Nabataean Coins

	<Please login or register to view your wish list! MAIN MENU RECENT ADDITIONS PRICE REDUCTIONS ROMAN GREEK JUDEAN & BIBLICAL BYZANTINE BOOKS & SUPPLIES COLLECTING THEMES ANTIQUITIES

Nabataean Kingdom

The early Nabataeans forsook all building and agriculture because those who possess these things, in order to retain them, are easily compelled by the powerful to do their bidding. Rather than fight invaders, they would go into the desert, where only they could survive, and wait for the invaders to leave. Aretas II was a contemporary of Alexander Jannaeus. Aretas III was the first to issue coins, which he began after he defeated the Seleucid army in 84 B.C. and the council of Damascus asked him to govern their city. A Roman army under Marcus Aemilius Scaurus defeated Aretas III and besieged Petra, but paying a tribute, Aretas received formal recognition by the Roman Republic. The kingdom was slowly surrounded by the expanding Roman Empire, who conquered Egypt and annexed Judea, but wealthy from incense trade, Nabataea paid tribute and retained independence. The Nabataeans fought against Herod and also provided forces to the Romans during the Second Jewish Revolt. After the last Nabataean king, Rabbel II, died in 106 A.D., Trajan incorporated Nabataea into the Roman province Arabia Petraea. One of the latest known Nabataean language inscriptions, from 191 A.D., records "...This in the year 85 of the Eparchy [Roman Rule], in which Arabs destroyed the land." It seems likely that raiding Arab tribes extinguished what remained of a weakened Nabataean culture. In 747 A.D. what was left of the Nabataean cities was destroyed in a major earthquake.

Nabataean Kingdom, Obodas II, 30 - 9 B.C.
	Obodas' reign was an era of cultural flowering for the Nabatean kingdom. Most of its temples were built during his reign, including the temple at Avdat. During his rule the Romans attempted to discover the sources of the perfume and spice trade.

SH43432. Silver drachm, cf. Huth 55; Hoover and Barkay 23; Meshorer Nabataea Sup. 3 (Obodas III); BMC Arabia p. 4, 2 - 3 (same); Cohen Dated 965 (same), gVF, flat strike areas, weight 4.462 g, maximum diameter 17.7 mm, die axis 0^o, Petra mint, 19 - 10 B.C.; obverse Jugate diademed busts of Obodas and Hagaru right; Nabataean letter heth behind; reverse Nabatean legend: "Obodas, king of Nabataea", laureate head of Obodas right, Nabataean letter heth and date behind (off flan); $380.00 (�292.60)

Nabataean Kingdom, Obodas II, 30 - 9 B.C.
	In "Some Nabataean Questions Reconsidered" in Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms, M. Huth persuasively argues that there was no King Obodas II in 62 - 60 B.C., and that all coins in the name of Obodas belong to the king of that name who ruled in 30 - 9 B.C., who should be correctly named Obodas II, not III.

SH32723. Bronze AE 25, Meshorer Nabataean 26 (Obodas III); Huth -, Hoover and Barkay -, BMC Arabia -, SNG ANS -, SGICV -, F, broken, weight 7.785 g, maximum diameter 25.5 mm, die axis 0^o, Petra mint, 24 - 23 B.C.; obverse jugate, busts right of Obodas II, diademed, and draped, and the queen, O H in field (off flan); reverse Aramaic legend, "Obodas the king, king of the Nabataeans, year seven", two crossed cornucopias, O - H across the fields; very rare; $120.00 (�92.40)

Nabataean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.
	Aretas IV was the greatest Nabataean king, ruling S. Palestine, most of Trans-Jordan, N. Arabia, and Damascus. Paul mentions Aretas in connection with his visit to Damascus (2 Corinthians 11:32).

GB59873. Lead token, Hoover Nabataean Lead, group L, 52 - 54, VF, weight 2.022 g, maximum diameter 13.3 mm, die axis 180^o, obverse laureate head of Zeus right; reverse NBT in Aramaic above, bull butting left; rare; $90.00 (�69.30)

Nabataean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.

Aretas' daughter married Herod the Great's son, Herod Antipas. This coin resembles a coin minted by Herod the Great and probably refers to the family ties. The eagle likely represents the golden bird King Herod placed above the entrance to the Jerusalem Temple. After Antipas left Aretas' daughter to remarry, Aretas attacked and defeated Antipas' army in Galilee and returned to Petra with his daughter.

