JERUSALEM POST
‘Half-shekel’ from First Temple era unearthed near City of David
by Sara Rubenstein
November 21, 2018

A rare and unusual find was unearthed north of the City of David in Jerusalem – a tiny stone “half-shekel” weight that dates back to the First Temple period. According to the City of David Foundation, the weight was found during the sifting of soil in the Emek Tzurim National Park under the auspices of the foundation and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. It was found in soil originating from the foot of Robinson’s Arch at the Western Wall, just north of the City of David. The weight, which has the word “beka” written on it in ancient Hebrew script, has been known to be used as a half-shekel donation that each person from the age of 20 years was required to bring as a census and for the maintenance of the Holy Temple. READ MORE