Ancient coins provide a window, even if fogged, to a long gone world. To hold one of these coins in your hand is a tangible, tactile and inspiring way to wipe away some of this fog. Judaean and Biblical coins illuminate a particularly fascinating and important historical period that includes the only sovereign ancient Jewish governments, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem , the establishment of Rabbinic Judaism and the emergence of Christianity.
These bits of metal were produced ostensibly for commerce, but their function as methods of communication and propaganda were just as important. Coins were a medium of mass communication long before the printing press and the television. The rich information content of these ancient objects combined with their artistic beauty insures that they will always be a source of endless fascination, admiration and contemplation.
Let's squint through this window and observe several important firsts in ancient Judaean coins.
Before 333 BCE
The first coin minted in Jerusalem was the "YHD" coin - minted during Persian rule and so named for the Aramaic legends naming the Persian Province of Judaea and the City of Jerusalem . These coins came into use in Judaea during the later part of Persian rule, which began in 539 BCE with the Persian defeat of the Babylonian empire, and ended in 334 BCE with the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great.
One side of the YHD coin in Figure 1 (left) features a lily which for centuries had been a common architectural motif in public buildings in ancient Israel and in the Temple in Jerusalem , and, over time, the lily, came to symbolize Jerusalem .
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132 BCE
The first coin minted in Jerusalem during the reign of a Jewish ruler was actually a Greek coin that marked a transition - from Greek Syrian coinage of the empire following Alexander the Great to the introduction of a Jewish coinage. An accommodation had clearly been reached between contending rulers. The coin in Figure 3 (center and right) was issued by the Greek Seleucid leader Antiochus VII but, for the first time, was minted in Jerusalem under the local rule of the Jewish Maccabean leader John Hyrcanus I.
John Hyrcanus I was the nephew of Judah Maccabee who, 32 years earlier in 164 BCE, cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem , the event upon which the Jewish Festival of Hanukah is based, and also marked the beginning of the Maccabean dynasty. Antiochus VII was a descendant of Antiochus IV, the villain of the Hanukah festival (see also figure 5 for an image of Antiochus IV).
This Greek/Jewish coin, minted in Jerusalem , features both Greek and Jewish symbols. Instead of a portrait of the Seleucid king on the coin, which would have been customary, a lily was depicted (Figure 1, center). As previously mentioned, the lily is a symbol of Jerusalem , and would have been appreciated by Jerusalemites while a portrait would have offended the Jewish population as a "graven" image. On the other side of the coin the Greek Seleucid anchor is depicted (figure 1, right).
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130 BCE
The first genuinely Jewish coin was minted in Jerusalem just two years after the transitional Greek/Jewish Selucid issue. Maccabean leader John Hyrcanus I minted this coin after explicit authority was granted years earlier by the Seleucids - an event which is recorded in the Book of Maccabees: "I permit you to mint your own coinage as money for your country" (I Maccabees 15:6). This coin features the inscription in paleo-Hebrew "Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews" inside a wreath (figure 3, left). The use of paleo-Hebrew script, rather than modern Hebrew script already in use, reflected their longing to restore to the previous glory of David and Solomon - when paleo-Hebrew was the common written form. The other side of the coin depicts a double cornucopia, an agricultural symbol of plenty adopted by the Jews from Greek culture (Figure 3, center). Between the horns of the double cornucopia is a uniquely Jewish addition, the pomegranate, a symbol of fertility that was also as a symbol and design element used in the Temple in Jerusalem (see also Figure 7 for another example of the Pomegranate).
Figure 3 (right) pictures a coin of a later Jewish ruler, Herod the Great (40 to 4 BCE). This coin also depicts the double cornucopia, which was by then an accepted Jewish symbol. Herod replaced the pomegranate with the pagan Roman symbol of the caduceus. Herod, who ruled at the pleasure of Rome , also endeavored not to offend his Jewish subjects. This coin reflects these duel objectives.
Although the Maccabees struck millions of bronze coins in the approximately 100 years that their dynasty lasted, they never minted coin of precious metals. This was possibly because such an act would have been considered provocative to their powerful neighbors the Seleucids.
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103 BCE
The first bilingual Jewish coin coin was minted by Maccabean Alexander Jannaeus and contains both Greek and Hebrew legends. Both languages were in use in Judaea at this time. Around the anchor, originally a Greek symbol seen in figure 1, is the legend "of King Alexander" in Greek (Figure 5, left). On the other side is a star and circle with paleo-Hebrew legend between the rays reading "Yehonatan the King." Jannaeus was also the first Jewish ruler to declare himself King. The star has been interpreted as a Jewish symbol of Royalty. The circle around the star is really a diadem, an international symbol of royalty. Figure 5 (right) is a portrait coin of Antiochus IV wearing a diadem, indicating his royal status. Note the duel tied ends of the diadem on the portrait coin and on the Maccabean stylized diadem.
The modern state of Israel continues the tradition of minting bilingual coins which contain both Hebrew and Arabic legends (see Figure 10 for an example).
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Figure 5
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| The first bilingual Jewish coin was minted by Maccabean leader Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan),103 to 76 BCE. Left: Anchor (of King Alexander) in Greek, Center: reverse, star of eight rays (Yehonatan the King) in Hebrew, stylized diadem around. Right: Seleucid coin of Antiochus IV, the Hanukah villain, wearing a diadem, note the two tied ends below in both examples. |
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4 BCE
The first Jewish ruler to depict himself on a coin was Herod Phillip who ruled from 4 BCE to 34 CE. Jewish rulers generally observed a strict interpretation of the commandment against "graven images" and did not depict people or animals on their coinage. However, some of the sons of Herod the Great, who occasionally ruled portions of the Roman province of Judaea , broke with this practice and did occasionally depict themselves on coin - but usually for use in areas with little Jewish population. The first was Herod Phillip, who was the first husband of the infamous dancer Salome. The second Jewish ruler to depict himself was Herod Agrippa I (Figure 6), friend of Emperor Claudius and whose death was described in the New Testament and by the historian Josephus (and was the Herod in the TV series, "I, Claudius").