GB52150. Bronze AE 11, Schmitt-Korte II 64; cf. Meshorer Nabataean 88A (het ros ligate in wreath), SNG ANS 1434 (same), Huth -, BMC Arabia -, VF, weight 1.608 g, maximum diameter 11.4 mm, die axis 0^o, Petra mint, 5 - 6 A.D.; obverse Nabataean letter heth (Aretas) within wreath; reverse eagle standing left, wings closed, Nabataean letter heth (Aretas) behind; rare; $90.00 (�69.30)

Nabataean Kingdom, Aretas IV and Phasael, 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.

Possibly struck in the year of Christ's birth! Jesus was born sometime between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C. Matthew describes King Herod as the ruler during the time of the Nativity, and Herod died in 4 B.C. Later, in order to kill Jesus and eliminate him as a rival king, Herod ordered the "Massacre of the Innocents" - the killing of all male children in Bethlehem aged two years and under. This means that Jesus may have been up to two years old already by that time, and this also sets the Nativity between 6 and 4 B.C.

GB47583. Bronze AE 14, Meshorer Nabataean 64a, SNG ANS 1431, Huth -, F, weight 1.492 g, maximum diameter 12.9 mm, die axis 95^o, Petra mint, 5 - 4 B.C.; obverse laureate head of Aretas right, het right; reverse two crossed cornucopias, Aramaic PS (Phasael, Aretas' son) in center; scarce; $45.00 (�34.65)

Nabataean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him" Matthew 2:1-8. Most biblical scholars now believe the "Magi" probably were wisemen, not actually kings. If they were kings, Aretas is among the most likely visitors.

GB57579. Bronze AE 18, Meshorer Nabataean 114, SNG ANS 1438 ff., VF, partially uncleaned, weight 3.165 g, maximum diameter 19.3 mm, die axis 0^o, Petra mint, 16 - 40 A.D.; obverse jugate laureate and draped busts of Aretas IV and Shuqailat right; reverse two cornucopias crossed and filleted, Aramaic legend, "Aretas, Shuqailat" in two lines above and one below; $40.00 (�30.80)

Nabataean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 B.C. - 40 A.D.

BB55740. Bronze AE 18, Meshorer Nabataean 114, SNG ANS 1438 ff., F, weight 3.960 g, maximum diameter 18.6 mm, die axis 0^o, Petra mint, 16 - 40 A.D.; obverse jugate laureate and draped busts of Aretas IV and Shuqailat right; reverse two cornucopias crossed and filleted, Aramaic legend, "Aretas, Shuqailat" in two lines above and one below; $24.00 (�18.48)

ITEMS PER PAGE

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES

REFERENCES

Barkay, R. "The earliest Nabataean coinage" in NC 2011.
Barkay, R. "New Nabataean Coins" in INJ 16 (2007-8).
Bowsher, J.M.C. "Early Nabataean Coinage" in ARAM 2:1-2 (1990), pp. 221-228.
Cohen, E. Dated Coins of Antiquity: A comprehensive catalogue of the coins and how their numbers came about. (Lancaster, PA, 2011).
Hill, G.F. A Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum - Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia. (London, 1922).
Hoover, O. "A Reassessment of Nabataean Lead Coinage in Light of New Discoveries" in NC 2006.
Hoover, O. Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant: Phoenicia, Southern Koile Syria (Including Judaea), and Arabia, Fifth to First Centuries BC. HGC 10. (Lancaster, PA, 2010).
Huth, M. Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms, Ancient Arabian Coins from the Collection of Martin Huth. ACNAC 10. (New York, 2010).
Huth, M. & P.G. van Alfen. Coinage of the Caravan Kingdoms. Studies in the Monetization of Ancient Arabia. ANSNS 25. (New York, 2010).
Meshorer, Y. Nabatean Coins, Qedem 3. (Jerusalem, 1975).
Plant, R., The Coinage of the Nabataeans, Seaby Coin and Medal Bulletin, March 1979, pp. 81-84.
Robinson, E.S.G. "Coins from Petra etc." in NC 1936, pp. 288-291, pl. XVII.
Schmitt-Korte, K. & Cowell, M. "Nabatean Coinage - Part I. The Silver Content Measured by X-ray Fluorescence Analysis" in NC 1989, pp. 33-58, pl. 11-17.
Schmitt-Korte, K. "Nabatean Coinage - Part II. New Coin Types and Variants" in NC 1990, pp. 105-133, pl. 10-15.
Schmitt-Korte, K. & Price, M. "Nabatean Coinage - Part III. The Nabatean Monetary System" in NC 1994, pp. 67-131, pl. 10-12.
Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, The Collection of the Amercian Numismatic Society, Part 6: Palestine - South Arabia. (New York, 1981)

Catalog current as of Friday, May 24, 2013.
Page created in 1.294 seconds Nabataean Coins