A treasure trove of 44 gold coins hidden in a wall more than 1,000 years ago has been discovered by Israeli archaeologists.
Experts believe the hoard points to a dramatic moment in the history of the region — the Muslim conquest of parts of what was then the Byzantine Empire.
The coins were found in the base of a stone wall during excavations at the Hermon Stream nature reserve near Banias, in the Golan Heights.
"The coin hoard is an extremely significant archaeological find as it dates to an important transitional period in the history of the city of Banias and the entire region of the Levant," Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said.
Archaeologists found the coins at the site of the ancient city of Paneas (later known as Banias). The city once served as a cultic site to the god of fertility, Pan, which is where the Greek name of the city originated, according to the IAA.
The IAA's Dr Gabriela Bijovsky said the oldest coins in the cache dated back to the reign of the Byzantine emperor Phocas, who ruled between 602 AD and 610 AD.
The newest coins came from the time of the Muslim conquest of the region later that century.
Director of excavations Yoav Lerer said the coins were likely to have been buried by someone fleeing "the threat of war".
"The discovery reflects a specific moment in time," he told the BBC.
"We can imagine the owner hiding his fortune under the threat of war, hoping to one day return to retrieve his property.
"In retrospect, we know he was less lucky."
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in a war in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. The international community continues to regard the area as part of Syria, with the exception of the US, which recognised it as Israeli territory in 2019.
Editor's note December 1, 2022: This story has been amended to include detail about the status of the Golan Heights region where the coins were found.
