The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion
A Byzantine-era hoard with a 10-cm gold medallion showing menorah, shofar and Torah scroll
Found 2013 — Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Ophel excavations
Where The Ophel, south of the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from Hidden c. 614 CE; coins from the 4th–7th centuries CE · Byzantine (early 7th century CE) · Long after the New Testament; Jewish presence in Jerusalem before the Persian and Arab conquests
Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion was found
Found in the summer 2013 season five days into the dig, in a Byzantine public building about 50 metres south of the Temple Mount's southern wall. The medallion and jewelry lay in a small bundle; the 36 coins were in a separate cloth pouch nearby.
What it is
A gold medallion 10 cm across on a gold chain, stamped with a seven-branched menorah flanked by a shofar and a Torah scroll, plus a smaller gold medallion, gold coils, silver items, and 36 gold solidi minted from the mid-4th to early 7th centuries CE. Mazar suggested the large medallion was a Torah-scroll ornament.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the largest gold hoard ever found in Yerushalayim from any period and one of the earliest surviving Torah ornaments. It shows a Jewish community back beside the Temple Mount in the early 600s CE, probably hiding their valuables during the Persian conquest of 614 CE. For Bible readers it is a reminder that the Temple's menorah, shofar and scroll remained the symbols of Jewish hope centuries after 70 CE.
The Hebrew word: me-noh-RAH
מְנוֹרָה
מְנוֹרָה is pronounced me-noh-RAH and means lampstand; the seven-branched Temple menorah (Strong's H4501).
Places
- Ophel — עֹפֶל (OH-fel) — swelling, mound
Events
Jewish return to Jerusalem under Persian rule, 614 CE · Persistence of Temple symbols after the destruction
The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion in Scripture
Exodus 25:31-32 The pattern of the seven-branched lampstand; the medallion shows it exactly as later Jews remembered it. (First mention of menorah (candlestick).)
Numbers 10:10 The shofar blown over offerings; the medallion pairs it with the menorah and scroll.
Zechariah 4:2 The prophet's vision of a golden menorah, an image of hope for a rebuilt Temple.
Questions people ask
What is The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion?
A gold medallion 10 cm across on a gold chain, stamped with a seven-branched menorah flanked by a shofar and a Torah scroll, plus a smaller gold medallion, gold coils, silver items, and 36 gold solidi minted from the mid-4th to early 7th centuries CE. Mazar suggested the large medallion was a Torah-scroll ornament.
When was The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion discovered?
It was found in 2013 by Eilat Mazar (Hebrew University), Ophel excavations, at The Ophel, south of the Temple Mount, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does The Ophel Treasure and Gold Menorah Medallion relate to?
Exodus 25:31-32, Numbers 10:10, Zechariah 4:2.
Related discoveries
- חוֹמָהOphel Wall and GatehouseA fortification line south of the Temple Mount attributed to Solomon
- יְבוּסִיOphel Cuneiform Tablet FragmentThe oldest written text found in Jerusalem, a scrap of an Amarna-age royal letter
- גְּאֻלָּהOphel Cave of 'Redemption of Zion' CoinsA refuge cave beside the Temple Mount sealed in 70 CE with bronze coins of the revolt's last year
- עֹפֶלOphel Pithos InscriptionThe oldest alphabetic writing found in Jerusalem
- עֹפֶלJerusalem's Rock-Cut Northern MoatA 9-metre-deep trench that cut the City of David off from the Temple Mount, identified in 2023
- מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָהRoyal Bulla of Hezekiah'Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz, king of Judah' — the king's own seal impression
Sources
- Wikipedia, 'Ophel Treasure'
- Biblical Archaeology Society, 'The Ophel Treasure'
- HeritageDaily, 'Ophel Treasure discovered at Foot of Temple Mount' (Sept 2013)
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