Volume 17 2022
Contents


3 Mati Johananoff, Dana Ashkenazi, Maayan Cohen, Haim Gitler and Oren Tal: Typological and Metallurgical Analysis of a Repeated Overstrike on a ‘Lyre Player’ Coin Type Attributed to Samaria

27 Edward E. Cohen: Difficult Transitions of Greek Numbers on Dated Coins of Sidon

45 Ömer Tatar: The Reattribution of a Ptolemaic Bronze Issue from Phoenicia to a Carian or Lycian Mint

51 Eric A. Carlen: The Silver ΣΩ Coinage of Ptolemy IV and Related Issues

71 Yoav Farhi: Two Seleukid Reattributions, a New Identification and a Historical Note, Based on Recent Coin Finds from Tel Iẓṭabba (Nysa-Scythopolis)

79 Gerald Finkielsztejn: Four Notes on Epigraphy, Metrology and Dating of Hellenistic Weights

95 Donald T. Ariel: Coins of Alexander Yanai (Jannaeus): A Battle over Identity

129 Haim Shaham and Michael Krupp: How to Attribute Hasmonean ‘Priestly’ Coins with Illegible Inscriptions –– A Step-by-Step Guide

141 David Jeselsohn: A New Coin Type of Aristobulos of Armenia Minor

147 David M. Jacobson: The Roman Temple of Vesta on a Coin from Caesarea Paneas

155 Jared J. Clark: A Lost Sheep from Damascus Brought Back to the Fold

165 Dvir Raviv, Haim Shkolnik and Rafael Y. Lewis, Binyamin Har-Even, Evgeny Aharonovich and Aharon Tavger: The Numismatic Finds from el-Janab Cave in Central Samaria

181 Eleonora Bedin and Gil Gambash: Expressions of Counter-Globalization: Clashing Identities on the Coins of Greco-Roman Ascalon and Gaza

205 Yoav Farhi and Alexander Kaplun: Gaza and Raphia under Commodus: Another Numismatic Connection

213 Lior Sandberg: Roman East ‘on the Rocks’

219 R ivka Gersht and Peter Gendelman: Inlaid Figural Weight from Insula E1S6, Caesarea Maritima

231 David Woods: ‘Abd al-Malik and the Shahāda Solidus

241 N itzan Amitai-Preiss and Ariel Berman: Three Official Objects from the Early Islamic Period

247 Nikolaus Schindel: The Umayyad Post-Reform Fulūs of Yubna




Abstracts

3 Mati Johananoff, Dana Ashkenazi, Maayan Cohen, Haim Gitler and Oren Tal: Typological and Metallurgical Analysis of a Repeated Overstrike on a ‘Lyre Player’ Coin Type Attributed to Samaria
The Late Persian-period minting authority of Samaria issued coins with a surprisingly large
number of motifs. As part of the Corpus of Samarian Coinage project several early Samarian
issues were found struck over existing coin types rather than on blank flans. Typological and
metallurgical analysis of a repeated overstrike where a ‘winged Bes’ m‘h was struck over an
earlier ‘lyre player’ m‘h, sheds light on both coin types and the denominational series to which
they belonged. The study provides an important chronological anchor regarding the relative
chronologies of these types and may offer clues regarding the formative phase of Samaria’s
minting authority.

27 Edward E. Cohen: Difficult Transitions of Greek Numbers on Dated Coins of Sidon
In a period of less than a century after Alexander’s defeat of the Phoenician cities in 333 BCE,
the conventions for denoting numbers, and in particular for recording dates, changed three times
in one of those cities, Sidon. The dates of these transitions are pinpointed on the city’s coins. It
will be shown that, soon after the new systems were adopted, the die engravers of those coins
made mistakes. This study revises several erroneous dates on gold and silver coins of Sidon
struck under Alexander and Ptolemy II.

45 Ömer Tatar: The Reattribution of a Ptolemaic Bronze Issue from Phoenicia to a Carian or Lycian Mint
The coin from the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphos that is the subject of this paper belongs with
a group of bronze coins, whose mint attribution has been deemed uncertain in the numismatic
literature. Attributed to Sidon in Phoenicia in earlier studies, recently its mint has still been
suggested as uncertain, but confirmed as Syria or Phoenicia. Based on the evidence of new
specimens found in excavations and museum collections in Turkey, this paper proposes that
this bronze issue should be attributed to a mint in southern Asia Minor, and more specifically,
to a Carian or Lycian mint.

