On a cloudy morning in February 2015, Mr. Zvika Fayer, a diver and diving enthusiast, along with his friends, dove into the sea near the port city of Caesarea, Israel, and discovered a flash of gold coins. gold under the sea sand.

It is known that before the discovery of the treasure under the sea, a winter storm hit Caesarea, stirring the ocean and altering the topography of the seabed. Therefore, during a diving excursion, Mr. Zvika Fayer and his colleagues discovered the bright light of gold coins. Initially, upon finding the gold coins, the diving lovers thought that they were just fake coins, so they only took a few to verify, but later it was discovered that they were genuine gold coins. “I was surprised when I discovered these gold coins,” said Mr. Zvika Fayer.

Israel has many underwater archaeological sites and the government also allows amateur divers to explore underwater ruins, one of them being Caesarea, a favorite dive site of Mr. Zvika Fayer. He had dived here dozens of times before and loved seeing the big fish, antique objects, pottery, which he sometimes collected from the ocean floor.

Normally, if a lucky explorer found a treasure, they would keep it to themselves, but Zvika Fayer was different; He quickly returned to the ship, immediately contacted the Israel Archaeological Agency (IAA) and asked them to come quickly. After reviewing the situation, the IAA decided to carry out additional investigations in the area where the gold coins were found to obtain more information about the origin of this underwater treasure.

Fayer then collaborated with the IAA, diving under the sea for days and collecting more than 2,000 gold coins. These gold coins are all 24 karat with a purity of up to 95%, and have remained intact in the Mediterranean Sea for about 1,000 years. They provide great value to both archaeologists and historians, providing information about a forgotten or poorly understood historical period.

Archaeologists in Israel consider this find “invaluable,” both physically and mentally. Gold coins are now property of the state, becoming national property. Divers who find the treasure receive recognition, but other than that, they do not enjoy any material value coming from the discovery of this treasure.

Robert Kool, an antiquities expert at the Israel Archeology Authority, surmised that the ancient coins were found intact because they were preserved in excellent condition on Israel’s seabed for thousands of years. They are believed to have been sunk by shipwrecks near Caesarea, an ancient Roman port in the Eastern Mediterranean. “It is completely clean and very new despite having been at the bottom of the sea for more than a millennium,” Kool said.

Ruins of ancient Rome in disrepair in Caesarea.

It used to be a bustling place of commerce.

Today, the Caesarea area, located between the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa on the Mediterranean coast, is known for its ancient Roman ruins. This site was once a busy port and trading center in ancient Roman times. Therefore, the discovery of these gold coins provides much information and evidence about Caesarea during the period of Muslim rule. “Before we found the coins, we didn’t know Caesarea at all. What a place, whether desolate or bustling. So the coins have brought tremendous value in terms of history,” said Jakob (Koby) Sharvit, director of the IAA.

These coins are known to have been minted during the reigns of the Caliphs al-Hakim (996-1021 BC) and his son al-Zahir (1021-1036 BC), when Caesarea was part of the Fatimid dynasty of Islam. These coins were minted in cities as far away as Cairo in Egypt and the Sicilian capital of Palermo. Therefore, it can be seen that the currency of that time circulated through a unified regime. And on its merits, Caesarea can be considered a prosperous and bustling city at the end of the 11th century.

Hypothetically, perhaps these 2,000 gold coins were the salary of a former army soldier in one month, however, the treasure was lost due to a shipwreck accident. Or in other cases, they fell off the deck during a storm or were kidnapped by pirates, leading to the sinking of the ship.

Since the discovery of the gold coins, Fayer and his colleagues have worked in collaboration with the IAA, expanding the search for other treasures around Caesarea and at other locations along the Mediterranean coast. They also explored additional areas, including the coastal city of Netanya, the route along which ancient Phoenician and Roman ships traveled extensively for trade. “For me, exploration never has limits. “I love the sea and I love the ancient culture at the bottom of the sea here,” Mr. Fayer said.

Ruins of ancient Rome in disrepair in Caesarea.

Not only under the sea, now in Caesarea there are still many famous works of antiquity. The first buildings were built in the 4th century BC to create a bustling trading post. In 96 BC, the city came under the rule of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. However, the region was conquered by the Romans, and Caesarea, later renamed Stratonos Pyrgos (Straton’s Tower), was soon handed over to Herod the Great, a king appointed by the Romans to rule the region. The city was later rebuilt by King Herod the Great as a port city and was named after the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus.

Under the reign of the great Herod, Caesarea flourished. The king ordered the construction of walls to form a huge port, along with aqueducts to serve more than 100,000 inhabitants at the time. The racecourse was built with an oval-shaped arena with wooden stands, stairs and walkways cleverly designed to create the fastest start. A large square with around 3,500 seats and is also the location where many executions took place. The two-story amphitheater can accommodate 25,000 spectators, the exit includes many halls. Next to it are temples, markets, public saunas and a domed theater that can hold up to 20,000 people to watch horse races or Roman gladiator battles.

In 6 AD, Caesarea became the capital of Rome in the land of Judea and was also home to many famous Roman governors, including Pontius Pilate, who ruled during Jesus’ calendar time. history. Then, when the Jews rebelled against Roman rule between 66-70 AD and Jerusalem was destroyed, Caesarea continued to be the political and economic center of the region.