Israel - 1 New Sheqel 2019 - The Twelve Spies - Gold 999, 1.244g (0.04 oz pure gold), 13.92mm

Israel - 1 New Sheqel 2019 - The Twelve Spies - Gold 999, 1.244g (0.04 oz pure gold), 13.92mm Only 10% Commission + VAT on this item. Mintage: 203 “The Twelve Spies” coin, dated 2019, the twenty-third issue in the “Biblical Art” series and legal tender issued by the Bank of Israel. The coin commemorates one of the most dramatic and significant biblical events during the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness - the mission of the twelve spies sent to explore the Land of Canaan. After the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites wandered through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. In the Wilderness of Paran, God commanded Moses to send twelve representatives, one from each tribe, to survey the land and examine its qualities. The spies explored Canaan for forty days and returned carrying enormous fruits demonstrating the fertility of the land. They described it as “a land flowing with milk and honey, ” yet most of them also spread fear and despair, claiming that the inhabitants were too powerful to overcome. Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh believed the Israelites could conquer the land. Following the spies’ report, the people lost faith and wept, and according to Jewish tradition, that night became the origin of Tisha B’Av - the national day of mourning and destruction. As punishment, the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert for forty years before the next generation entered the Land of Israel. The reverse depicts an artistic rendering of the spies carrying a giant cluster of grapes suspended on a pole, inspired by the biblical verse: “…and they bore it between two upon a staff…” (Numbers 13:23). The design also incorporates symbols of the Seven Species - wheat, pomegranate, and grapes - together with a vessel pouring milk, symbolizing the biblical phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The obverse features the State emblem, the denomination, the name of Israel in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, the year of issue, and the mint mark. Around the rim appears the inscription “The Twelve Spies” in Hebrew and English, while the lower rim features a decorative grape cluster motif.