Danny Syon, courtesy Gamla Excavations

About 60 percent of the recovered coins are Jewish coins such as these, minted during the reign of Alexander Janneus (103–76 B.C.E.). Between the spokes of the eight-rayed star on the obverse, at left, a paleo-Hebrew inscription says, “Yehonatan the king,” using Janneus’ Hebrew given name. At right, another coin of this issue shows the reverse, which bears an anchor and a Greek inscription, “Of king Alexandros.”