A Medallion of Agrippa II more

Israel Numismatic Research 4 | 2009 Published by The Israel Numismatic Society Israel Numismatic Research Published by the Israel Numismatic Society Editorial Board: Donald T. Ariel (Editor), Alla Kushnir-Stein, David Wasserstein, Danny Syon, Ilan Shachar Text editor: Miriam Feinberg Vamosh Typesetting: Michal Semo-Kovetz and Yael Bieber, Tel Aviv University Graphic Design Studio Printed at Elinir, Tel Aviv ISSN 1565-8449 Correspondence, manuscripts for publication and books for review should be addressed to: Israel Numismatic Research, c/o Haim Gitler, The Israel Museum, P.O. Box 71117, Jerusalem 91710 ISRAEL, or to dtariel@ins.org.il Website: www.ins.org.il For inquiries regarding subscription to the journal, please e-mail to info@ins.org.il The editors are not responsible for opinions expressed by the contributors. © The Israel Numismatic Society, Jerusalem 2009 Israel Numismatic Research Published by the Israel Numismatic Society Volume 4 Contents 2009 5 Editors’ Note 9 EvangElinE Markou: Some Cypriot Gold Coins? 21 HaiM gitlEr and orEn tal: More Evidence on the Collective Mint of Philistia 39 Yigal ronEn: On the Chronology of the Yehud Falcon Coins 47 nicHolas l. WrigHt: Two New Imitative Issues from the Fifth Syrian War (202–198 BCE) 51 olivEr D. HoovEr: A New Hellenistic Lead Issue from the Southern Levant 57 DaviD HEnDin: A Medallion of Agrippa II 63 cEcilia MEir: Tyrian Sheqels from the ‘Isfiya Hoard, Part One 73 gabriEla bijovskY: A Burning Testimony: Two Bronze Hoards from the Time of the First Jewish Revolt 83 garY M. FinE: Coins of Bar Kokhba: The Temple Water-Drawing Ceremony and the Holiday of Sukkot 94 alla kusHnir-stEin: Coins of Tiberias with Asclepius and Hygieia and the Question of the City’s Colonial Status 109 lionEl HollanD: An Unusual Lead Weight of 22 grammata 113 WolFgang scHulzE: The Byzantine ‘Eagle’ countermark – Re-attributed from Egypt to Palestine 121 DaviD j. WassErstEin: Islamic Coins and their Catalogues III: The Ikhshidids 135 robErt kool and WarrEn c. scHultz: The Copper Coins of the Mamlūk Sultan al-Malik al-Manṣūr Lājīn (r. AH 696–698/1297–1299 CE) 145 ariEl bErMan: A Hoard from the First World War from the Area of Beer Sheva 159 nErYaHu a. sHnEYDor: The Inscriptions on Modern Palestinian and Israeli Currency 173 REVIEW: C. Foss, Arab-Byzantine Coins. An Introduction, with a catalogue of the Dumbarton Oaks collection. Washington, D.C. 2008. (Bruno Callegher) 179 Abbreviations Editors’ Note Editors’ Note In keeping with the editors’ wishes — and those of the membership of Israel Numismatic Society — that Israel Numismatic Research be in the forefront of numismatic study of the southern Levant (see Editors’ Note in INR 2), the editors present here the following note.1 In it, the datings of certain coins given in a key numismatic work in the region are improved. In 46 BCE Julius Caesar instituted a new solar calendar of 365¼ days, with January 1st as its first day.2 This calendar of Caesar, with slight later modifications, was destined to become the civil calendar of the modern world. Scholars of antiquity use it — under the name ‘Julian’ and without subsequent modifications — for dates pertaining to ancient history. Other calendars of antiquity had their starting points in a variety of seasons. Therefore, an ancient date — other than pertaining to Rome itself — almost always overlaps parts of two consecutive Julian years. Consequently, when given in terms of the Julian calendar, it must be expressed by a double figure. The earlier figure will correspond to the first part of the local year, from the beginning of the year to December 31st, and the later figure will correspond to the period from January 1st (of the next Roman year) to the end of that local year. It is obvious that indicating only a single Julian year as an equivalent of an ancient non-Roman date would be both inexact and misleading. Most modern scholars are aware of the necessity to indicate an ancient date by a double figure but, unfortunately, equations to a single Roman year are still frequent. This appears to stem, at least in part, from reference works that have inexact date-indications. For the southern Levant one important such reference book is Ya‘akov Meshorer’s A Treasury of Jewish Coins from the Persian Period to Bar Kochba (Jerusalem and Nyack 2001; abbrev. TJC). Some dates are given there in double figures, but many are not. Thus, a few dates for the coins of Herod Antipas, Philip and Agrippa I are in single Julian figures, and so are also most of the dates for the coins