1500-year-old Rare Coin Shows Christianity's Influence in Israel

Archaeologists digging near Tel Aviv unearthed a glimpse of daily life 1,500 years ago and Christianity's influence then in the region. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) found remains of an agriculture community, as well as an artifact perhaps from a Byzantine-era church and a gold coin depicting Jesus' crucifixion.

"The excavation unearthed evidence of agricultural-industrial activity at the site during the Byzantine period—about 1,500 years ago," explains Dr. Yoav Arbel,