Deities from Egypt on Coins of Southern Levant Laurent Bricault
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Deities from Egypt on Coins of Southern Levant Laurent Bricault To cite this version: Laurent Bricault. Deities from Egypt on Coins of Southern Levant. Israel Numismatic Re- search, 2006, 1, p. 123-135. <hal-00567311> HAL Id: hal-00567311 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00567311 Submitted on 20 Feb 2011 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destin´eeau d´ep^otet `ala diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publi´esou non, lished or not. The documents may come from ´emanant des ´etablissements d'enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche fran¸caisou ´etrangers,des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou priv´es. Israel Numismatic Research Published by the Israel Numismatic Society Volume 1 2006 Contents 3 Upon the Appearance of the First Issue of Israel Numismatic Research 5HAIM GITLER:AHacksilber and Cut Athenian Tetradrachm Hoard from the Environs of Samaria: Late Fourth Century BCE 15 CATHARINE C. LORBER: The Last Ptolemaic Bronze Emission of Tyre 21 DANNY SYON: Numismatic Evidence of Jewish Presence in Galilee before the Hasmonean Annexation? 25 OLIVER D. HOOVER: A Late Hellenistic Lead Coinage from Gaza 37 ANNE DESTROOPER: Jewish Coins Found in Cyprus 51 DANIEL HERMAN: The Coins of the Itureans 73 JEAN-PHILIPPE FONTANILLE and DONALD T. ARIEL: The Large Dated Coin of Herod the Great: The First Die Series 87 DAVID M. HOFFEDITZ: Divus of Augustus: The Influence of the Trials of Maiestas upon Pontius Pilate’s Coins 97 STEPHEN N. GERSON: A New Countermark of the Fifth Legion 101 JERZY CIECIELÀG: Anti-Jewish Policy of the Roman Empire from Vespasian until Hadrian, in the Light of Numismatic Sources – Fact or Myth? 111 DAVID HENDIN: A Bronze Test Strike from the Bar Kokhba Revolt 117 ALLA KUSHNIR-STEIN: The City-Goddess on the Weights of Ascalon 123 LAURENT BRICAULT: Deities from Egypt on the Coins of the Southern Levant 137 NIKOLAUS SCHINDEL: The End of Umayyad Coinage in Southern Bilad al-Sham 151 ROBERT KOOL: From the Horse’s Mouth: Re-Dating the Anonymous Tvrris Davit Issue 157 DANNY GOLDMAN: The Hugo Wennagel Hoard, August 25/26, 1941 — Decem- ber 7, 2003 167 REVIEW: H. Gitler and O. Tal: The Coinage of Philistia of the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BC. A Study of the Earliest Coins of Palestine. Milan 2006 (François de Callataÿ) 169 REVIEW: J. Lefort, C. Morrisson and J.-P. Sodini eds.: Les villages dans l’empire byzantin – IVe-XVe siècle. Paris 2005 (Gabriela Bijovsky) 173 REVIEW: Y. Meshorer: The Third Side of the Coin. ed. Hana Amit. Jerusalem 2006 [Hebrew] (Cecilia Meir) 177 Guidelines for Contributors 184 Abbreviations Upon the Appearance of the First Issue of Israel Numismatic Research The Israel Numismatic Society (INS) is happy to announce the publication of its new peer-reviewed journal, Israel Numismatic Research. Research of the ancient, medieval and modern coinage of this region has become increasingly relevant to multi-disciplinary studies in fields such as archaeology, history and iconography. In inaugurating Israel Numismatic Research the INS national board wishes to stress the importance of having a high level numismatic journal which appears regularly, at the end of each calendar year. The ability to publish a true annual reflects the advances in the field of numismatics in Israel over the past decade. The title of the journal signals the Society’s wish to encourage comprehensive and innovative research in the field. The focus of Israel Numismatic Research will be on coinages circulating in the southern Levant, from antiquity through to the modern era. Articles on medals, tokens, metrology, sealings