A US tourist visiting Shiloh, which is in the northern part of the West Bank. Juan, a US tourist from California was visiting the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council area four years ago with his wife on a personal mission. “I was here four years ago with my wife,” he said. “We came to pray for a child, just like Hannah in the Bible, because we had been unable to conceive for about 10 years. A year later, we had an amazing daughter, who is now three years old. It’s proof that God always listens to heartfelt prayers.”

The coin was then handed to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to be cleaned and analyzed. The coin was dated to the Second Temple Era during the reign of Hashmonean King Alexander Jannaeus. Israel Gantz, the head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, praised the find. “The discovery of a coin from the Second Temple period is further evidence of the Jewish people’s and Israel’s connection to our land in Binyamin. The Jewish story began here and we continue it. The archaeological site in Shiloh keeps revealing fascinating finds that connect us to our deep roots. We are working to develop the site and make it accessible to thousands of visitors from Israel and around the world.”

In December, a rare collection of around 160 coins dating from the reign of King Alexander Jannaeus was found in the Jordan Valley. The coins included inscriptions of an 8-point star and “King Alexander 25” in Aramaic. Shai Bar, one of the excavation leaders, spoke on the significance of the find. “”The site where the treasure was discovered is, apparently, a way station, which had not been recognized in research until now.”