Saturday, 1 September 2018

Gold aureus found in Jerusalem with image of Nero

In 2016 archaeological excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem yielded a gold aureus of Nero. The coin dates to a little more than a decade before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. It was found in a large aristocratic villa which was utterly destroyed by Titus and the Roman legions. The coin was likely missed by looting Romans.
Nero was Roman emperor for fourteen years (54-68 AD).

He was considered a tyrant, and some believed he was responsible for the devastating fire of 64 AD, which resulted in the burning of much of Rome.
The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped palace built by Nero in the heart of Rome after the great fire.