'I've never found so much gold in my life': Archaeologist discovers GOLD TEMPLE

'I've never found so much gold in my life': Archaeologist discovers hoard of Byzantine treasure at Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Discovery made in an area called Ophel at the base of Temple Mount
Excavators discovered 36 gold coins and a Jewish Menorah medallion
Artefacts are thought to date back to the 7th Century Byzantine period
A 3,000-year-old jug was also found inscribed with the earliest written text ever discovered in Jerusalem
A rare and ancient trove of coins and jewellery has been found buried near Temple Mount in Jerusalem dating back to the 7th Century.





A total of 36 gold coins etched with images of Byzantine emperors, pictured, were also found in the Ophel region between the City of David and Temple Mount. Many of the coins featured emperors ranging across a 250-year period including Constantine II to Mauricius

The Ophel treasure was found by archaeologist Eilat Mazar, pictured, from Hebrew University

The discovery was made in the ruins of a Byzantine public structure located in the Ophel region - between the city of David and around 50 metres from the southern wall of the First Temple.

Temple Mount is considered one of the most religious sites in Jerusalem and is where two biblical Jewish temples once stood.