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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Judean & Biblical Coins| ▸ |Herodian Dynasty| ▸ |Herod the Great||View Options:   | | | A Roman citizen, Herod took the throne of Judaea with Roman assistance. "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him." (Matthew 2:13 RSV) |
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD111789. Bronze prutah, Ariel-Fontanille type type 9, (O5(?)/R7); Meshorer TJC 54; Hendin 6214; HGC 10 657; RPC I –, VF, dark green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, weight 1.597 g, maximum diameter 14.9 mm, Jerusalem mint, c. 27 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔ BAΣIΛ (or similar, Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), small closed diadem; reverse tripod table with curved legs on an exergue line, within dot border, no palm fronds; ex CNG e-auction 510 (23 Feb 2022), lot 297; ex Dr. Jay M. Galst Collection; ex CNG e-auction 216 (12 Aug 2009), lot 221; scarce;
Judean Kingdom, Herod the Great, 37 - 4 B.C., Barbaric Imitative Issue
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD111347. Leaded bronze prutah, Hendin 6219e, VF, barbaric issue, weight 1.553 g, maximum diameter 15.1 mm, die axis 180o, unofficial mint, c. 21 - 12 B.C.; obverse blundered imitation of Greek: HPW BACI (of King Herod), anchor; reverse two cornucopias splayed outward, adorned with ribbons, caduceus between horns (blundered, failing to understand the items depicted); rare;
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD111132. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC p. 222 & pl. 45, 51; Hendin 6212 (S); HGC 10 656 (S); RPC I 4906; BMC Palestine -, gF, highlighting earthen deposits, remnants of flan casting sprues, rev. edge beveled, dies bigger than the flan as typical for the type, weight 2.024 g, maximum diameter 17.2 mm, die axis 180o, Jerusalem mint, c. 27 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔ BAΣIΛ (or similar, Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), cross surrounded by closed diadem; reverse tripod table with curved legs on an exergue line, within linear border, no palm fronds; ex Amphora Coins (David Hendin) with his signed photo authenticity receipt; scarce;
This was the first Jewish coin type to feature a graven image - the golden eagle Herod erected above the gate of the Temple. After their Pharisee teachers declared it was idolatrous, a group of young men tore down and smashed the golden eagle. Forty of them, along with their teachers, were captured and brought before Herod. They confessed, explaining they were upholding the laws of Moses. Herod had teachers and leaders burned alive, and all the participants were executed.JD111339. Bronze lepton, Hendin 6221, Meshorer TJC 66, RPC I 4909, Sofaer 56, HGC 10 669, F, green patina, flan squared by sprue remnants, earthen deposits, light corrosion, weight 0.767 g, maximum diameter 12.8 mm, die axis 90o, Jerusalem mint, c. 22 - 12 B.C.; obverse BACIΛ HPWΔ (Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), cornucopia; reverse eagle standing right, head right, wings closed;
This was the first Jewish coin type to feature a graven image - the golden eagle Herod erected above the gate of the Temple. After their Pharisee teachers declared it was idolatrous, a group of young men tore down and smashed the golden eagle. Forty of them, along with their teachers, were captured and brought before Herod. They confessed, explaining they were upholding the laws of Moses. Herod had teachers and leaders burned alive, and all the participants were executed.JD111340. Bronze lepton, Hendin 6221, Meshorer TJC 66, RPC I 4909, Sofaer 56, HGC 10 669, F, green patina, earthen deposits, ragged sprue cuts, weight 0.836 g, maximum diameter 13.0 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, c. 22 - 12 B.C.; obverse BACIΛ HPWΔ (Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), cornucopia; reverse eagle standing right, head right, wings closed;
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD111346. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC 59a; SNG ANS 216; BMC Palestine p. 224, 40; HGC 10 660; Hendin 6219a var. (HPW BACI); Sofaer 30 var. (same), aVF, dark patina, highlighting buff earthen deposits, full border on obv., rev. off center, weight 1.600 g, maximum diameter 14.2 mm, Jerusalem mint, c. 21 - 12 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔ BACI (Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), anchor; reverse two cornucopias splayed outward, adorned with ribbons, caduceus between horns, five pellets above;
Meshorer TJC 48 and 48a are described with an open diadem but the plate coins have closed diadems. The diadems on Meshorer 49 are open. This coin appears to have an open diadem.JD111337. Bronze 2 prutot, Meshorer TJC p. 222 & pl. 44, 49; Sofaer 19; Hendin 6211a (S); HGC 10 654; RPC I 4905; BMC Palestine p. 223, 28 ff., VF, well centered with full legend, dark patina, highlighting earthen deposits, weight 2.911 g, maximum diameter 17.9 mm, die axis 315o, Jerusalem mint, c. 30 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (Greek: of King Herod), cross surrounded by a open diadem; reverse shallow bowl on a tripod table, flanked by curved palm branches; scarce;
Matthew (2:1-23) describes the Massacre of the Innocents. Wise men from the East visited Herod to inquire the whereabouts of "the one having been born king of the Jews," because they had seen his star. Herod, as King of the Jews, was alarmed. The chief priests, citing Micah 5:2, told Herod the anointed one would be born in Bethlehem. Herod sent the "wise men" to Bethlehem, instructing them to "report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." However, the Magi were warned in a dream not to report back to Herod. Joseph was warned in a dream that Herod intended to kill Jesus, so he and his family fled to Egypt. When Herod realized he had been outwitted, he gave orders to kill all boys of the age of two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Joseph and his family stayed in Egypt until Herod's death, then moved to Nazareth. Herod was guilty of many brutal acts, including killing his wife and two sons, but no other source from the period refers to the massacre. Bethlehem was a small village, the number of male children under the age of two might not have exceed 20, and this may be the reason for the lack of other sources for this history.JD111099. Copper eight prutot, Hendin 6204; Meshorer TJC 44; Meshorer AJC II 1; BMC Palestine p. 220, 1; RPC I 4901 HGC 10 651, F, off center, weight 6.129 g, maximum diameter 22.8 mm, die axis 0o, Samaria mint, 40/39 or 38/37 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (Greek: of King Herod), tripod, ceremonial bowl (lebes) above, LΓ -
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD110311. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC 59c; Hendin 6219a; Sofaer 30; SNG ANS 206; BMC Palestine p. 224, 44; HGC 10 662, aVF, dark green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, obv. off center, obv. edge beveled, sprue cuts on edge, weight 1.418 g, maximum diameter 14.4 mm, die axis 150o, Jerusalem mint, 21 - 12 B.C.; obverse HPW BACI (Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), anchor; reverse two cornucopias splayed outward, adorned with ribbons, caduceus between horns, pellets above; from an Israeli collection;
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.JD110299. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC p. 222 & pl. 45, 51; Hendin 6212 (S); HGC 10 656 (S); RPC I 4906; BMC Palestine -, F, dark green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, weak legends, ragged irregular edge beveled on reverse, weight 1.922 g, maximum diameter 18.9 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, c. 27 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔ BAΣIΛ (or similar, Greek abbreviation: of King Herod), cross surrounded by closed diadem; reverse tripod table with curved legs on an exergue line, within linear border, no palm fronds; scarce;
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