Israel Numismatic Research

Published by the Israel Numismatic Society

Volume 13  2018

Contents


3 Eric A. Carlen and Catherine C. Lorber: Silver Coinage from the Co-regency of Ptolemy VI and VIII

35 Julien Olivier: Coinage as a Tool of Ptolemy VI Philometor’s Policies: Ptolemaic Coins in Coele Syria and Phoenicia in the Middle of the Second Century BCE

55 Mikhail G. Abramamzon: Numismatic Evidence for Ancient Seafaring between the Levant, Western and Southern Asia Minor and the Northern Black Sea

73 Boris Bessarabov and Yoav Farhi: Countermarked Coins of Demetrias (by the Sea) and their Suggested Relation to Mark Antony

85 Samuele Rocca: The Source of Herod’s Eagle on the Façade of the Temple: Eastern-Hellenistic or Roman?

101 Carlos Zorea: Judean Coins Unearthed in Spain: First Century BCE to First Century CE

121 Achim Lichtenbergeger: The First Jewish Revolt as Reflected on the City Coins of the Southern Levant

139 Rachel Bar-Nathan and Gabriela Bijovsky: The Emperor Plowing: Cause or Effect? A Hadrianic Coin from Excavations at Shu‘afat and the Foundation of Aelia Capitolina

151 Donald T. Ariel and Helena Sokolov: The Kafr Bara Hoard

195 David Woods: Deciphering the Dodecanummia of Heraclius and Constans II

209 Robert Kool, Haim Gitler and Izhak Hershko: Unmasking a Forged Lead Seal of Baldwin I, King of Jerusalem

Abstracts
 
3 Eric A. Carlen and Catherine C. Lorber: Silver Coinage from the Co-regency of Ptolemy VI and VIII
During the co-regency of Ptolemy VI and VIII, dated silver coinage was struck principally at Salamis, Citium and Paphos but also at Amathus and an uncertain mint or mints. We present a new die study of the coinage of the three main mints, which was less sporadic than previous studies indicated. The results have implications for the contemporaneous minting operations at Alexandria. The coinage of this period documents a surprising resilience of the Ptolemaic Empire in the wake of the Sixth Syrian War.

35 Julien Olivier: Coinage as a Tool of Ptolemy VI Philometor’s Policies: Ptolemaic Coins in Coele Syria and Phoenicia in the Middle of the Second Century BCE
This paper aims to explore the presence of Ptolemaic coins in the new Seleucid province of Coele Syria, especially in the middle of the second century BCE, despite its loss by the kings of Alexandria during the Fifth Syrian War (202–198 BCE). The circulation of these currencies and the emission of the “Uncertain Era” didrachms are linked to Ptolemy VI’s activist policies in the region with regard to both the Maccabees and the Seleucid kingdom itself.

55 Mikhail G. Abramamzon: Numismatic Evidence for Ancient Seafaring between the Levant, Western and Southern Asia Minor and the Northern Black Sea
Greek period coins of western and southern Asia Minor and the adjacent islands, Cyprus and the Levant are exceptional in the numismatic profile of the northern Black Sea region (excluding Leucos Island). Similarly, coin issues of western and southern Anatolia are rarely found in Israel (except from Side). Despite the exceptional nature of such foreign coins in both regions, they provide evidence for ancient seafaring, as do related archaeological evidence and literary sources. The article examines the numismatic evidence for maritime trade between the northern Black Sea, the Aegean, the Anatolian coast and the Levant.

73 Boris Bessarabov and Yoav Farhi: Countermarked Coins of Demetrias (by the Sea) and their Suggested Relation to Mark Antony
In this paper, the authors present a hitherto unknown countermark, unique to coins attributed to the city of Demetrias by the Sea. Possible explanations for the countermark and its historical and numismatic context will be discussed.

85 Samuele Rocca: The Source of Herod’s Eagle on the Façade of the Temple: Eastern-Hellenistic or Roman?
This article discusses the iconographic source of the golden eagle that Herod set on the façade of the Temple. I shall concentrate on numismatics, focusing on the issue minted by Herod in Jerusalem. This eagle is identical to that represented on the Tyrian sheqel, an issue used in the Temple. Its iconography traces its source to the earlier depiction of the eagle on Ptolemaic coins. An in-depth analysis of contemporary numismatic data makes clear that there is no evidence whatsoever that King Herod, through the depiction of an eagle, wished to emphasize his allegiance to Rome.

101 Carlos Zorea: Judean Coins Unearthed in Spain: First Century BCE to First Century CE
This author’s research has expanded the publicly known number of Judean coins provenanced in Spain and minted between 104 BCE and 67/8 CE to 38 coins. They were found at nine different Roman sites. Twenty-two of these coins now reside in prestigious Spanish museums, while the current dispositions of the other sixteen remain unknown. Their presence and other related historical sources help adduce support that Judeans were present in Hispania during that period.

121 Achim Lichtenberger: The First Jewish Revolt as Reflected on the City Coins of the Southern Levant
The paper deals with civic coinages in the Southern Levant during and after the first Jewish revolt. It traces the increase of mint output and looks at the coin iconography. The impact of the Judaea Capta coins on the local coinages has long been recognized, but this paper discusses less explicit reflections of the revolt. Some of the coinages evoke Roman victory. These images, which have never been systematically studied, underline the regional impact of the conflict. Furthermore, regional variations appear; e.g., the cities on the coast responded differently to the events than cities in Galilee or in the Decapolis.

139 Rachel Bar-Nathan and Gabriela Bijovsky: The Emperor Plowing: Cause or Effect? A Hadrianic Coin from Excavations at Shu‘afat and the Foundation of Aelia Capitolina
During the process of identification of the coins from excavations at Shu‘afat, a coin of Hadrian depicting the foundation of Colonia Aelia Capitolina was identified. This coin and its historical implications related to Hadrian’s visit to the city and the outbreak of the Bar Kokhba revolt are the subject of this paper.

151 Donald T. Ariel and Helena Sokolov: The Kafr Bara Hoard
Excavations at Kafr Bara in central Israel yielded a hoard composed of 78 Roman provincial tetradrachms, 15 denars and possibly also a radiate (antoninianus). The hoard was examined alongside 14 comparable hoards. The early tetradrachms, with subsequent ‘gaps’, in the Kafr Bara and other hoards, are not thought to have been heirlooms. While the far-flung mint distribution of Caracalla and Macrinus tetradrachms was recognized, one may nevertheless discern relatively high numbers of the closer mints in the Kafr Bara hoard, and other mints. Deposit dates ‘after 233 CE’ or ‘after 243–244 CE’ for the Kafr Bara hoard are discussed.

195 David Woods: Deciphering the Dodecanummia of Heraclius and Constans II
This article offers new explanations of the letters appearing in association with a cross between the numerals Ι and Β on the reverses of the dodecanummia struck at Alexandria in Egypt under Heraclius and Constans II. It is argued that these all abbreviate Greek terms used in connection with the worship of Christ or veneration of his cross.

209 Robert Kool, Haim Gitler and Izhak Hershko: Unmasking a Forged Lead Seal of Baldwin I, King of Jerusalem
In 2007 a previously published lead seal of Baldwin I, the first Latin king of Jerusalem appeared in an auction. After its acquisition suspicion arose as to its authenticity. A detailed examination of the seal was carried out at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Israel, by gamma ray (Isotope Ir-192) and thermal neutron radiography. The results showed that the seal lacked a cord channel and had drilled entries, indisputable proof that the seal is not authentic.