Hasmonean coinage are the coins minted by the Hasmonean kings. Only bronze coins in various denominations have been found; the smallest being a

prutah Prutah (Hebrew: פרוטה) is a Hebrew term, possibly derived from Aramaic. It refers to a small denomination coin. History Antiquity The prutah was an ancient copper Jewish coin with low value. A loaf of bread in ancient times was worth about ...

or a half prutah. Two Roman silver denarii are associated with the Hasmoneans; one has the inscription BACCIVS IVDAEAS; with its exact meaning unclear (short for "BASILEOS IUDAEAS", King Judas?). Both show a man thought to be Yehuda Aristobolus bowing before a camel with a palm branch in his hand. The

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

inscriptions found on Hasmonean coins are: *''"Yehochanan Kohen Gadol Chever Hayehudim"'' (Yehochanan the High Priest, Council of the

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

). *''"Yehochanan Kohen Gadol Rosh Chever Hayehudim"'' (Yehochanan the High Priest, Head of the Council of the Jews). *''"Yehonatan Kohen Gadol Chever Hayehudim"'' (Yehonatan the High Priest, Council of the Jews). *''"Yehonatan Hamelech"'' (Yehonatan the King). *''"Yehudah Kohen Gadol Chever Hayehudim"'' (Yehudah the High Priest, Council of the Jews). *''"Malka Aleksandros"'' (King Alexander) *''"Matityahu Kohen Gadol Chever Hayehudim"'' (Matityahu the High Priest, Council of the Jews). *''"Matityahu HaKohen"'' (Matityahu the High Priest). *''"Mattityah"''

The Hasmonean dynasty and era (164–37 BCE)

The era of Hashmonean rule lasted for 103 years. It was founded by High Priest

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

son of

Matityahu Mattathias ben Johanan ( he, מַתִּתְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן יוֹחָנָן, ''Mattīṯyāhū haKōhēn ben Yōḥānān''; died 166–165 BCE) was a Kohen (Jewish priest) who helped spark the Maccabean Revolt against t ...

, and consolidated by his son

Yochanan Yohanan, Yochanan and Johanan are various transliterations to the Latin alphabet of the Hebrew male given name ('), a shortened form of ('), meaning "YHWH is gracious". The name is ancient, recorded as the name of Johanan, high priest of the Se ...

surnamed Hyrcanus. Thereafter followed Yehuda Aristobolus,

Salome Alexandra Salome Alexandra, or Shlomtzion ( grc-gre, Σαλώμη Ἀλεξάνδρα; he, , ''Šəlōmṣīyyōn''; 141–67 BCE), was one of three women to rule over Judea, the other two being Athaliah and Devora. The wife of Aristobulus I, and a ...

, Alexander Yannai and then feuding brothers

Hyrcanus II John Hyrcanus II (, ''Yohanan Hurqanos'') (died 30 BCE), a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, was for a long time the Jewish High Priest in the 1st century BCE. He was also briefly King of Judea 67–66 BCE and then the ethnarch (ruler) of J ...

and

Aristobulus Aristobulus or Aristoboulos may refer to: *Aristobulus I (died 103 BC), king of the Hebrew Hasmonean Dynasty, 104–103 BC *Aristobulus II (died 49 BC), king of Judea from the Hasmonean Dynasty, 67–63 BC *Aristobulus III of Judea (53 BC–36 BC), ...

. Hyrcanus and Aristoblulus each asked the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

to intervene on their behalf; as a result Judea fell under the greater rule of Rome as an autonomous province but still with a significant amount of autonomy. The last Hashmonean king was Aristobulus's son Matityahu Antigonus. In 138BCE the

Seleucid The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

King

Antiochus VII Sidetes Antiochus VII Euergetes ( el, Ἀντίοχος Ευεργέτης; c. 164/160 BC129 BC), nicknamed Sidetes ( el, Σιδήτης) (from Side, a city in Asia Minor), also known as Antiochus the Pious, was ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire ...

published a royal decree, granting Simon Maccabaeus the right to mint his own coinage.

John Hyrcanus

John Hyrcanus (in Hebrew ''Yochanan Hyrcanus''; reigned 134–104 BCE, until his death). Minted prutot that said: *Yehochanan the

High Priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...

and council of the Jews (

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence 'assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ap ...

) *Yehochanan the High Priest and the head of council of the Jews *Yehochanan the High Priest and the ouncil of theJews *'A' (may have stood for

Antiochus VII Antiochus VII Euergetes ( el, Ἀντίοχος Ευεργέτης; c. 164/160 BC129 BC), nicknamed Sidetes ( el, Σιδήτης) (from Side, a city in Asia Minor), also known as Antiochus the Pious, was ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire ...

) Yehochanan the High Priest and council of the Jews He also had monograms on some prutot on the cornucopia side, just left of the cornucopia, some resembling Ά, Π or Λ.

Alexander Jannaeus

Alexander Jannaeus (also known as Alexander Jannai/Yannai), king of

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous L ...

from (103 to 76 BCE), son of

John Hyrcanus John Hyrcanus (; ''Yōḥānān Hurqanōs''; grc, Ἰωάννης Ὑρκανός, Iōánnēs Hurkanós) was a Hasmonean ( Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BCE (born 164 BCE, reigned from 134 BCE until his death in ...

, inherited the throne from his brother

, and married his brother's widow, ''Shlomtzion'' or "Shelomit" (see

Coins of Alexander Jannaeus Hasmonean coinage are the coins minted by the Hasmonean kings. Only bronze coins in various denominations have been found; the smallest being a prutah or a half prutah. Two Roman silver denarii are associated with the Hasmoneans; one has the inscr ...

). The Jannaeus coins are the most typical Jewish coins found at archeological sites in the former lands of the Hasmonean kingdom. They represent over 87% of the coins discovered in Jerusalem and 39% of the Hasmonean, Herodian, and Byzantine coins found in the southern Levant.

Gamla Gamla, alt. sp. Gamala ( he, גַּמְלָא, The Camel) was an ancient Jewish city on the Golan Heights. It is believed to have been founded as a Seleucid fort during the Syrian Wars which was turned into a city under Hasmonean rule in 81 B ...

was the site of the largest-ever discovery of Jannaeus coins from a single location.

Matityahu Antigonus

Antigonus the Hasmonean (also known as ''Matityahu Antigonus'') was the son of King

Aristobulus II Aristobulus II (, grc, Ἀριστόβουλος ''Aristóboulos'') was the Jewish High Priest and King of Judea, 66 BCE to 63 BCE, from the Hasmonean dynasty. Family Aristobulus was the younger son of Alexander Jannaeus, King and High Priest ...

. Obv: Menorah with Greek inscription "BASILEWS ANTIGONOY" (King Antignus).
Rev: Showbread Table (''Shulchan'') with Hebrew inscription ''"Matityahu HaKohen"'' (Matityahu the High Priest). Obv: Double cornucopia with ancient Hebrew script; reading ''"Matityahu Kohen Gadol Chever Hayehudim"'' (Matityahu the High Priest, Council of the Jews).
Rev: Greek inscription; reading "BASILEWS ANTIGONOY" (King Antignus).

References

{{Reflist

External links

List of all Ancient Hebrew and Aramaic words from Jewish coins and their meanings.
( Judaea Coin Archive)

currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general def ...