A rare 2,000-year-old coin was found by an 11-year-old girl in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. The coin was likely minted by a priest who had joined the Jewish rebels in the revolt against the Romans, shortly before the Temple was destroyed.

“This is a rare find, since out of many thousands of coins discovered to date in archaeological excavations, only about 30 of those coins are made of silver, from the period of the Great Revolt,” said Dr. Robert Kool, head of the IAA Coin Department.

The coin is made of pure silver and weighs about 14 grams. On one side, it features a cup and the inscription “Israeli shekel” and “second year” — referring to the second year of the revolt (67-68 CE). On the other side, another inscription reads “Holy Jerusalem” in ancient Hebrew script and is accompanied by another word, which according to the experts refers to the headquarters of the High Priest in the Temple.

“When I got to Emek Tzurim, I thought there must be simple coins in the buckets, but I did not think I would find a coin myself, and certainly not such a rare coin from pure silver, said 11-year-old Liel Krutokop from Petah Tikva, who came with her family to do archaeological sifting at the City of David.