Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Information and Acknowledgements xiii
About the Catalog xvii
Rarity xviii
Chapter 1 Biblical Coins 1
What Are Biblical Coins? 1
Tradition of Collecting 2
Coins Are Where You Find Them 3
Finders' Keepers? 5
Collecting Coins Today 6
Ghosts of Old Jerusalem 8
Dead Sea Legends 9
Surcharge of the Money Changers 12
Prices and Values 16
How Coins Are Dated 18
Ancient Judean Coin Manufacture 18
Irregular Coins of Judea 22
Names of the Small Bronze Coins 26
General Observations on Judean Coins 27
Fiduciary Coinage of Judea 29
Conservation, Smoothing, Tooling 31
Cleaning Ancient Coins 34
Coin Plague 34
Fakes and Forgeries 35
Chapter 2 Scale Weights to Coinage 39
Dust on the Scales 45
Fraud with Weights and Scales 48
The Weight System of Judah 49
Chapter 3 Persian Period: Philistia 55
Denominations in the Persian Period 59
Gaza 60
Ashdod 62
Ascalon (Ashqelon) 62
Judea 63
Edom (Idumaea) 64
Test Cuts 65
Catalog: Ashdod 66
Catalog: Ascalon 67
Catalog: Gaza 67
Catalog: Philistia 69
Catalog: Edom 72
Chapter 4 Persian Period: Samaria and Judea 73
Diaspora and Return 76
Coins of Samaria 78
Catalog: Samarian Coins 81
Coins of Yehud (Judea) 87
Yehud Coins 87
Persian Period Weight Standards 88
Macedonian and Ptolemaic Standards 90
Expressions on the Coins 94
Production of the Yehud Coins 96
Catalog: Yehud Coins 99
Chapter 5 Ptolemaic and Seleucid Coins 111
Alexander Conquers the World 111
Macedonian Coins in Ancient Israel 112
Rule of the Ptolemies 112
Catalog: Ptolemaic Royal Coins in Ancient Israel 114
Seleucids and the God Made Manifest 119
Catalog: Seleucid Coins of Ancient Israel 121
Chapter 6 Hasmonean Dynasty 135
Revolt of the Maccabees 135
First Hasmonean Coins 139
Paleo-Hebrew on the Hasmonean Coins 141
Pentatuchal Code and Graven Images 143
Denominations 146
Absence of Silver Coins 146
Symbols on the Coins 147
Helmet 148
Wreath 148
Cornucopia 148
Poppy vs. Pomegranate 151
Filleted Palm Branch 153
Lily or Rose? 153
Anchor, Aphlaston, and Star 155
Diadem 157
John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan) 157
"Rosh" and the Chronology 159
Monograms 160
Catalog: Antiochus VII 161
Catalog: John Hyrcanus I 162
Judah Aristobulus (Yehudah) 166
Chronology 167
Catalog: Judah Aristobulus I 168
Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan, Yonatan) 168
Names and Titles 170
Exploring the Overstrikes 171
Dead Sea Find 172
The Lead Pieces 173
Catalog: Alexander Jannaeus 174
Catalog: Anonymous Hasmonean Issues 180
Successors to Jannaeus 181
Catalog: Jannaeus Successors 183
Mattityah Antigonus 183
The Menorah Coins 185
Catalog: Mattityah Antigonus 189
Chapter 7 Herodian Dynasty 193
Herod I (the Great) 193
Herod's Early Career 193
Herod, King of the Jews 194
Herod's Coinage 199
Denominations and Chronology 201
The Helmet on Herod's Large Coins 207
Table, Cross, and Diadem 208
Catalog: Herod I 210
Herod Archelaus 215
Catalog: Herod Archelaus 216
Herod Antipas 218
Catalog: Herod Antipas 221
[Herod] Philip 225
Graven Images, Laurel, and Thunderbolt 226
Catalog: Herod Philip 228
Agrippa I 232
Catalog: Agrippa I 238
Herod of Chalcis and Aristobulus of Chalcis 242
Catalog: Herod of Chalcis 245
Catalog: Aristobulus, King of Lesser Armenia 246
Agrippa II 247
Coinage under Claudius Ascribed to Agrippa II 249
Eras and Mints 250
Denominations 254
Agrippa II under Nero 254
Judaea Capta Issues of Agrippa II 255
Catalog: Coins in the Reign of Claudius 257
Catalog: Agrippa II as King 260
Catalog: Agrippa II under Flavian Rule 262
Chapter 8 The Roman Governors of Judaea 275
Governors of Judea under Rome 277
Governors before Agrippa I 278
Governors after Agrippa I 281
Irregular Coins 284
Countermarked Coins 284
Catalog: The Roman Governors of Judaea 285
Chapter 9 The Jewish War 293
Silver Coins of the Jewish War 299
Bronze Coins of the Jewish War 303
Siege Coins and Civil War 304
Witnesses to the War 305
Slogans on Jewish War Coins 308
Symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles 309
The Ritual Chalice and Pomegranate Staff 310
Date Palm Tree 311
Amphora and Vine Leaf 313
Temple Tribute and Other Jewish Rituals 314
Catalog: The Jewish War 315
Chapter 10 Bar Kokhba Revolt 325
Who Was Eleazar the Priest? 330
Mint and Methods 330
Bar Kokhba's Sheqel 333
Finds in the Caves 333
Bar Kokhba Test Strike 336
Overstrike with a Story 337
Temple and Other Symbols 338
The Split "Abu Jara" 342
Bar Kokhba Coins in Europe (and Kentucky!) 343
Catalog: Coins of Bar Kokhba 347
Chapter 11 Judaea and Rome 365
Roman Republican Jewish Reference Coins 365
Bacchius the Jew 366
Catalog: Roman Republic 368
Judaea Capta Coin of C. Sosius 369
Catalog: C. Sosius, Zacynthus 371
Judaea Capta 371
Vitellius Begins the Series 372
The Flavian Dynasty 374
Defining the Series 375
Colosseum and Judaea 376
Domitian's Judaea Capta 379
Catalog: The Judaea Capta Coins 382
Catalog: Restored Coins of Trajan 418
Nerva's Fiscus Judaicus 419
Another Theory on This Coin 420
Catalog: Nerva 421
Catalog: Hadrian and Judaea 422
Roman Legionary Countermarks 423
Catalog: Legionary Countermarks 430
Chapter 12 New Testament Coins 433
Coins of Jesus and His World 433
The Poor Widow's Mites 434
Sheqels of Tyre 438
The 30 Pieces of Silver 443
The Coin in the Fish's Mouth 444
Catalog: Sheqels of Tyre 445
The Tribute Penny 446
Catalog: The Tribute Penny 449
Farthing 450
The Travels of Paul of Tarsus 450
Seven Churches of Asia Minor 452
Chapter 13 Related Issues 455
Old Testament Quote on a Coin of Mazaeus 455
Catalog: Mazaeus, Satrap of Cilicia 456
Ituraean Kingdom of the North 457
Catalog: Rulers of Ituraea and Chalcis 459
Roman Governors of Syria 462
Catalog: Roman Governors of Syria 465
Jewish Royal Family of Adiabene 467
Catalog: Monobaz I, King of Adiabene 469
Noah's Ark 469
Catalog: Noah's Ark 470
Binding of Isaac 470
Catalog: Binding of Isaac 471
Endnotes 473
Abbreviations 501
Bibliography 502
Concordance 533
Appendix A Alphabets and Numeric Equivalents 555
Appendix B Metrologicai Chart for Jewish Bronze Coins 557
Appendix C Index of Latin Legends 559
Index 563
Plates 575
About the Author 643
