Siege Or Celebration
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Walls of Jerusalem. (Wikimedia Commons) N the Roman Empire the language During the First Jewish Revolt (66-70 Revolt (132-135 AD) “Jerusalem” in Ithat was most widely understood was AD) the Jews issued silver shekels with Hebrew appears on the obverse of the Greek, not Latin. In Rome educated “Jerusalem the holy” in Hebrew on the silver shekels. (Figure 4) people wrote in Greek. Even the Roman reverse. (Figure 3) In the Second Jewish After the Second Jewish Revolt the emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD) Revolt, also known as the Bar Kokhba Roman emperor Hadrian changed the wrote his Meditations in Greek. The name of the city to Aelia Capitolina, and Hebrew Scriptures (known to Christians he issued bronze coins bearing this as the Old Testament) were translated name. (Figures 5 and 6) “Aelia” refers from Hebrew into Greek in the 3rd and to Hadrian’s family name “Aelius” while 2nd centuries BC, and the New Testament “Capitolina” refers to the Capitoline Hill was originally written in Greek in the first century AD. Therefore it is surpris- ing that there are only two coins that bear the mint name of Jerusalem in Greek: ‘IEPOCOΛYMA (Hierosoluma). These coins were not issued until the Figure 2 – A reduced follis minted at Jerusalem. Obverse: standing figure of an emperor with reign of Heraclius (610-641 AD) when ONO on the left. Reverse: cursive M with IEPO Jerusalem was in the Byzantine Empire (Jerusalem) on the left. Although not visible in which succeeded the Roman Empire in this image the letters COΛV are said to be on the the east. (Figures 1 and 2) In the New right and MWN in the exergue. These letters add Testament the name of the city also up to IEPOCOΛVMWN, which means “of the people of Jerusalem.” 2.73 grams. (This coin is in the occurs as IEPOYCAΛHM (Ierousalem), Abraham D. Sofaer Collection and is illustrated and this is the form that eventually came in the book “Cultural Change” by David Hendin into English as ‘Jerusalem’. who kindly granted permission to use the image.) Figure 1 – Follis of Heraclius minted at Jerusalem. Obverse: Heraclius holds an eagle-tipped Figure 3 – Silver shekel of the First Jewish sceptre in his left hand. Reverse: large M (40) with ANNO (in the year) to the left and II II (4) to Revolt. The Hebrew words on the reverse mean the right, and IEPOCO’ (Hieroso’) in the exergue. (The sign at the end is sometimes said to be a “Jerusalem the Holy.” Hendin, “Guide to Biblical retrograde S, but it is more likely to be a mark, like an apostrophe, to indicate missing letters.) Coins,” 1358. (Classical Numismatic Group, Auc- 33mms, 14.29 grams. Sear, Byzantine Coins, 852B. (Triton XV, Lot 1591) tion 97, Lot 350) in Rome. On that hill stood the great Jesus was unearthed under the Temple destination for Christian pilgrims eager temple to Jupiter, the chief of the gods in of Aphrodite in 327 and a church built to see the places mentioned in the Bible, the Roman pantheon. Hadrian wanted over the site, the city was still called and when Cyril became the city’s bishop the city to be understood in the future as Aelia. Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, in 349 he no longer called it Aelia. Grad- a Roman city, and the Roman emperors from 315 to 340 used the name, New ually the name, Jerusalem, came back continued to issue coins with the mint Jerusalem, only for the church and tomb into use. name, Aelia Capitolina, up to the reign complex. Helena, the mother of Con- In 610 Khusru II, the ruler of the of Trajan Decius (249-251) after which stantine, probably visited the site when Sasanian Empire, which included Persia the city ceased minting coins. The name, it was being excavated and according to and Mesopotamia, invaded the Byzantine Aelia, however, continued to be the name later tradition she discovered the True Empire. (Figure 7) Antioch fell in 611, of the city. Cross, the actual cross on which Jesus Damascus in 613, and on 15th April 614 Interest in the city as a holy place was was crucified. The city soon became the the Sasanian army besieged Jerusalem. revived when the Roman emperor Con- The Patriarch was prepared to surrender stantine (307-337) promoted Christianity the city but a group of young Christians after winning the battle of the Milvian would not allow it. They were convinced Bridge in 312, but even after the tomb of that God would save the city somehow. The siege lasted about three weeks, and when Jerusalem fell in May there were horrible scenes of mass slaughter. Accor- ding to an eyewitness account the soldiers “rushed into the city like wild boars, roaring, hissing, and killing everyone in sight.” Many thousands of Christians were killed and the city was vandalized. The True Cross was carried off to Ctesiphon, the Sasanian capital, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was set on fire. The whole of Christendom was shocked and the people looked to Heraclius who was only about thirty-six when he was crowned emperor in Constantinople in 610. In 614 it seemed as if the Byzan- tine Empire was disintegrating because the armies of Khusru II were invading from the east and the Slavs and Avars Figure 6 – Bronze coin of Hadrian minted at Aelia Capitolina. 