galilee ancient settlement of Hukok.
The hidden treasure was uncovered in a joint archaeological dig by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Zefat Academic College, as part of preparing the site for public visitation under the aegis of the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael – Jewish National Fund.
“It seems that the people stashing this hoard carefully planned its hiding place, hoping to return to it when the threatening troubles were over,” say researchers Uri Berger from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Prof. Yinon Shivtiel of Zefat Academic College. “The coins were discovered in a pit, deliberately dug at the end of a narrow winding tunnel.”
The Hukok hiding complex, an underground network of tunnels and rooms to conceal Jewish people and practices from the eyes of the Roman army, was apparently first created and used by its Jewish residents during the Great Revolt (66–70 CE), and then developed and improved in preparation for the Bar-Kochba Revolt (132–136 CE).
Naturally, upon its discovery, the researchers expected it to be dated to the time of either of these rebellions, as is oft the case throughout the country – but to their great surprise, the visages of Emperors Constantius II and Constans I appeared on the coins.
Their reigns were during the time of a later revolt – the Gallus Revolt (351-352 CE), the lesser-known and last Jewish revolt under Roman rule. “This shows that hundreds of years after these tunnels were dug out, they were reused,” say the researchers. “The hoard provides, in all probability, unique evidence that this hiding complex was used in one way or another during another crisis, during the Gallus Revolt, a rebellion for which we have only scant historical evidence of its existence.”
The Hukok hiding complex is one of the most extensive and most intricate of its kind in the entire Galilee. It comprises a series of underground spaces connected by narrow passages and winding tunnels. The system was mainly excavated between 2019 and 2023 as part of an extensive community educational project executed here in Hukok. As part of the project, beginning and graduate students from Zefat Academic College, volunteers from the Israel Cave Explorer Club, soldiers, and area residents participated in its excavation.
“Fortunately, it was the many volunteers excavating the hiding complex who actually uncovered this important treasure, and they enjoyed this great moment of the joy and the excitement of discovery,” says Dr. Einat Ambar-Armon, who directs the Israel Antiquities Authority Community Archaeological Educational Center in the Northern Region. “The excavation thus became not only an important scientific event, but also a significant communal educational experience – one that brings the public closer to its heritage, and strengthens the sense of belonging and the connection to the past.”
According to the researchers, Berger and Prof. Shivtiel, “The coin hoard from the days of the Gallus Revolt, hidden deep in the Hukok hiding complex, joins other finds on the site that teach about the days of hardship and periods of crisis that the Jews of Hukok and the Galilee went through during the long Roman period in the Land of Israel. Happily, we know that shortly after this final revolt – apparently at the end of this tragic period of hardship, a magnificent synagogue with magnificent mosaics was built on the top of the hill, and the settlement here began an era of long-lasting prosperity.”
According to Israeli Minister of Heritage, Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu,
“The discovery of the rare hoard of coins in the Hukok hiding complex is a living testimony to the determination of the Jews of the Galilee and their ongoing struggle to maintain their identity and traditional Jewish lifestyle even in difficult times under the Roman rule. Finds of this type connect us directly to the lives of our ancestors, and remind us of the depth of our historical roots here.”
According to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The Israel Antiquities Authority considers the Hukok site, considering all its discoveries, as a flagship project, which will be a magnet for tourists from Israel and the world. In recent years, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Keren Kayemet LeYisrael have conducted extensive excavation and conservation operations here, in cooperation with the local community. We are working together so that the entire public can enjoy the hidden treasures of this site.”
Director of Keren Kayemet LeYisrael–JNF Northern Region, Sheli Ben Iishai, said: “In light of the excavation findings and the great potential inherent in the Hukok site, Keren Kayemet LeYisrael is advancing a detailed development plan to transform Hukok into a unique site, well-organized and capable of receiving the public at large from Israel and the word over to experience archaeological tourism at its best. The Hukok site is a model for the successful integration of nature, tourism and archaeology, in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Jordan Valley Regional Council.”
Article: Israel Antiquities Authority