51 Eric A. Carlen: The Silver ΣΩ Coinage of Ptolemy IV and Related Issues
A new die study of the silver ΣΩ Ptolemaic coinage of Tyre and Sidon turns up a surprisingly
large number of coins and two new varieties. The component of this coinage minted at ‘Akko-
Ptolemais is largely covered by a previous study, Carlen and Lorber 2014, and only two new
specimens for this mint are added here. However, the new catalogues for Tyre and Sidon provide
new information on the size of the issue, and on this basis, chronological questions regarding
related coinage issues, such as the Serapis and Isis coinage of Alexandria and Ascalon, are
reexamined.

71 Yoav Farhi: Two Seleukid Reattributions, a New Identification and a Historical Note, Based on Recent Coin Finds from Tel Iẓṭabba (Nysa-Scythopolis)
The following paper suggests a new mint attribution for two Seleukid types (SC II/I: Nos. 2242,
2388), based on new material derived from archaeological excavations at the site of ancient
Nysa-Skythopolis (Bet Sheʼan). In addition, a new identification of a female figure on another
Seleukid type (SC II/I: No. 2379) is suggested, and a note concerning the changing fortunes of
the warring siblings Antiochos VIII and IX.

79 Gerald Finkielsztejn: Four Notes on Epigraphy, Metrology and Dating of Hellenistic Weights
In Note A, the date of inscription IG II–III,2 1013, is reduced to two years. In Note B, a new form
of digamma is identified and some Greek numeral dates on Tyrian instrumenta are revisited. In
Note C, a new reading of the date on the last series of weights from Maresha leads to a new(-old)
dating of John Hyrkanos’ conquest of the city. in Note D, the standards on which the various
weights found in Maresha were based are identified or suggested.

95 Donald T. Ariel: Coins of Alexander Yanai (Jannaeus): A Battle over Identity
Alexander Yanai (Jannaeus) was the first Jewish high priest to strike coins proclaiming himself
as king. In the mint’s transition from priestly to royal types, a mass overstriking event occurred,
and the first royal coins were overstruck with new priestly dies. It appears that those responsible
were rogue, factional actors who strongly objected to Yanai’s change in self-presentation. This
unsanctioned protest, apparently related to a protracted, popular violent insurrection in Judea
at the time, seems to inform the ideological underpinning of the uprising. It also contributes to
a chronological refinement of the revolt and of many of Yanai’s coin types.

129 Haim Shaham and Michael Krupp: How to Attribute Hasmonean ‘Priestly’ Coins with Illegible Inscriptions –– A Step-by-Step Guide
The accurate attribution of coins is a vital element of numismatic research. However, the
attribution of the Hasmonean ‘priestly’ coin types has always challenged numismatists due to its
dependence on deciphering the reverse inscription. This article1 endeavors to offer a procedure
by which even worn coins with illegible inscriptions can be attributed through a step-by-step
examination of certain similar — but distinct — obverse parameters. This technique, when
used carefully, has delivered highly accurate results. The eight distinct obverse types herein
identified, may also with further research on obverse/reverse type matching, clarify some
outstanding questions on the chronology of Hasmonean coinage.

141 David Jeselsohn: A New Coin Type of Aristobulos of Armenia Minor
Aristobulos, a grandson of Herod the Great, ruled Armenia Minor in Anatolia and then Chalkis
ad Libanum. Until recently, only very rare large and medium bronze coins minted by him, in
two years, were known. Now, more coins of Aristobulos have been uncovered in Asia Minor,
including a small coin type for each of the years. This discovery attests that the coins of
Aristobulos were minted in Armenia Minor, establishes the king’s denominational system and
fixes their dates to two years: 66/7 and 70/1 CE. The coins may thus possibly be related to the
first Jewish revolt against the Romans.

147 David M. Jacobson: The Roman Temple of Vesta on a Coin from Caesarea Paneas
A bronze coin uniquely commemorating the deified Poppaea Sabina, second wife of the emperor
Nero, and their apotheosized infant daughter, Claudia Augusta, is widely believed have been
struck in Caesarea Paneas (Banyas), either by Agrippa II or, possibly, as a civic issue. The motifs
on both sides comprise female cult images set within classical temples. The temple linked to
Claudia is recognized as an actual building, the Temple of Vesta in Rome.

