In the seventh century, a person may have stashed 44 gold coins into a wall with the hope of one day returning to find their treasure. However, almost 1,400 years later, Israeli archaeologists uncovered the coins. The discovery provides a rare glimpse into an ancient past at a tense time of violent conquest, according to the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The hoard was found at Banias, which was once known as Panaeas and has been an important spiritual site for successive cultures throughout history.

The uncovered pure gold coins, weighing approximately 170 grams (6 ounces), portray the effigies of emperors Phocas (602-610 A.D.) and Heraclius (610-644 A.D.). Experts suggest that these coins were concealed during the Muslim conquest of the area in approximately 635. The discovery provides insight into a specific moment in history, where an individual may have sought to protect their wealth from the threat of war, with hopes of returning later to retrieve their property. However, this individual was not as fortunate as they had hoped.

The coins also offer new insights into the economy of the final 40 years of Byzantine rule in the area. The Byzantine Empire, which was centered in what is now Istanbul, was a continuation of the Roman Empire following its collapse in the West after the sack of Rome by barbarian tribes in 410 A.D. The eastern empire lasted another 1,000 years, but lost several of its provinces to Muslim conquests in the seventh century, around the same time the coins were concealed in the wall.

“Most of the coins are of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius,” noted Gabriela Bijovsky, an expert on ancient coins who examined the hoard in a news release, “What is particularly interesting is that in his early years as emperor, only his portrait was depicted on the coin, whereas after a short time, the images of his sons also appear. One can actually follow his sons growing up — from childhood until their image appears the same size as their father, who is depicted with a long beard.”

In addition to the coins, remnants of pottery kilns, buildings, water channels, and other coins were also found, providing a wealth of information about the area during that period.

Now in a national park, Banias has played an important spiritual role in several cultures. First a Canaanite shrine to the god Baal, it was renamed in the Hellenistic era after Pan, the half-man, half-goat god of shepherds and fertility.

The site reached its peak during the early Roman era under Herod and his son Philip II, who renamed it Caesarea in honor of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. In Christian tradition, it’s believed that St. Peter declared Jesus to be the son of God here before receiving the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Banias is located in the Golan Heights, an area that Israel captured from Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed, leading to settlements and a thriving tourism industry. In 2019, former President Donald Trump recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the area, causing strong protests from Damascus. However, the rest of the international community considers the territory as Israeli-occupied.

Experts estimate that the coins were hidden during the Muslim conquest of the region in 635. Israel Antiquities Authority

The Banias excavation was funded by the Israel Electric Corp., which is working to connect the nearby Druze holy site of Nabi Khadr to the national electricity grid.

The discovery is being hailed as important as the uncovering this year of a church that archaeologists claimed was the birthplace of St. Peter.

“The gold coin hoard is on a par with the Byzantine Church, possibly the Church of Saint Peter, that was recently discovered,” Raya Shurky, director of the National Parks Authority, said in a news release.

“The finds include the remains of a mosaic floor and a stone engraved with many crosses, indicating that Banias became a Christian pilgrim site.”