Copper Half-shekel of Simon Maccaboeus.
which is a citron. Reverse, " The Redemption of Sion ;" a palm-tree between two baskets of dates and other fruits. The quarter presents an obverse similar to that of the half, but without the citron, and has a corresponding difference in the legend. Reverse, the same legend as
Copper Quarter-shekel of Simon Maccabeus.
the preceding, but a citron takes the place of the palm- tree and baskets. The sixth part of the shekel exhibits
Copper Suxth-part-shekel of Simou Maccabseus.
a totall}' different type. Obverse, " The Redemption of Sion ;" a cup like that on the silver shekel. Reverse, "In the fourth year;" a bundle of branches between two citrons. The palm-tree on these coins is well chosen as an emblem of the country. In subsequent times the cajitive Judaea was represented as sitting under a palm-tree ; and the palm-branch appears on many of the coins struck by the Jewish princes. The palm-branch, the myrtle, the willow, and the citron composed the token which every Israelite was com- manded to bear in his hand at the feast of tabernacles. This was called the " lulaU" — a word which simplj' means a palm-branch, and this is represented on the copper coins before described. While the lulub was borne in the right hand, the citron or ethrorj was car- ried in the left. This, too, appears on the coins of Simon Maccaba?us ; and thus the whole of the coinage of this great man becomes highly symbolical, and was calcu- lated to keep up the national feeling which he had so powerfully excited. On the murder of Simon in the year B.C. 135, his son John, who assumed the name of Hyrcanus, succeeded to the dignity of high-priest, and ruled for nearly thirty years. Of this prince we have a great number of coins ; but they are only of copper, and present a totally different type from those of his illustrious father. Obverse, in five lines, surrounded by a wreath of laurel or olive, "John, High-Priest, and the Confederation of the Jews." Reverse, two comucopioe, between which is a poiipy-head, a pomegranate, or per- haps a citron. There are several varieties of this coin, one of which bears over the obverse inscription the Greek letter A,
which is supposed to _, , , . , t i rr
. ,. '' ,,. Copper Coin of John livixanus.
indicate an alliance
between John and Antiochus Sidetes or Alexander Balas. The type of the cornucopire is of Egyptian origin, and may on these coins be intended to indicate the con- tinued prosperity of the country.
The next coins are those of Judas Aristobulus, which offer the same type as those of John Hyrca- nus. They do not bear the title of king, al- though Judas is said by Josephus to have so styled himself (.lM^ XX, 10, 1). He reigned only one j'ear, and his coins are extremely rare. They have been erroneously ascribed to Judas Maccabajus.
To Judas Aristobulus succeeded his brother Alexander Jannajus, B.C. 105. He is called in the Talmud Jannai, and on his coins Jonathan or Jehonathan. His coins, which are numerous, have a peculiar historical interest. They maj^ be divided into two classes — first, those with Hebrew inscriptions on the obverse and Greek on the reverse; and, sec- ondly, those wholly Hebrew. The bilin- gual coins present — obverse, "The King Jehonathan;" a half- opened flower : re- verse, an anchor with two cross-trees, within an inner circle ; BA2IAEQ2 AAE3ANAP0V ("of the King Alexander"). Another has — obverse, a palm-branch; reverse, a flower. Another the Hebrew inscription "Jonathan the King," written in the intermediate spaces of a star with eight rays. See At.kxandeu Jann.eus. The anchor was borrowed from the coins of the Seleucida\ The star is supposed by some to allude to the prophecy of Halaam, " There shall come a star out of Jacob," and to indicate that the king imagined himself to be accomplishing that proph-
Copper Coin of Judas Aristobu- lus.
Copper Coin of Alexander J;inua;us.
NUMISMATICS
229
NUMISMATICS
Another Coiu of Alexaudei- Jan-
UffiUS.
ecy. Others, how- ever, regard this fig- ure as that of the spokes of a wheel. It seems that Alexan- der's coinage gave great offence to the Pharisees on account of its Greek charac- ters and heathen types. They were, moreover, jeal- ous of his increasing power, and considered that they had many causes to dislike his government. They attacked him while he was officiating as high-priest, ■ could scarcely fail to be coins with his image and super- beat him with their lulabs, and pelted him with their scription. It will be observed, however, that since the ethrogs. This outbreak cost the lives of six thousand i silver coinage of Simon IMaccabaeus, no issue has ap- of the insurgents. A civil war ensued, in which fifty peared in that metal. The Eomans prohibited, in all thousand of the Jews were slain. Towards the close of countries subject to their dominion, the coinage of gold, his reign he appears to have been on better terms with and permitted that of silver onlj- to a few important his subjects, and abandoned the coinage which had so ; cities, among which Jerusalem was not included. The
Priest and the Confederation of the Jews." Another, which seems to be a half-shekel, bears the Greek name and title within a wreath. Keverse, "Mattathias, High- Priest;"' a single cornucopia, on each side a leaf. Anoth- er, the obverse of which is obliterated, bears a single cornucopia, with the name and title in Greek in two straight lines. This is probably a quarter of a copper shekel. From these coins it is manifest that the name Antigonus is the Greek equivalent of Mattathias.