155 Jared J. Clark: A Lost Sheep from Damascus Brought Back to the Fold
RPC 4804, a bronze ostensibly struck in Damascus in 65/6 CE was condemned as an altered
coin from Antioch, based on similarities in diameter and iconography. I argue that the coin is
authentic for a variety of reasons that include newly confirmed examples struck with one obverse
die and two reverse dies and iconography befitting provincial coins of Damascus. Confirmed
examples are twice the weight of the similar Antiochene type and the coin’s legend matches
a Damascene bronze with the portrait of Nero. Thus, RPC 4804 can be confirmed as one of a
four-coin series from Damascus with the ZOT date.

165 Dvir Raviv, Haim Shkolnik and Rafael Y. Lewis, Binyamin Har-Even, Evgeny Aharonovich and Aharon Tavger: The Numismatic Finds from el-Janab Cave in Central Samaria
In this article we present 27 coins that were discovered recently in el-Janab cave (‘Usarin cave),
a large karstic cave located south of Nablus. These coins, together with pottery and other finds,
represent three periods in which the cave was probably used as a hiding place: the late Persian–
early Hellenistic period, the Early Roman period and the late Ayyūbid–early Mamlūk period.

181 Eleonora Bedin and Gil Gambash: Expressions of Counter-Globalization: Clashing Identities on the Coins of Greco-Roman Ascalon and Gaza
This article analyzes Early Roman coin types from Ascalon (modern Ashkelon/Ashqelon) and
Gaza portraying the deities Phanebalos, Asklepios Leontouchos, and Marnas, in order to shed
light on trends of localism and their place within, and in the face of, globalizing processes. The
discussion leads to new interpretations regarding the origins of these deities, as well as their
function within the local routine.

205 Yoav Farhi and Alexander Kaplun: Gaza and Raphia under Commodus: Another Numismatic Connection
A die link between Gaza and Raphia under Septimius Severus, the first known die link between
different cities in Roman Palestine, was published in 2008 by one of the authors (Farhi 2007–
2008). Later, the same author published another die link between Gaza and Raphia, this time
under Commodus (Farhi 2015:143). This article presents further die-linked specimens and
reveals new data regarding the numismatic connection between the two cities under Commodus.

213 Lior Sandberg: Roman East ‘on the Rocks’
Personifications are common on the reverses of Roman provincial coinage, and
they represent the local cults of each minting city. Occasionally rocks took the
place of anthropomorphic personifications in signifying the cult image. The main
characteristics of this phenomenon and their geographical distribution are the
subject of this survey.

219 R ivka Gersht and Peter Gendelman: Inlaid Figural Weight from Insula E1S6, Caesarea Maritima
A bronze weight, square in shape and inlaid with silver, was excavated at Caesarea Maritima.
It belongs to a series of weights engraved with a pair of male busts identified as emperors.
Two possible identifications of the portrayal are considered in this article — (a) two emperors,
(b) two officials. Based on the type of fibula worn by the figures, the context of discovery,
the literary and epigraphic evidence and available comparisons to weights and other works of
art, the second alternative — of two officials — seems a more plausible identification for the
persons depicted on the weight.

231 David Woods: ‘Abd al-Malik and the Shahāda Solidus
It is argued that ‘Abd al-Malik (685–705) chose the obverse of the so-called shahāda solidus
that he began striking in c. 691 in order to provoke Justinian II (685–695, 705–711) into refusing
to accept tribute in this coin. In this way, he hoped to manipulate Justinian into breaking the
treaty between the Arab and Byzantine empires. His choice of obverse had nothing to do
with Emperor Heraclius (610–641), even though it was based on a Heraclian prototype, but it
alluded rather to the manner in which Justinian had risen to power and implicitly questioned
the legitimacy of his rule.

241 N itzan Amitai-Preiss and Ariel Berman: Three Official Objects from the Early Islamic Period
This paper presents three lead objects: a weight and two seals, two from the Umayyad period
and one from the Abbasid period. The weight is dated by its script, the Umayyad seal by the
name of the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik and the Abbasid seal is dated to the year 155 AH/ 771/2 CE.
That date places the seal in the rule of al-Manṣūr (r. 136–158/754–775). These three objects
add previously unknown information about administrative affairs in the two periods.

247 Nikolaus Schindel: The Umayyad Post-Reform Fulūs of Yubna
While Yubna (modern Yavne) was a fairly productive mint for the ‘Standing Caliph’ fulūs of the
Early Islamic period, Umayyad post-reform coins are considerably rarer. In this contribution, 23
specimens are catalogued, struck from three obverse and four reverse dies. One die combination
is attested by no less than 15 coins. Despite the fact that several mints existed nearby (Ramla,
Ludd, Gaza, Askalon), the Yubna fulūs feature a typical style, which means that their dies were
produced locally and specifically for this mint.