Learn about the 'Ophel Treasures' - 1,400 year-old 10cm gold medallion

This remarkable 10cm gold medallion was unearthed in 2013 by archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar during the Ophel excavations, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

It was probably used as an ornament for a Torah scroll & is considered the earliest known object of its kind.

The medallion bears three powerful Jewish symbols:

A seven-branched menorah (Temple candelabrum)

A shofar (ram’s horn)

A Torah scroll

Dating to the early 7th century CE (c. 614 CE), it was likely hidden during the Persian conquest of Jerusalem.

It was discovered in two bundles:

• Bundle 1: the medallion with a gold chain & jewellery, buried intact.

• Bundle 2: 36 gold coins (from the mid-4th to early 7th century), along with earrings, a silver ingot & other items, scattered as if abandoned in a hurry.

Scholars suggest these treasures may have been intended as contributions - perhaps for the construction of a synagogue or in support of the Jewish community - but were never retrieved due to political upheaval.

This is one of the largest & most symbolically rich gold hoards ever found in Jerusalem. The medallion embodies the longing for the Temple & stands as tangible evidence of Jewish presence in the city during a turbulent era.

Today, the Ophel Treasure, including this medallion & the coins, can be viewed in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

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