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Rare Gold Coin With The Image Of Queen Berenice II, Wife Of Ptolemy III, Was Discovered In Jerusalem And Surprised Archaeologists.
An extremely rare gold coin, dated 2,200 years old, was discovered during excavations at the Givati Parking Lot in Jerusalem.
The find belonged to Queen Berenice II, wife of the Egyptian King Ptolemy III. It is the first time that a coin of this kind has appeared outside Egypt.
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, only 20 similar units have been found worldwide. Despite its small size, the historical value is immense because the coin depicts a woman as a ruler, which surprised experts.
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A Queen In Power
The coin was discovered by archaeologist Rivka Langler. “I saw something shiny and realized it was a gold coin. At first, I couldn’t believe it. I have been digging for two years waiting for my moment, and now it has finally come,” she said in a statement published on Facebook.
Dated between 246 and 241 BC, the piece was minted in Alexandria, likely as a bonus for soldiers during the Third Syrian War. The image engraved is of Queen Berenice II, wife of Ptolemy III, who appears with symbols of authority.
On one side, she wears a diadem, veil, and necklace. On the other, a cornucopia flanked by stars appears, accompanied by her name. This symbol represented prosperity and fertility. For archaeologists, the inscription showcased the queen’s personal authority.
The Trajectory Of Berenice II
Reports indicate that Berenice II lived a life marked by power and conflict. After the death of Alexander the Great, her father, Magas, inherited the region of Cyrenaica. During his rule, the image of his daughter was already appearing on coins.
An arranged marriage with Demetrius the Beautiful ended in tragedy: the groom had an extramarital affair and was ultimately murdered. Later, Berenice married her cousin Ptolemy III, consolidating the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Even so, her fate was tragic, ending in violent death.
For researchers, this coin may be one of the first examples of a Ptolemaic queen appearing in life as a ruler on a coin. She was not only portrayed as a consort but as a figure of authority comparable to the king.
Jerusalem In The 3rd Century BC
The discovery also sheds new light on Jerusalem during the Hellenistic period. Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Efrat Bocher from CSAJ stated that the find contradicts the old view of a poor city after 586 BC.
The coin, along with other discoveries, shows that Jerusalem was recovering and maintaining ties with the political and cultural centers of the time. Thus, the city functioned as a point of economic and cultural contact in the 3rd century BC.
Dr. Robert Kool and Dr. Haim Gitler, numismatic experts, reinforced that the piece represents not only wealth but also prestige. Moreover, it shows how women could be formally recognized as rulers in a predominantly male context.
Thus, the gold coin found at the Givati Parking Lot not only reinforces the importance of Jerusalem during that period but also illuminates the unique role of Berenice II in the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
