A gold Roman coin, aureus, depicting Emperor Nero, was discovered in 2016 near the ruins of a Roman villa on Mount Zion. The building dates back to the 1st century CE.
The villa was located in the upper and sacral parts of the Upper City of Jerusalem. A team of archaeologists led by Shimon Gibson discovered well-preserved rooms, a mikveh (or Jewish ritual pool) and a bathroom.
The discovered coin was, according to specialists, minted in 56 CE, and probably lost when the villa was destroyed – that is, in 70 CE. It was then that the city was conquered by the Romans.
