No title

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might seem to be the best indication of chronology the archaeologistcan find. But these two factors may work against one another, because intrinsic value may be the reason why an article is hoarded and preserved for a long period; as is surely obvious any antiquity which became in ancient times an antique may actually become a snare to the archaeologistand not a boon! To illustrate how coins may help in an excavation and also how they may tell us less than we might hope, as well as to show what kind of coinage is found in Palestine in Hellenistic times, this study is offered. All the coins found in 1960 came from Field VII on the top of the hill, where nine squares of five meters separated from one another by one-meter balks were dug through Hellenistic levels down to Iron II.2 Since this excavation gave the best Palestinian example of Hellenistic stratification indicated by floor levels, the coins were helpful in estimating the dates of the strata and throwing light on the history of the city during its last two centuries. As early as the fifth century B.C., there was local coinage in Palestine, largely in imitation of the Greek. Commonly on the obverse was the head of Pallas Athena and on the reverse the Athenian owl with olive sprig and crescent, and in Greek alpha-theta-epsilonfor Athens. At Shechem, however, all the coins so far found in stratified deposits are Ptolemaic or Seleucid,3 which would indicate that this part of the city was not occupied during the Persian period (the period preceding the reoccupation by Samaritans after Alexander the Great had made Samaria a pagan city and authorized the building of a temple on Mt. Gerizim). There must have been some settlement in the vicinity, however, judging from the Macedonian coin found by the East Gate in 1956,4 and from scattered unstratified pottery dating from this period. The absence of pre-Ptolemaiccoins elsewhere in the excavation would indicate that the city did not begin to thrive again until about 300 B.C. Besides the Macedonian coin the 1956 excavation produced a hoard of 15 bronze coins of Ptolemy I in the footing of the Hellenistic tower outside the East Gate;5 the tower is later than these coins, and they probably indicate the date of the layer of debris below the tower only. The 1957 campaign produced from a Hellenistic house a silver drachma of Alexander the Great and 12 bronze coins extending from the time of Ptolemy I to the year 2. BA XXIII.4 (Dec., 1960), pp. 102-4. 3. Roman, Arabic and Turkish coins turned in by our workmen did not belong to the excavation, of some since there was no post-Hellenistic pottery found at the site. The polished appearance in human of these coins suggested that they had spent a part of their more recent existence In most excavations this business of pockets rather than in the soil of the remains of Shechem. is punishable by dismissal. "salting" coins (for whicn a tip is paid if they are genuine) The Coin Collector's Manual, London, 4. BA XX.1 (Feb., 1957), pp. 29, 32; H. Noel Humphries, period" from Lete. 1891, pl. 2, no. 10, shows a similar coin of "almost the earliest numismatic The design is possibly Pan carrying off the nymph who became the mother of Silenus. 5. BA XX.1, p. 32.

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89

111 B.C. (a coin from the mint of Ptolemais-Akedated 201, which is figured from the base-date of 312 B.C.) In 1960 the most spectacular numismatic find was a hoard of 35 Ptolemaic silver tetradrachms in a cracked juglet.6 To make it all the more spectacular, the mouth of the jug was clogged with a plug of earth and was sent down to the excavation formatorefor cleaning and reconstructionbefore its valuable contents were discovered! For nearly a week, we did not know we were in possession of an ancient treasure. The coins were dirty and oxidized, but in due time they were cleaned and identified. Only a few were seriously damaged and happily all the first five Ptolemies were represented; here is a good indication of the tendency of the ancients to keep at least silver coins; the period covered by the coins could be as much as 130 years. How these coins were collected and came to be abandoned is a matter of conjecture. The vessel was not concealed in a niche or a corner but lay in unstratified debris below a floor. Possibly during a time of fighting the owner dug a pit to bury it. This could hardly have been when Antiochus III took over the territoryfrom Ptolemy V in 198 B.C., for one of the Ptolemy V coins is dated to 193 B.C. In fact, the presence of Ptolemy V coins would indicate the rapprochementbetween Ptolemy V and Antiochus III, as does his marriage to Antiochus' daughter Cleopatra. Absence of any subsequent Ptolemaic coins and the appearancein numbers of Antiochus III coins shows that after Ptolemy V the city was in Seleucid hands. The Hoard7