13 mms diameter. On the re- verse a boar walks to the right with COL above and AEL below. The boar, a wild fighting ani- Figure 4 – Silver shekel of the Second Jewish mal, was a symbol of the Tenth Roman Legion Revolt. The Hebrew word on the obverse which was based in Aelia Capitolina. It would means, “Jerusalem.” Hendin, “Guide to Bibli- also be insulting to the Jews for whom pigs cal Coins,” 1387. (Heritage Auctions, Shoshana were unclean (Leviticus 11:7). Meshorer 4. Collection, March 2012, Lot 20261) (Author’s collection) Figure 5 – Bronze coin of Hadrian minted at Aelia Capitolina. On the reverse Hadrian (or a Roman official) is ploughing with two oxen. A vexillum (Roman standard) is in the background. The ab- breviated Latin words, COL AEL KAPIT COND, mean “founding the colony of Aelia Capitolina.” This ceremony was performed whenever a Roman colony was founded. In this case it is the ful- Figure 7 – Silver drachm of Khusru II whose im- filment of the prophecy of Micah, who was a Jewish prophet who lived in Judah in about 700 age is on the obverse. On the reverse attendants BC: “Zion will be ploughed like a field.” (Micah 3:12) Meshorer 2. (Author’s collection) stand beside a fire altar. (Author’s collection) were invading from the north. But II was assassinated in a palace coup. clius entered the city at the head of a Heraclius bided his time and carefully The Sasanians agreed to return the True splendid procession. He carried the True strengthened the empire and built up his Cross and to withdraw from all the Cross himself (Figure 8) and with great military forces. By 622 he was ready to territories that they had taken. The ceremony it was returned to the Church take the offensive. Then for six years he Christians throughout the Byzantine of the Holy Sepulchre. It was a time of campaigned in the east until eventually Empire rejoiced, especially in Jerusalem celebration. he approached Ctesiphon where Khusru where in 630 with much fanfare Hera- With knowledge of the history of this tumultuous period we can now consider the coin shown in Figure 1. Was it issued in 614 during the siege of Jerusalem, or was it issued in 630 when the True Cross was returned to the city? Those who favour a date of 614 argue that the coin was issued to encourage the people dur- ing the siege. They point to a coin struck from the same obverse die that has XC NIKA (Christ conquers) in the exergue (Figure 9) and say that this reflects a time when the people looked to God for salvation. The Greek words can also be translated in the imperative: “Christ, conquer!” Moreover, ANNO II II (year 4) on the reverse has traditionally indicated the length of the emperor’s reign and because Heraclius became emperor in 610 the date would be 614. Another feature in favour of the earlier date is that the emperor on the obverse has a pointed beard which Heraclius did not have. He had been emperor for only four years and apparently the die-en- graver in Jerusalem had no image of him to copy, so he copied the image of the previous emperor, Phocas (602-610), who had a pointed beard and appeared on Figure 8 – Painting, “Heraclius carrying the Cross,” by Pierre Subleyras, 1728. The actual scene would have been different from what this artist has imagined. The Cross would have been only a remnant, not complete, and according to one account it had been sent from Persia in a crate and Heraclius left it so. (Wikimedia Commons) Figure 10 – Follis of Phocas minted at Antioch. The name of the city was changed to Theoupolis Figure 9 – Follis of Heraclius minted at Jerusalem. It is the same as the coin in Figure 1 except (City of God) after an earthquake in 528 AD. Sear, that it has XC NIKA (Christ conquers) in the exergue. Sear, Byzantine Coins, 852C. (Classical Byzantine Coins, 672. (Münzen & Medaillen, Numismatic Group, Auction 102, Lot 1150) Auction 16, Lot 1202) folles minted at Antioch. (Figure 10) True Cross Jerusalem was captured by ures 1 and 9 the die engravers would Moreover, the die engraver has given the Muslims.