The historical and regional context of a crusader coin hoard from a hiding complex in the ancient Jewish settlement of Huqoq

This article concerns one of the most interesting underground hiding complexes found in Galilee, one of three discovered at Horvat Huqoq in Lower Galilee. Much of it was scientifically excavated between 2021 and 2023, and material finds recovered from deep inside its passages show that it was used in multiple periods. In the cavities connected by tunnels, artifacts were discovered from the period of the Jewish revolts against the Romans in 66–136 CE. Various ceramics and coin finds attest to the complex’s later use in the Byzantine period. Two chambers and one passage in the complex posed an unexpected research dilemma by yielding finds from the crusader period deep inside them. This article presents a rare hoard of crusader coins discovered in the complex and an interpretation of their possible use during this period.