Imam Na Zamaan Naa Fatimid Coins

A small, unassuming Islamic-era juglet was unearthed in early October during excavations at the Western Wall plaza. It wasn’t until weeks later that excavation director David Gellman decided to empty the contents. “To my great surprise, along with the soil, four shiny gold coins fell into my hand,” said Gellman. “This is the first time in my career as an archaeologist that I have discovered gold, and it is tremendously exciting.”

The coins are in mint condition, and were immediately identifiable without cleaning. They fit within a tight window (940-970 c.e.), at which time Jerusalem began to be ruled by the Fatimid Caliphate (c. 909-1171 c.e.). Coin expert Robert Kool provides context:

This was a time of radical political change, when control over Eretz Israel passed from the Sunni Abbasid caliphate, whose capital was Baghdad, Iraq, into the hands of ​​its Shiite rivals—the Fatimid dynasty of North Africa, who conquered Egypt, Syria and Eretz Israel in those years. The profile of the coins found in the juglet are a near perfect reflection of the historical events.

Two gold dinars were minted in Ramla during the rule of Caliph al-Muti‛ (946–974 c.e.) and his regional governor, Abu ‛Ali al-Qasim ibn al-Ihshid Unujur (946–961 c.e.). The other two gold coins were minted in Cairo by the Fatimid rulers al-Mu’izz (953–975 c.e.) and his successor, al-’Aziz (975–996 c.e.). This shows the transition from Abbasid to Fatimid rule.