of the early Roman governors (prefects/procurators). The matter is aggravated further by the fact that many dates that are given in double figures have an error of one year. Given the extensive use of TJC in modern research, a table listing the full double-figure date indications, and in some cases corrections, for the volume is provided below. It includes all coins of Herod Antipas, Philip, and Agrippa I of the Herodian family, and all of prefects/procurators. To clarify the fact that not all 1 2 Provided by editorial board member Alla Kushnir-Stein. The Romans appear to have begun their year on January 1st from quite early in their history. The system was used from year 153 BCE at the latest: M. Cary and H.H. Scullard, A History of Rome Down to the Reign of Constantine, 3rd ed., London 1975, p. 181, n. 16. 5 6 EDITORS’ NOTE dates in these categories in TJC required such treatment, we have indicated those without change with asterisks. Dates for the dated coins of other rulers in TJC (Alexander Jannaeus, Herod, Agrippa II) are not dealt with here. TJC Cat. No. 75–78 79–82 83–86 87–90 91–94 95–96 97–98* 99* 101* 102–103* 104–105* 106–109* 110–111* 112–115 116–119* 120* 121–123* 124–126 Philip “ “ “ “ “ “ “ Agrippa I “ “ “ “ Ruler HERODIANS Herod Antipas “ “ “ “ 4/3 BCE “ “ “ “ 4/3 BCE “ “ “ “ “ “ “ 36/7 CE “ “ “ “ KΔ, 24 ΛΓ, 33 ΛΔ, 34 ΛZ, 37 MΓ, 43 E, 5 IB,12 Iς, 16 IΘ, 19 Λ, 30 ΛΓ, 33 ΛΔ, 34 ΛZ, 37 B, 2 E, 5 ς, 6 Z, 7 H, 8 19/20 28/29 29/30 32/33 39 1 8/9* 12/3* 15/6* 26/7* 29/30* 30/31* 33/4* 38 40/41* 41/2* 42/3* 43 20/21 29/30 30/31 33/34 39/40 1/2 8/9 12/3 15/6 26/7 29/30 30/31 33/4 37/8 40/41 41/2 42/3 43/4 First Year Date on Coin TJC Date (CE) Actual Date (CE) ROMAN PREFECTS/PROCURATORS 311–312 313 314 Under Augustus “ “ 31/30 BCE3 “ “ Λς, 36 ΛΘ, 39 M, 40 6/7 9/10 10/11 5/6 8/9 9/10 EDITORS’ NOTE 7 TJC Date (CE) 11/12 15 16 17 18 24 29 30 31 54* 59 Actual Date (CE) 10/11 15/6 16/7 17/8 18/9 24/5 29/30 30/31 31/2 544 58/9 TJC Cat. No. 315 316–319 320–324 325–327 328 329 331–332 333 334 340–344* 345 Ruler “ Under Tiberius “ “ “ “ “ “ “ Under Claudius Under Nero First Year “ 14/5 CE “ “ “ “ “ “ “ 41/2 CE 54/5 CE Date on Coin MA, 41 B, 2 Γ, 3 Δ, 4 E, 5 IA, 11 Iς, 16 IZ, 17 IH, 18 IΔ, 14 E, 5 34 3 4 The only era pertaining to the reign of Augustus that is known for the southern Levant is the so-called ‘Actian era’, which falls in September 31 BCE. Formally speaking, the date is 54/5 CE, but since Claudius died in October 54, the coin is most likely to have been minted before the end of that year. A Medallion of Agrippa II DaviD HEnDin dhendin@aol.com Abstract A previously unpublished medallion of Agrippa II, dated ‘Year 26’, seems to have been the prototype of a smaller coin with confronted busts of Titus and Domitian dated the following year (TJC: No. 168). This medallion, with enhanced portraits and legends, was apparently the first coin struck in Agrippa II’s Flavian mint at Caesarea-Paneas. The portraits on this coin, as well as on other coins of Agrippa II struck at Caesarea-Paneas, can best be explained by applying the era of 49 CE to them. The idea that dates on Agrippa II’s coins are based on more than one era is not new. In 1864 Madden (pp. 117–126) suggested four different dating eras be applied to the coins of Agrippa II. Hill rejected this and maintained a system based upon a single era of 61 CE (Hill 1914:xcviii–xcix). Meshorer suggested two eras, of 61 and 56 CE (TJC:106–110). Most recently, Kushnir-Stein (2002) reviewed the history of this subject and proposed a new framework of eras. Kushnir-Stein brought us to the conclusion that multiple eras are indeed appropriate for the coins of Agrippa II (2002). His first era began in the year 49, “mentioned by Josephus in BJ 2:284. Josephus reported that the Jewish revolt began in the twelfth year of Nero and the seventeenth year of Agrippa, in the month of Artemisos. This means the spring of 66. Seyrig has shown that the starting point of Agrippa’s era is the autumn of 49” (2002:127). Kushnir-Stein further suggested that Agrippa II’s second main era began in 60/61 CE, but admits that history records nothing notable for that year, although she suggests it might have been “a further enlargement of Agrippa’s kingdom by Nero” (2002:129). If that was the case, then “the coins of Agrippa dated by the era of 60 CE could thus have been struck in a place which came under his control in 60/61 CE…. [Agrippa’s father struck coins in Caesarea-Paneas, Jerusalem, and Caesarea Maritima…]” (Kushnir-Stein 2002:130). It has long been assumed that Caesarea-Paneas was the principal