Ruler: | Judaea: Alexander Jannaeus |
Reigned: | 103 B.C. - 76 B.C. |
Denomination: | AE Prutah or Lepton (Widow's Mite) |
Obverse: | "ΒΑΣΙΛΙΩΣ ΑΛΕXΑΝΔΡΟϒ" around anchor. |
Reverse: | Star of eight rays within dotted circle around which Hebrew legend. "Yehonatan the King" |
Reference: | Meshorer 9, GCV 6088, Hendin 471? |
Weight: | 1.4 gms |
Diameter: | 14.5 mm |
Comment: |
This coin is commonly called a "Widow's Mite" from the quotation in Mark 12:42: "And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in,than all they which have cast into the treasury" Why this particular coin is known as the Widow's Mite is uncertain as several others are equally small and apparently low value. |
ALEXANDER JANNAEUS
The Maccabees (whose history is written in the Old Testament) were a family of Jewish rulers prominent in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, and more correctly known as the Hasmonaeans. The founder was Judas, third son of the priest Mathathias, who was designated by his dying father as the new leader of the band of guerrilla warriors in year 167 B.C. |