Figure 6
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Depiction of Jewish ruler. 37 CE to 44 CE, Herod Agrippa I, diademed portrait right. Tyche
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66 CE
The first silver Jewish coin minted was the famous Jewish Shekel of the Great Revolt against Rome (Figure 7). At the beginning of the Great Revolt, also called the First Revolt, 66 to 70 CE, when disorganized insurgent groups challenged the might of the Roman Empire , one of the first acts of the rebels was to mint coins of precious metal. The mere fact that this coin was minted was an unmistakable symbolic confirmation that the Jewish rebels were asserting sovereignty and repudiating Roman authority. During the four years that the revolt survived before being crushed by the immense power of Rome, some magnificent coins were produced.
Some authorities contend that the cup featured on one side of the shekel depicts an Omer Cup, a ceremonial Temple object designed to hold fruits and grain, not liquid. On the other side three pomegranates are depicted, perhaps as the top of a staff that would have been used by a Temple priest. For comparison, pictured in Figure 7 (right) is the only object known to exist which is believed to be from the First Temple in Jerusalem, an ivory pomegranate which may have once been part of a staff of a Temple priest. The inscriptions on the coin shown, in paleo-Hebrew are: "Shekel of Israel," " Jerusalem the Holy" and "Year two" which means year two of the Revolt or 68 CE. Two years later, in 70 CE, the Temple was destroyed by the Roman army under General Titus who later succeeded his father, Vespasian as emperor.
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Figure 7
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First silver Jewish coin. The Great Revolt, Shekel of Israel, minted 67-68 CE, silver. Left: Chalice/Omer cup with pearled rim, "Shekel of Israel," and "year two." Center: reverse, stem with pearled bottom and three pomegranates "Jerusalem the Holy," legends are in paleo-Hebrew. Right: object from the First Temple in Jerusalem, representation of a pomegranate carved in ivory with the inscription in Paleo-Hebrew "Belonging to the House of the Lord,
Holy to the Priests." (Israel Museum). |
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69 CE
The first Roman coin to include Judaea in the legend was in a series of coins minted primarily by Roman Emperors Vespasian and Titus between 69 and 81 CE. The Judaea Capta series of coins commemorated the Roman victory over the Jews in the Great Revolt. These coins typically included several symbols such as a palm tree representing the province of Judaea , a Roman trophy symbolizing victory and a mourning or captive Jew. Figure 8 features a denarius of Vespaisan with his portrait on one side and a seated captive female Jew with hands tied behind her back beside a palm tree. The legend “ Judaea ” appears under the seated figure.
Figure 8
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| First Roman coin with Judaea in legend. Roman denarius of emperor Vespasian, 69 CE. Portrait of Emperor right and captive female Jew with palm tree and legend "Judaea" below. |
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132 CE
The first Jewish coin to depict the Temple in Jerusalem was minted in 132 CE, 62 years after the destruction of the Temple . This was also the first year of the Bar Kokhba War, also known as the Second Revolt. As in the Great Revolt, one of the first acts of this new revolutionary government was to mint silver coinage. The leaders of this revolt added their own twist and minted coins using the circulating coins of their Roman oppressors as blanks. As a result you can often see the marking of the original coin underneath the image of the new coin.
The Bar Kokhba coin shown called a "Sela" shows the Temple with Ark of Covenant within (Figure 9, left), illustrating their aim to rebuild the Temple and to restore Jewish sovereignty. The other side depicts a lulav and etrog, fruit and branches used in the Jewish festival of Sukkot. If you look closely at Figure 6 (center) you can make out the ghostly outline of the head of the Roman emperor Vespasian who ruled during the First Revolt, makes a reappearance of sorts in this coin of the Second Revolt. The composite image on the right illustrates the position of the under-image. In paleo-Hebrew, the legends of the coin say "for the freedom of Jerusalem " and "Simon," referring the leader of the revolt, Simon Bar Kokhba.
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Figure 9
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| The first Jewish coin to depict the Temple in Jerusalem. Coin of the Second Jewish Revolt or the Bar Kokhba War, large silver coin known as a Sela, 134 –135 CE. Left: "Simon," facade of Temple in Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant within and star above. Center: "For the freedom of Jerusalem", lulav and etrog. Legends in paleo-Hebrew. Over struck on a Vespasian tetradrachm with portrait still faintly visible. Right: composite image showing orientation of Roman Tetradrachm depicting Emperor Vespasian used as blank for the Sela. |
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1948 CE
The first sovereign Jewish coin with modern Hebrew legends, as opposed to paleo-Hebrew legends, was minted in 1948 of the Common Era. Upon the founding of the modern state of Israel coins were minted of aluminum (figure 10). This first coin of modern Israel depicts a bunch of grapes which is a copy of the nearly identical image used on a silver denarius of the Second Revolt - minted over one thousand and eight hundred years earlier.
Figure 10
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The first sovereign Jewish coin with modern Hebrew legends. Left, the first modern Israeli coin, minted 1948, aluminum, bunch of grapes, Hebrew above and Arabic below. Right, Bar Kokhba Revolt, denarius, 134 -135 CE, bunch of grapes, "Simon" in paleo-Hebrew.
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