Where to begin?

[Cleisthenes]

I hate to admit it, but I do not have a single "biblical" coin in my collection: no Judea Captas, no First Revolts, no Hyrcanus(es), no Herods, no Bar Kochbahs.  For those of you who have collected in this field, where would you advise a beginner to begin?

Thank you,
Cleisthenes

[Salem Alshdaifat]

Hi
I am kind of a dealer not collector, but I advise you first to study the history and find out what atrract you more about the Judaean history and what is good for your bocket too, some Judaean coins fileds are too expinsive for some people and even in the future you wont be able to finish your collection if you dont have realy alot of money.
my advise is to start with some Judaean cheap coins and then develop your hobby.
start with the Maccabean era this will be my first advise.
all the best
Salem

[Howard Cole]

The first thing I would do is buy David Hendin's book Guide to Biblical Coins!  Read the history about the place and people and then decide on what you want to collect.

[Ecgþeow]

I second both Salem and Howard.  Dip into the history first, and see what time periods interest you.  Guide to Biblical Coins is an absolute necessity.  I agree with Salem that Hasmonaean (Maccabeean) coins are the easiest to collect in the beginning, as they are the cheapest and most common.  But if you are willing to spend more, check out the other areas, too.  I would love to get into Judaean silver or Bar Kokhba, but they are so expensive that I could never afford one, much less a collection.
On a side note, learning the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet would be a good idea.  It is the language used on most Judaean coins (along with greek for Herodian and procurator coins).  It is a quick learn and it will make it much more fun if you can read the writing.  There is a table in the back of Hendin's book that will help with this.

[Howard Cole]

On a side note, learning the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet would be a good idea.  It is the language used on most Judaean coins (along with greek for Herodian and procurator coins).  It is a quick learn and it will make it much more fun if you can read the writing.  There is a table in the back of Hendin's book that will help with this.

I have seen a huge variation in how those few letters are inscribed on the coins!  It takes a lot of patience.

[Ecgþeow]

Yeah, especially on the Hasmoneans, as they are so small, and I still have difficulty with those.  However, I was thinking more along the lines of First and Second revolt coins.  Those have big letters, and are standardized and easy to read if you have a basic knowledge of the alphabet.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you're interested in Judean issues, a particularly interesting one is the lily reverse of Hyrcanus I, struck in the name of Antiochos VII. It was the first coin they struck after the Maccabaean Revolt, and it marks a stage in their developing independance from the Seleukids; later, the Hasmoneans struck in their own names. They never had the freedom to strike silver, except briefly during the First Revolt and the bar-Kochba War.