Show Historians Historian Stirred by Find of Ancient Coins Coins Collis that shed IhM new lI light ht on on an obscure period of Jewish history have bern been discovered In a private collection in Jerusalem I ITIle I The TIle coins are oro of ot the tile l Fifth century B. B CM Coo which is 30 years older than any Jewish coins coin'S heretofore known I The money known to have been reg reg- I used In indent ancient Palestine was foreign money chiefly coins of nations nations na na- which In turn dominated the tire Hebrew country It has been supposed supposed sup sup- posed that the Jews were not allowed allowed al st- lowed to Issue their heir own o until a Syrian king granted that liberty lib lib- erty about 1119 B. B C. C The he discovery shows that after the Persians swept the Babylonians ns from I power and allowed the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem the Persian king granted autonomy The Jerusalem coins ore are said to match a small sliver silver coin which for forthe forthe the last 10 years yeal's has teen been een In In to the British museum It bears an Inscription Inscription inscription tion of three letters w which It is said always have been wrongly Interpreted by scholars and therefore the significance of or the coin was not completely understood He lie reads the letters as which was wal at one onetime onetime onetime time the official name of the province of ot Judea The coins bear the engraving engraving en en- I graving of ot an owl owl under which appear appear ap pear pear the three thre letters In the tho old Phoenician Hebrew script |