The Hebrew inscriptions found on Hasmonean coins are: The Hasmonean dynasty in addition to era 164–37 BCE Both show a man thought to be Yehuda Aristobolus bowing ago a camel with a palm branch in his hand. Two Roman silver denarii are associated with the Hasmoneans one has the inscription BACCIVS IVDAEAS with its exact meaning unclear short for "BASILEOS IUDAEAS", King Judas?. Only bronze coins in various denominations earn been found the smallest being a prutah or a half prutah. Hasmonean coinage are a coins minted by a Hasmonean kings. In Jerusalem earlier by the Syrian King Antiochus VII. #15 -Half prutah of Alexander Jannaeus (H-1153)Īnother scarce prutah issued by Jannaeus closely resembles the coins issued often more rectangular than round - but generally have fragmentary inscriptions, The crude half prutah pieces are not only stamped on very irregular planchets Hebrew inscription around sun-wheel (H-1152) #14- Alexander Jannaeus prutah with modern square This is the only ancient Judaean coin withĪ modern square Hebrew inscription, and also the first dated Jewish coin. Reading "King Alexander Year 25." The date refers to the 25th year of Alexander's The reverse has a crude modern square Hebrew inscription around the sun-wheel, #13 - Alexander Jannaeus prutah with inscription between spokes of sun-wheel (H-1150 var)Īn interesting variety has the same Greek legend surrounding a small anchor (Alexander Jannaeus the King) between the spokes. With a sun-wheel containing an ancient Hebrew inscription "Yehonatan Hamelech" One has an anchor surrounded by a Greek inscription "King Alexander" combined The prutahs were made in two major varieties. #12D Yonatan = Jonathan Hyrcanus II (H-1159)Īnother common Hasmonean type is the anchor/sun-wheel bronze prutah and #12C Yehudah = Judah Aristobulus (H-1143) #12A -Yehochanan = John Hyrcanus with "A" above = Alexander Zabinas? (H-1132) #11 - Double prutah issued by John Hyrcanus (H-1136)Īll of the Hasmoneans issued small bronze prutahs with double-cornucopiae on one side and a Hebrew inscription on the other, as follows: "(The name of the Jewish leader) High Priest (Cohen Gadol) and the Community (Chever) of the Jews (Yehudim)." One interesting variety has a Greek "A" above the Hebrew inscription, possibly referring to an alliance made between John Hyrcanus and Alexander Zabinas (pretender to the Syrian throne) in 128 BCE. The High Priest and Leader of the Community of the Jews." (#11) (horns-of-plenty) and a crested helmet the Hebrew inscription reads "Yehochanan Hyrcanus' very rare double prutah features a pair of cornucopiae Mattathias, all of the Hasmonean coins were small bronze prutahs and tiny Of John Hyrcanus, and large bronze coins (chalcus and dichalcus) of Antigonus With the exception of an extremely rare medium bronze (double prutah) coin Through the influence of Mark Antony, until Jerusalem fell to Roman forces Mattathias, battled Herod the Great, who had been appointed King of Judaea Was made de facto ruler by Julius Caesar. Kingdom, leaving only Judaea, Samaria, the Galilee and Peraea (Transjordan)Īs a puppet state under Hyrcanus II Antipater, father of Herod the Great, Hellinistic East, he captured Jerusalem and dismantled much of the Jewish After Roman General Pompey annexed the entire possibly because coins were issued in the name of the High Priest,Ī post that a woman could not fill, and was held by her son - the future Jannaeus' widow, SalomeĪlexandra, reigned from 76-67 BCE, but no coins have been attributed to Its zenith, stretching from Panias to Beer-Sheba, from the MediterraneanĬoast to the east bank of the Jordan (Transjordan). Under Aristobulus' brother, Alexander Jannaeus, the Jewish kingdom reached His successor, Judah Aristobulus, completed the conquest of the Galilee. Mattatayah = Antigonus Mattathias (40-37 BCE)Īfter the death of Antiochus VII in 129 BCE, John Hyrcanus achieved theĬomplete independence of Judaea, and greatly expanded his kingdom throughĬonquests of Idumaea, Samaria, and parts of Transjordan and the Galilee. Yonatan = Jonathan Hyrcanus II (67, 63-40 BCE) Yehonatan = Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE) Yehudah = Judah Aristobulus (104-103 BCE) I will stick,įor the most part, with Reifenberg's chronology as initially published in Or John Hyrcanus I (135-104 BCE) according to Reifenberg. This leads to the critical question whether HasmoneanĬoinage began with Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE) as Meshorer contends Inscribed "Yehudah" to Judah Aristobulus I (104 BCE) or Aristobulus II I (135-104 BCE) or his grandson John Hyrcanus II (67, 63-40 BCE), coins Thus, the difficulty ofĪttributing coins inscribed "Yehochanan" (in ancient Hebrew) to John Hyrcanus The confusion arises over the ancientĬustom of repeating names often within a family. At last, we come to the first truly Jewish coins.
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