JERUSALEM, Israel — The city of Jerusalem is often called the city of gold. Now a new exhibit shows that gold often played a big part in the city’s history.

The exhibit, called “Jerusalem of Gold,” displayed some of the rare gold artifacts found in the City of David, the original Jerusalem.

A gold medallion from the 7th century is one of the antiquities on display in the City of David.

Israeli archaeologist Gabi Barkay said gold has been a part of Jerusalem’s history for thousands of years.

“It probably was meant to decorate an ancient Torah scroll,” Barkay told CBN News.

“Gold was represented very much in Jerusalem,” he explained. “The inside of Solomon’s temple was covered with gold. Even the walls were gold plated. The ark of covenant and the cherubim were covered with gold. Solomon’s ivory throne was covered with gold.”

The five gold coins on display are worth more than half a million dollars.

“A young British volunteer from London was brushing a shelf in the wall and suddenly, like a casino, golden coins started falling down — 264 coins, the largest golden treasure found in Jerusalem,” Ahron Horowitz told CBN News.

The exhibit crowned the City of David’s 15th annual archaeology conference. Horowitz says the City of David itself has changed the world.

“In fact, this small area, the City of David is only 45 dunams; it’s about 11-something acres,” he said. “It’s a small ancient city, but it had more impact on humankind than any other city in the world.”

Horowitz says the impact of the city is because the Bible was written there.

“The Bible that came out of Zion has affected the spirit of man,” he continued. “We’re probably better off if we learned more from the Bible and try to live according to its values — of the Bible.  I think the Bible has made a tremendous impact on mankind and I believe that it’s not over, that it’s just beginning.”

Originally published on CBN News