Fellowship friend Mike Huckabee and his family were on a tour organized by the Yes! Israel Project when they made a surprising archaeological discovery in caves near Na’aleh. The Jerusalem Post reports that Huckabee’s grandchildren found three ancient coins after the family had discovered jar fragments in another cave. The artifacts date back to the Bar Kokhba Revolt, when Jewish people fought against the Roman Empire. Like many similar discoveries, these finds suggest that Jewish people maintained a continuous presence in the area.
“Grandpa, look what we found,” Huckabee’s grandchildren exclaimed upon discovering the coins.
Israel Ganz, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, said the coins confirm the Jewish people’s historical presence in Israel.
“These findings are the best proof of our historical right to every part of the Land of Israel,” he said.
The tour was guided by Dr. Dvir Raviv of Bar-Ilan University, who is conducting an archaeological survey of the area. Huckabee and his family also visited Shiloh during the tour. He described the experience as amazing and commented that miracles that happened in the region 3,000 years ago can still happen today.
During the Bar Kokhba Revolt that began in 132 C.E., Jewish rebels were led by Simon bar Kokhba. When the Roman Empire ruled over Israel and attempted to eradicate Jewish practices, Bar Kokhba and his followers established vast underground hiding complexes. Within these subterranean halls, Jewish communities created their own administrative systems, including the issuing of weights and coins. It was some of these very coins that Huckabee and his family would discover centuries later.