mint of Agrippa II, and, according to Kushnir-Stein, the era of 49 must belong to this city (Kushnir-Stein 2002:128).1 The secondary era of Paneas, which would then 1 Kushnir-Stein 2002:127–128 observed in a note that “It would not be entirely surprising if the mention of the era of 49 in Josephus turns out to be correct. The Jewish historian was the commander of the rebel forces in Galilee in 66/67, and since a significant part of the territory under his control belonged to Agrippa’s kingdom, he is bound to have come across various documents and decisions dated by the regnal years of this king.” INR 4 (2009): 57–61 57 58 DAVID HENDIN fall in 54 CE (first year 54/5), is understood to exist from the double-dated coins mentioning “year 11 that is also year 6” (TJC:233, Nos. 132, 133.). Recently, a coin — a medallion — from a private collection was brought to my attention.2 It provides evidence appearing to support Kushnir-Stein’s theory. This medallion of Agrippa II dated by his 26th year, depicts confronted busts of Titus and Domitian on the obverse and the god Pan on the reverse. From the following year, year 27, a somewhat smaller coin of approximately 20 g and 30 mm is known with confronted busts of Titus and Domitian on its obverse and Pan standing on the reverse. We have come across probably fewer than 15 examples.3 A medallion with Vespasian’s portrait, also dated to the year 27, is known as well from a few examples (Fig. 1). This coin weighs 30–35 g, and is generally in the range of 35 mm, placing it well above the confronted-busts coin of ‘Year 27’ in both weight and diameter. Fig. 1. TJC:238, No. 167 According to Meshorer’s era of 61 CE for these ‘Year 27’ coins, they would have been struck in 87/8. If Meshorer’s dating were correct, this would indicate 2 3 My thanks to Frank L. Kovacs of San Francisco, who brought this coin to my attention, provided the photographs, and also arranged for permission for me to publish it. I also wish to thank Alla Kushnir-Stein for her contributions to this article, too numerous to mention, although any errors of fact or interpretation are the author’s alone. The coin published in TJC was 19.32 g, 27 mm, Bromberg’s example was 23.32 g, 30 mm, and Maltiel-Gerstenfeld’s example was 22.12 g, 29×30 mm. Maltiel-Gerstenfeld stated that the date on his coin was “handily (sic) legible”, which we understand to be a typographical error for “hardly” legible, since no date appears to be visible at all on the coin. Other published exemplars of this coin are: B. Overbeck, Das Heilige Land, Staatliche Münzsammlung München, Katalog der Sonderausstellung 1993/94, No. 198 and Monnaies at Médailles, S.A. Bâle, Vente Publique 32 (20 October 1966), p. 32, No. 211 (Pl. 17). The coin from Basel is very similar to the one that appears in Maltiel-Gerstenfeld, who seems to have consulted this Basel catalogue and reproduced all the errors of reading from it. Another reference to the coin is RPC 2:314, No. 2284. A MEDALLION OF AGRIPPA II 59 that coins bearing the imperial names and titles of Vespasian as emperor were struck nearly ten years after his death.4 However, if the suggested era began in 49 CE, the first coins were struck at the mint of Caesarea-Paneas under Agrippa II, during the Flavian dynasty, in year 26, or 74/5 CE, around a year after the final defeat of the Jews, which culminated with the fall of Masada in 73. In this case, one wonders why the only known medallion of Agrippa II was struck a year later, and was not among the premier issues of this Flavian mint. The new coin helps to solve this riddle. It is described as follows (Fig. 2): Fig. 2. New Medallion of Agrippa II Obv. AYTOKPA • TITOC • KAICAP • ΔOMITIANOC Confronted laureate busts of Titus, l., and Domitian, r.; Titus wears paludamentum and cuirass decorated with a gorgon head; Domitian is draped with celestial globe at point of neck5 Rev. [BA]CIΛEΩC • AΓPIΠΠA • ETOYC KS • Pan walking l., playing pipes (syrinx) held in r. hand and holding pedum over l. shoulder; on r.: tree trunk Æ medallion, ↑, 28.66 grams, 35 mm. Hendin forthcoming, No. 1281. The coin has a natural hard green patina that is similar to coins of Agrippa II reported to have been found in dry areas such as the Jordan Valley area of Jordan. The coin is remarkable in several respects. First, it was struck the year before the only other coin of this type previously known, during what appears to be the first year of Agrippa II’s Flavian mint at Caesarea-Paneas. Second, the size is comparable with Agrippa’s Vespasian portrait medallion of the following year (TJC:238, No. 167). Finally, the legends as well as the portraits of Titus and Domitian are not simple legends or busts, but are decorated in ways not generally 4 5 Also at the same time, another coin naming Titus and Domitian as caesars appeared, more than six years after Titus’ death, when Domitian was well into his emperorship. Cf. TJC:106–110 for his full theory of Agrippa II’s dating system. The clear legend on this example shows that Meshorer erred in his reading of TJC: No. 168 as ΔOMETIANOC when it should be ΔOMITIANOC, as on this example. 