Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe will take an ancient coin dating to the Bar Kochba revolt with him to outer space, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Thursday.
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"As part of the Rakia Mission to the International Space Station," Stibbe said, "I will be taking with me a bag filled with items that have a special meaning to me. It was clear to me that one of these items will be a symbol of Jewish history."
The Bar Kochba revolt was an uprising of Jews in Judea against the Roman Empire from 132 to 136 AD, led by Simon Bar Kochba. "Year two of the liberty of Israel" is imprinted into the coin, in defiance of Roman sovereignty.
With its depiction of a palm tree and vine leaves, Stibbe said the 1,900-year-old coin represented his connection to the Land of Israel, his love of country, and Israelis' desire for independence, following a visit to the IAA's Dead Sea scrolls laboratory in Jerusalem.
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"The palm tree particularly touched me," he noted, "as it is the symbol of the Agricultural Research Organization at Volcani Center, where my father spent his life conducting research on the country's soil."
Eli Eskosido, director of the IAA, said the rebels "could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that after many centuries, this item would make its way to outer space with a Jewish astronaut who lives in an independent Jewish state."
Stibbe is slated to take off for the International Space Station in late 2021 for a mission of just over a week. He is scheduled to spend 200 hours in space where he will perform a number of experiments using Israeli technology and scientific developments.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
