Like a Jug of Coins

As we study together the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, how readily are you able to imagine yourself cheering in the massive stadium in Smyrna or wandering through the majestic library in Pergamum? What if you could hold in your palm the coins they traded in the marketplaces some 2,000 years ago?

Earlier this month, archaeologists in the ancient city of Aizanoi in Turkey announced details of a remarkable collection of 651 silver Roman coins dating from the period of Emperor Augustus, who ruled from 44 BC to 14 AD. Researchers from Pamukkale University discovered the coins in a jar beneath three terracotta plates during archeological excavations of a vessel buried near a stream. The coins are remarkably well preserved, with images of such Roman emperors and politicians as Marcus Brutus, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Augustus. Even the engravings on the coins are still legible, and scholars report that the collection is the largest number of ancient coins found together.

According to archaeologist Elif Ozer, each coin tells a mythological story, such as the Trojan hero Aeneas carrying his father Anchises on his back -- a nod to a scene from Virgil's Aeneid. Scholars believe that 439 of the coins are denarii, a silver coin minted in the Roman Empire during Jesus' time, and 212 of the coins are cistophori, a silver coin minted in Pergamum.

The coins are on display in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Turkey, and Ozer plans to publish her team's findings in a scientific journal later this year. The excavation in Aizanoi is part of a larger restoration effort called the Aizanoi Penkalas Project that began in 2011. The campaign hopes to one day offer riverboat tours that mirror an ancient Roman maritime journey, leading visitors through Aizanoi's ancient ruins. Scholars have also discovered traces of an ancient settlement dating back to 3,000 BC in the area, as well as 1,000 Roman stones and sculptures. You can read more about this month's announcement in Smithsonian Magazine here.

2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we "live by faith, not by sight," but sometimes an earthly reminder like a jug of coins in Asia Minor is just the nudge we need to remember that these seven churches in Revelation were real churches with real people and real struggles as they sought to follow Jesus' teachings. If you can't hold a Pergamum coin or a Caesar denarii in the palm of your hand today, what else might serve as a tactile reminder of God's faithfulness to His people and to you? The cold damp of winter dew on a leaf? The warmth of a rare sunbeam through a window? The soft weight of a favorite blanket?

However you encounter God's promises this week, I hope you will expect great joy. Hear these words from later in the Book of Revelation:

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!" (Revelation 19:6-7)

Rejoice and be glad, and ponder ways to share your joy with those around you.

Blessings on your week,

Jennie