The silver pieces in front of you, which date from the 7th century BCE, were part of a trove that was discovered in Ekron. During the 7th century Ekron, like other Philistine cities, was under the rule of the Assyrian kingdom. At this time, Ekron was the center of olive oil production in Canaan and it exported the oil to other countries. Silver pieces represented the customary method of payment in the Assyrian empire. It is reasonable to assume that this trove was a payment for the product of Ekron. The modern expression “bitsa kesef” (meaning bribe) derives from this ancient method of payment.