Ancient coins bearing Joseph's image prove their use for trade in olden Egypt

Cairo, Sep. 25 (ANI): Ancient coins bearing the name and image of biblical Joseph have been found from the Museum of Egypt, contradicting claims made by some historians that coins were not used for trade in olden Egypt.

Archaeologists provided by MEMRI show that the coins were discovered among a multitude of unsorted artifacts stored at the Museum of Egypt, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The period in which Joseph was believed to have lived in Egypt matches the minting of the coins in the cache.

"A thorough examination revealed that the coins bore the year in which they were minted and their value, or effigies of the pharaohs [who ruled] at the time of their minting," the paper quoted experts, as saying.

The most significant thing about the discovery is the find of scientific evidence proving that coins were used for trade in ancient Egypt, and not barters as claimed by various historians.

Some of the coins are from the time when Joseph lived in Egypt, and bear his name and portrait, the report says.

The discovery of the cache prompted research team head Dr. Sa'id Muhammad Thabet to seek Koranic verses that speak of coins used in ancient Egypt.

"Studies by Dr. Thabet's team have revealed that what most archeologists took for a kind of charm, and others took for an ornament or adornment, is actually a coin," it said.

Following are the facts which led the archaeologies to this conclusion: many such coins have been found at various sites, they are round or oval in shape, and have two faces: one with an inscription, called the inscribed face, and one with an image, called the engraved face - just like the coins we use today, the report said. (ANI)