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PHOTO BY HANAN SHAFIR

FOUNDATION COIN. Minted by Herod’s son Philip, this bronze coin dates to 30 C.E. and commemorates the founding of Julias, his new polis (Greek city). Its obverse portrays Philip, and its reverse shows a temple and says, “Philip the Tetrarch, the Founder.” Given its discovery at et-Tell, along with four others, there is reason to believe that the coins were minted here and that et-Tell is Bethsaida-Julias.