All the silver tetradrachms,with two exceptions, have on the obverse the head of Ptolemy I facing right, wearing the diadem and aegis, some with dotted border and some without (see figure 10). On the reverse is the familiar standing eagle facing left, his wings folded and in his claws a thunderbolt. All have the inscription Ptolemaiou (left) and either Basileos (king) or Soteros (savior) on the right. Some have dotted border and most have monograms. And many have mint marks. After Alexander the Great, mints were developed in the principal cities of Palestine, particularlyGaza, Sidon, and Tyre, and many coins have some symbol to indicate where they were minted, such as a club for the mint at Tyre and the letters sigma-iota for Sidon. Diameters of the hoard coins vary from 25 to 29 mm. and weights from 12.96 to 14.13 grams, an interesting variation for coins of the same value. Necessarily, except for dated coins, some identifications are conjectural; with all the Ptolemaic coins that have been found across the years, we still find unparalleled features. Nevertheless, the general picture emerging is clear. 6. BA XXIII.1, pp. 104f., showing a picture of the juglet and coins. 7. Ptolemaic coins were identified by checking with J. N. Svoronos, Ta Numismata toi Kratous ton Ptolemaion, Athens, 1904-1908; Barclay V. Head, Historia Numerum, Oxford, 1912; and Edward T. Newell, Standard Ptolemaic Silver, New York, 1941.

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Ptolemy I (Soter), 312-285 B.C. Coins 1-4 (fig. 10). Probably minted in Alexandria. According to Newell, coins just like these were also struck in the first years of Ptolemy II, but the latter years of Ptolemy I seems a better time for these. The earliest of his coins have only one monogram, but ours have two. The inscription is Basileos. Ptolemy II (Philadelphus), 285-246 B.C. Coins 13-25 and provisionally 43-44. Number 14 has the club symbol which indicates that it was minted at Tyre, while number 15 has the Greek letters (sigma-iota) for the mint at Sidon. Numbers 20-25 are dated: 20 has kappa-theta(29), which means 257 B.C. (29th year of his reign); 21-23 have lambda (30), 256 B.C.; 24 has alpha-lambda(31), 255 B.C.; 25 has lambda-beta(32), 254 B.C. Ptolemy III (Euergetes), 246-221 B.C. Coin 45. As can be seen on figure 10, the coin was struck badly so that the right inscription is off the flan or surface of the coin. A word should be said about minting here to explain how this happens. Dies were placed on the top of a truncated cone below, and on the bottom of a corresponding cone above. Hot metal was placed between the two cones; a blow with a hammer on the upper cone struck the coin. Coins of the same denomination could vary in diameter and weight depending on the size of the slug and the sharpness of the hammer blow. And the varying sharpness of the blow could also distort the features on the dies, so that coins from the same dies might look quite different from one another. In the time of Ptolemy II, small spikes were made in both the upper and the lower die for bronze coins to prevent the hot metal slug from sliding off center; a small hole appears in the center of both obverse and reverse of such coins, commonly in Ptolemaic bronzes but only occasionally with the Seleucids. In any event, poorly struck silvers are common and circulated nevertheless. Identification of coin 45 is established by distinctive monograms, and, behind the eagle's neck, the date indicator beta (2), 245 B. C. Ptolemy IV (Philopater), 221-204 B.C. Coins 47-49. These have the inscription Soteros. Between the eagle's legs, coin 47 has So, possibly for the chief minister Sosibus. The left side of coin 49 is badly burned, so that identification is not positive. Ptolemy V (Epiphanes), 204-181 B.C. Coins 50-61. On the obverse of 50 and 51 appears the head of the beardlessyoung king himself; for the first time we are away from picturing Ptolemy I! The reverse of both uses the inscription Basileos. On 50 is the date eta (7), 198 B.C.; on 51 mu (12), 193 B.C.8 On 52 and 53 the head of Ptolemy I appears, and the inscription is 8. Svoronos in describing this coin gives the date as 195, and Head follows him (p. 855). The 195, however, must be due to a misprint; in the table at the end of Vol. I, Svoronos gives mu as 193.

