Apr 9, 2012

Jew in Tiberias Disposes Of Emporer Heraclius

The Carmel website, reporting on news from the Carmel region settlements, reported the other day about an interesting incident in Tiberias.

A fellow's son found in the courtyard of the school in Tiberias gold coins from the 7th century. When the kid brought his discovery home, the father would have none of it, and he flushed the coins down the toilet.

Why?

Because the image on the coins was that of Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor from the years 610 to 641. Heraclius was responsible for the massacre of the Jews after the Persians had been banished from the Holy Land, despite having promised the local community that they would be safe under him. The coins bearing Heraclius' image showed him carrying a cross. On the back side of each coin was another, larger, cross.

coin of Heraclius with his father Solidus
Each coin was worth tens of thousands of shekels, according to experts who estimated the value.

I don't know if he did the right thing or wrong thing. Just because the coin had an image of the cross on it, do they need to be destroyed? I doubt that's what I would have done. I most likely would have cashed them in...

Either way, the Jews are back in Tiberius, while Heraclius and his empire are but a faded memory with a Wikipedia page, and this fellow simply disposed of Heraclius with the flip of a lever.

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3 comments:

  1. Yosef GreenbergApril 09, 2012 10:38 PM

    Sure, why not make such a story up. Better than having the IAA coming to pick them up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David MeirApril 09, 2012 11:24 PM

    Despite the fact that his father probably did not know the value of these coins, or anything about Heraclius and his massacre, I like the story. Not deriving benefit from that which is attached to misery and suffering is always a good message.

    If I were more kabbalistically inclined I'd say maybe it's a tikkun for Achan, who took from the spoils of Ai, for his own benefit, during Yehoshua's time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MarkApril 10, 2012 7:31 AM

    Schmuck. He wasted something of value. And he destroyed an historical object.

    Not deriving benefit from that which is attached to misery and suffering is always a good message.

    If this is a big concern, then it's easy to not derive benefit AND to do some good. All he had to do was to sell the coins and donate every penny to tzedaka! That's a far better message.

    ReplyDelete