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VIRTUAL JEWISH MUSEUM

JUDEA, SAMARIA, & SURROUNDINGS

While a province of larger empires, the Holy Land also produced coins locally. They tend to bear the symbols of prosperous and influential empires in the region. They started as imitations and developed their own images, often with inscriptions or abbreviations that identify their origins. Many types have been discovered only in recent decades and some exist in minuscule quantities. Judea, Samaria, Edom, and Phoenicia are all represented by these rare items.

* Note: Where Judean coins are identified by a number, it refers to the excellent 'Guide to Biblical Coins' (5th edition) by David Hendin.

Title Image.Owl.Yehud	Local small change Almost all the locally produced coins during this period are silver, and tiny. However, most have distinct images and legends. Quality ranges from illegible to great works of art.	Yehud.Persia.King 'Yehud' is the name of a 'satrapy' (province) in the Persian empire. It corresponds to Judea but with limited borders. Persia allowed provinces to be governed by local authorities, and to issue local coinage. We see the head of the Persian king on the obverse and a falcon on the obverse with the letters Yud Hey Dalet (=Yehud) on the reverse. it weighs about .25 grams and is thought to be equivalent to 1/2 Gera. About 530-330 BCE.
Yehud.Lily This Yehud coin displays a stylized Lily on the obverse. The lily was associated with Jerusalem. The reverse shows a falcon with longer wings, and the name of the province, Yehud. It can be read from right to left when the coin is rotated. It weighs .2 grams.	Cilicia.Persian King This coin shows an iconic image of the Persian king. It imitates reliefs on ancient Persian ruins, and is reminiscent of the story in the Book of Esther. This coin is from nearby Cilicia (southern Turkey) but the design also appears on coins minted in Yehud. The reverse shows a familiar lion- attacking- bull design.	Yehud.Owl This Yehud coin displays the iconic owl and the whole design reminds us of the Athenian owl tetradrachm. Instead of the Greek 'A Th E' we see a clear 'Yahud'. Behind the owl, instead of olive leaves we see a lily. the other side shows a male-looking profile with crown. About 3.5g.
Gaza.mini Owl Gaza operated a mint for centuries. As a coastal Mediterranean city it would have had much exposure to the Athenian owls. Here is a local fraction of the same designs. The obverse shows a profile but not the Athena of the originals. At .6g it may be following the Athenian standard.	Yehud.Yechezkel.Governor Towards the end of this period this coin was issued with the familiar owl and a facing head. Notably, the inscription reads 'Yehezkel Hapecha' naming one Yehezkel as the 'governor' of Yehud. The coin is very light, weighing just .26g, and may be equivalent to 1/2 Gera.	Philistia Imitation Philistia refers to the coastal cities of Judea. This coin is attributed to that area. The familiar owl appears, somewhat faintly. More sharp and clear is the obverse. Instead of Athena, it pictures a male bearded figure, a god or some warlike image. Weight is .6g.
Yehud.Shomron Included in the Yehud series are a group of coins found in, and named, Shomron - Samaria. That is central heartland of this land, with a colorful history. This one shows a facing head. On the reverse a helmeted head with a garbled legend spelling 'Shomrin' in ancient Hebrew. The drawing shows the full design. The middle image is rotated to show the name. Weighing about 2.5g. Though rare, dozens of different types have been found.	Samaria.Archer This type is found in Samaria. The only inscription is a Phoenician/Hebrew 'Bet' above the galley, which is probably the initial of the governor. The other side reminds us of the siglos design of Persia. Many of the Samarian coins were copies of coins from Cilicia in Turkey. This tiny thing is 6 millimeters wide and weighs .1g but it's complete and it's silver !	Edom Edom is an area in southern Jordan and the Dead Sea. These coins have been found specifically there. They show the Athenian owl type on the reverse, complete with the three Athens letters and the olive sprig. The obverse is unusual - completely convex with no design at all. This relatively large coin weighs 3.6g and is thought to be a 1/4 shekel.
Size Comparison Here we see the relative size of the Edomite quarter shekel. It was much more akin to the Athenian denominations than to the tiny local issues.	Yehuda.Ptolemy After the Alexander conquest and when Ptolemy ruled Egypt, we find these coins issued. They show the familiar portrait of Ptolemy on the obverse. The reverse shows an eagle with spread wings, a design that appears on Egyptian coins as well. Significantly, we read the inscription 'YHDH' - Yehudah. The portrait is mushy but the eagle & inscription are sharp. This smallest of coins weighs only about .1g. This is the only inscription that spells the name in Hebrew Yehudah instead of Aramaic Yehud.	Judea.Ptolemy.YHDH.tiny Astonishing miniature art.
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