60 DAVID HENDIN seen in the Flavian issues of Agrippa II.6 The busts of both Titus and Domitian are heavily adorned, and legends appear to have been carefully done, with large dots interspersed between the words. These traits confirm that the medallion was a special issue. In a sense, it was predicted by Kushnir-Stein’s theory: A medallion to celebrate the inauguration of the Caesarea-Paneas mint of Agrippa II’s Flavian series.7 The recognition that this is a medallion issued for very limited use explains its rarity. It is believed that in general, Roman provincial medallions were issued for ceremonial reasons, and many of them eventually entered circulation. The existence of these celebratory medallions only in the years 26 and 27 virtually guarantees that those two years corresponded with a special event. The inauguration of a mint beginning in 74/5 CE — and following the fall of Masada — is a logical suggestion. Agrippa’s second true medallion (TJC: No. 167; Fig. 1), featuring Vespasian’s laureate portrait and Tyche-Fortuna with her rudder atop a celestial globe, was, according to our current knowledge, struck only in the year 27. While the emperor’s bust is not adorned, the style, engraving, and treatment of the inscriptions are celebratory. Words in the legends are separated by dashes, perhaps an element related to the dots used on the ‘Year 26’ medallion. Agrippa II’s celebration of his Flavian mint at Caesarea-Paneas may have included the two medallions as a dynastic series, celebrating all three Flavians, first the up-and-coming sons and then the father, all of them Agrippa II’s patrons and benefactors.8 Pseudo-medallions — basically large coins — copying both medallions were also struck in the year 27 (TJC:238, Nos. 167b, 168, both Fig. 3). However, the ‘Year 27’ issue with the confronted busts of Titus and Domitian is quite different from the medallion struck in the previous year. Although the legends are identical, the dimensions of the year 27 issue are smaller (see n. 2) and both the legends and the portraits are less adorned. The copies of the Vespasian medallion are also lighter (around 20 g vs. 35 g) and smaller (30–34 mm vs. 35 mm) than the medallion itself. 6 7 8 There is, however, a remarkable similarity in style between the portraits of Titus on this medallion as compared with another portrait of Titus, on a smaller coin, dated to the same year 26 (TJC: 237, No. 160). The portrait is similar, the legend is engraved with care, and there are decorative dots at breaks. Kushnir-Stein suggests that the two dies might well have been engraved by the same artist (pers. comm. 2009). Agrippa II’s previous coins from this mint were the double-dated series struck around 60/1 CE (TJC:233, Nos. 132–133), and a set of three undated coins with Nero’s portrait (TJC:233, Nos. 127–130) that may have appeared slightly later. Titus was also linked to Agrippa II by virtue of his long-standing relationship with Agrippa II’s sister Berenice. A MEDALLION OF AGRIPPA II 61 Fig. 3. TJC:238, Nos. 167b (1), 168 (2) In conclusion, the depiction of Pan on this medallion establishes the identification of the first Flavian issues from the mint of Caesarea Paneas. It demonstrates that the year 26 of Agrippa II was of special importance for this mint, which may only be explained by applying the era of 49 CE to this medallion and related issues. REFERENCES No Author 1992. The Abraham Bromberg Collection of Jewish Coins II. 10 December 1992. Beverly Hills, Calif. and Zurich. Hendin D. Forthcoming. Guide to Biblical Coins (5th ed.). Nyack. Kushnir-Stein A. 2002. The Coinage of Agrippa II. Scripta Classica Israelica 21:123–131. Maltiel-Gerstenfeld J. 1982. 260 Years of Ancient Jewish Coins. Tel Aviv. Madden F.W. 1864. History of Jewish Coinage and of Money in the Old and New Testament. London. ABBREVIATIONS AJC AJN BMC BMCO CH CIL CNP CRE DOC IEJ IG IGCH INJ INR LA LRBC MIB MIBE MN NC NCirc. NNM NZ RRC RIC RN RPC SC SICA SNAT SNG SNR TINC TJC ZfN Y. 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