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Ptolemy I

14

20

21

25

Ptolemy II

45 Ptolemy II

47

51 Ptolelny IV

5053 Fig. 10. Ptolemaic Tetradrachms

PtolemyV

Ptolemy V

91

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Soteros. On the right of the eagle is a spearhead,and on the left a monogram which may be for the king's guardian Aristomenes. Seemingly 54 through 61 come from the same die. They all have Basileos and no date or monogram. Head calls the ascription of these coins to Ptolemy V "more or less conjectural" (p. 855), but the conjecture seems reasonable. Bronze Ptolemaic

Coins

There were 27 bronze Ptolemaic coins of various sizes. While it is difficult to identify such coins positively, particularly those of Soter and Philadelphus, our identifications agree with current catalogues. Ptolemy I. Coins 5-12 (see figure 11). Two (5 and 6) on the obverse have the head of Alexander the Great with elephant-hide headdress; the others have the bearded head of the god Zeus or Zeus-Ammon facing right. All on the reverse have the spread eagle facing left, with thunderbolt in claws and the familiar inscriptions, Ptolemaiou Basileos. Ptolemy II, as would be expected since his reign was the longest of the Ptolemies, has the largest representation (26-42). All have the Zeus head and, on the reverse, the standing eagle facing left with folded wings and thunderbolt. Both obverseand reversehave a hole in the center, used to guide the striking. Sixteen (26-41) have the club emblem of the mint of Tyre, while the smallest (42), only 3.21 grams in weight and 15 mm. in diameter, has the scimitarof Perseus. The one bronze coin provisionally attributed to Ptolemy III but which may belong to Ptolemy IV, (46) is the largest of the season, weighing 72.2 grams and measuring 42 mm. It shows the club of the mint of Tyre and an indistinct monogram between the eagle's legs. A pocketful of these monsters could pretty well tie a man down! Ptolemy IV was unrepresented by bronze coinage, unless No. 46 belongs to him, but Ptolemy V was represented by the smallest coin of the season (62), weighing 1.415 grams and measuring 12 mm.; the head of the king is on the obverse, and a cornucopia with the eagle on the reverse. Abundance of the bronze coins of the first two Ptolemies and scarcity of coins for the next three may show that the economy of the city declined in the latter half of the third century. The large number of Ptolemy V tetradrachms in the hoard would then not represent the general situation. Seleucid

Coins9

Antiochus III (the Great), 223-187 B.C., was represented by seven coins (63-69). Six (63-68) are dileptons, 11 or 12 mms., 1.375 to 1.965 9. Coins of Seleucid kings were identified by checking with Head, op. cit., and Ernest Babelon,

et de Commagene, Les rois de Syrie, d'Asmenie are described by George Francis Hill, Catalogue T. Newell, Edward and XVI. 128-9, 4,6; pl. pp.

cus, New York, 1935.

Paris, 1890. Coins of the mint of Ptolemais-Ake London, 1910, of the Greek Coins of Phoenicia, and DamasLate Seleucid Mints in Ake-Ptolemais

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: •:4::: ..

..........

