Die Study of the Yehud Coinage
On 30th May 2023 Haim Gitler presented Numismatic Studies and Researches volume XII published by the Israel Numismatic Society at the Muza-Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv.
Haim Gitler, Catharine Lorber & Jean-Philippe Fontanille, The Yehud Coinage. A Study and Die Classification of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah. Numismatic Studies and Researches Volume XII. Israel Numismatic Society, Jerusalem 2023. XII, 532 pages, illustrations. Hardcover. ISBN: 139789655982299. $150.
This volume presents a die study of the provincial silver coinage of Judah in the late Persian, Macedonian, and early Hellenistic periods. It offers correct descriptions of the coins, their designs, and their inscriptions; enumerates the obverse and reverse dies identified for each of the 44 recorded types; and explains the probable sequence of the issues as deduced from iconographic associations and die links.
Impressions of the book presentation at Muza- Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, 30th May 2023.
Impressions of the book presentation at Muza- Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, 30th May 2023.
Impressions of the book presentation at Muza- Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, 30th May 2023.
The iconography of the coin types is examined in depth, with comparisons to motifs in Greek, Persian, and ancient Near Eastern art, including other local coinages and sources in Judahite material culture. The monograph also analyzes data relating to the metrology, metal content, and circulation of the coinage. Overall, the study attempts to place the Yehud coinage in its historical context and to define its role in the economy of the ancient province of Judah.
The authors hope that this book will give rise to much discussion and debate within numismatic circles. This is all for the best, as in the words of the Book of Proverbs (27:17), “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the wit of his friends.”