Nili Ptolemy N I

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i

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11. Ptolemaic

Bronze

Coins

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"7

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grams. The obverse depicts the head of the king as Apollo facing right; the border of the coin is dotted. The reverse has the nude Apollo standing, facing left, holding in his right hand an arrow and in his left a bow which rests on the ground. The left knee is bent, with toes on the ground beside the bow. The inscription is Basileos (right) Antiochous (left). None of these coins shows the whole pattern. Number 69 is a hemichalcus and is mill-edged. The obverse has the laureled head of Apollo facing right with dotted border. The reverse, besides the inscription, has Apollo seated on an omphalos with arrow in right hand and bow in left. On the left is a palm and below the letters AT. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), 175-164 B. C., is represented by two examples of the common mill edged hemichalcus (70-71) with the obverse showing the king with radiate crown and the reverse showing the standing goddess facing front with spear in right hand and shield in left resting on the ground. Another hemichalcus (72) also shows on the obverse the king with radiate crown, and on the reverse Zeus half nude seated facing left on throne with chlamys resting on knees. On the extended right hand is a Nike, who holds a crown uplifted to the left. A little eagle is in front of the knees. In the god's left hand is a long scepter. Of Demetrius I (Soter), 162-150 B. C. is a hemichalcus (73) with mill edge. The obverse shows diademed head of Artemis facing right and the reverse traces of standing naked Apollo. Both sides show hole in center. Antiochus VII (Sidetes), 138-129 B. C., is represented by a chalcus (74) with a bust of Eros crowned with myrtle struck to lower right of obverse and on reverse Basileos Antiochou (right) Euergetou (left). There is an ornament of the head of Isis composed of a solar disk between two cow horns, surmounted by two lotus stems and set on an upturned crescent. The two coins of Demetrius II (Nikator) come from his second reign (129-125 B. C.) and are dated. One (75) is a chalcus showing on the obverse the diademed and bearded head of the king facing right. The reverse shows the standing naked Apollo with bow and arrow. The inscription is Basileos-Demetriou (right) Theou Nikatoros (left). In the exergue is the date delta-pi-rho(184), 128 B. C. The other Demetrius II coin (76) is the only silver coin of the season apart from the hoard. It is a drachma with diademed head of the beardless king on the obverse. The reverse has the inscription Basileos (right) Demetriou (left). An eagle with folded wings stands facing left on the prow of a ship. There are two monograms,the club of the mint of Tyre, and the date epsilon-pi-rho(185), 127 B. C. Five coins (77-81) are of Alexander II (Zebina), 125-123 B. C. Four (77-80) are similar. The obverse shows the head of Dionysus facing right.

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68 AntiocIlbus .111

63

69

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851 Mint of Ptole:Inis-Ake Fig. 12. Seleucid Coins

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In 77 he is crowned with ivy; in 78 he wears the radiate crown; in 79 and 80 the ivy or crown is off the flan. The reverse, beside the inscription Basileos (right) Alexandrou (left), has two cornucopias entwined and overflowing with fruits in a royal diadem; at left are an ear of corn and letter Sigma; at right an ear of corn and letter Alpha. The fifth coin (81), also a chalcus, shows on the obverse the head of the king facing right and on the reverse, beside the inscription, an upright Nike in a fitted robe walking to the left. The Ptolemais-Ake coins (83-88) are all badly struck and too small to contain the complete pattern. They have on the obverse the jugate heads of the Dioscuri facing right and on the reverse an inscription and a cornucopia. Two (83, 84) are undated. There are enough letters to identify the inscription, which should be Antiocheon ton (right) en Ptolemaidi (left). Four dated coins have the inscription Antiocheon en Ptolemaidi and a date at the right of the cornucopia and at the left Ierasasulou.None of the dates is completely clear; but, since these coins were first struck in 126 B. C., our coins were minted in that year or in the years immediately following. One coin (86) seems to have the date zeta-pi-rho(187), 126,/5 B. C. Five Seleucid kings whose coins might have been expected are not represented: Seleucus IV, 175-164 B. C.; Antiochus V, 164-162 B. C.; Alexander I 150-145 B. C.; Antiochus VI, 145-142 B. C.; and Trypho, 142-139 B. C. Nor were any Jewish coins found. The Seleucid coins indicate that after Antiochus III took the country from Ptolemy V in 198 B. C. there was a period of comparativeprosperity, but that after the time of Antiochus IV the taxes exacted by the Romans caused a decline. Strangely the next brief period of prosperity would seem to be after Alexander Jannaeus' destruction of the iVIt.Gerizim temple in 128 B. C. In 1957 two coins subsequent to this date were found and in 1960 thirteen. This does not prove flourishing economy, but it does show that the city continued for some years after the destruction of the temple. Both coins and pottery show that it ceased to exist, at least in the areas so far excavated, just before the end of the second century B. C. One interesting item was the depths at which the coins were found. In the upper two Hellenistic strata there were a few Ptolemaic coins mixed with the Seleucid; but in the third phase, below 140 cm., there were only Ptolemaic coins.

The editors wish to thank Mr. Werner Lemke, graduate student at Harvard University and visiting instructor in Greek and Hebrew at McCormick Seminary in the summer of 1962, for preparing this issue while the editors were on excavation in Jordan.