and minor arts related to numismatics will also be considered for inclusion, as will book reviews. The Israel Numismatic Society is indebted to the Founders of Israel Numismatic Research without whose generosity the publication of the journal would not have been possible: David Hendin, Gil and Lisa Chaya, Stephen N. Gerson, Aba Neeman, Jonathan Rosen, Harlan J. Berk, Jay Galst, Gabriel Brener, Herbert L. Kreindler, Paul-Francis Jacquier and Ziv Zur. It is our intention that Israel Numismatic Research will offer an academic forum for both Israeli and foreign numismatists. Contributions of original research should be sent to: Israel Numismatic Research, c/o Haim Gitler, The Israel Museum, P.O. Box 71117, Jerusalem 91710 ISRAEL, or to the Editor ([email protected]). Guidelines for Contributors appear on page 177, followed by Abbreviations used in this volume. Donald T. Ariel Haim Gitler Editor President Israel Numismatic Research Israel Numismatic Society Deities from Egypt on Coins of the Southern Levant1 LAURENT BRICAULT Université de Poitiers [email protected] Abstract This paper presents the numismatic evidence on the subject of the Isiatic diffusion in the southern Levant during the Greco-Roman period. The phenomenon does not allow for generalization varying in different time periods, geographical areas, and even from one city to another. In several cases (Aelia Capitolina, Ascalon, Caesarea, ‘Akko-Ptolemais), the Isiatic types on local coinage suggests the existence of a public cult. INTRODUCTION Numismatics is a source of primary importance for studying the dissemination of the Isis cults outside Egypt during the Greco-Roman period. These cults, centered around Isis and associated divinities like Serapis, Osiris, Harpocrates, Apis and Anubis, enjoyed a lasting success.2 The abundant source material consisting of tens of thousands of coins permit- ted the creation of a database of 3,000 files embracing the Greco-Roman Mediterranean world, from the borders of the Rhine, the Iberian Peninsula, the Mauritanian shore to the Danube, the Euphrates and the Arabian desert.3 As proof of the vitality of the Isis cults in antiquity, its numismatic expressions can be traced as far as the northern and eastern shores of the Black Sea and even further eastward, in the Kushan empire (Bricault 1998:249–254). At the heart of this vast expanse, the southern Levant occupied a singular position, being subject to Phoe- nician, Egyptian, Hellenistic and Roman influences. Of the approximately 30 cities that struck coins during the Roman period in the provinces of Judea, Samaria and the Galilee — to which we add for sake of coher- ence, ‘Akko-Ptolemais — only nine used Isis or Egyptian types: six very infrequently (Ascalon, Diospolis, Eleutheropolis, Neapolis, Raphia and Tiberias), and three almost continuously from the middle of the second to the middle of the third century CE (the colonies of Caesarea Maritima, Aelia Capitolina and ‘Akko- Ptolemais). 1 Many thanks to Robert Kool who translated this paper from French, and to Michel Amandry who provided some useful references. 2 For a definition see Malaise 2005, who refers to our study, Bricault 2000a:91. 3 This database in CD-ROM format will accompany the publication of Bricault forth- coming. INR 1 (2006): 123–136 123 124 LAURENT BRICAULT SAMARIA JUDAEA GALILEE PHOENICIA Caesarea Diospolis Neapolis Capitolina Aelia Ascalon Eleuth. Raphia Tiberias Ptolemais ‘Akko- Hadrian Sb Antoninus Pius Sb Sb, Sstg Hstg Marcus Aurelius Sb Sb Sb, Ssit Hstg Sb Faustina Minor Isis- Tyche stg Marcus Aurelius & Sb Lucius Verus Lucius Verus Sb Sb, Ssit Marcus Aurelius & Sb Commodus Commodus Sb Sb, Sstg Sb Sb, Ssit Septimius Severus Sb Sb Sb Julia Domna Sb Caracalla Sb Sb (?) Sb, Sstg Sb Hb Sb Geta Sb Macrinus Sb Sb Hstg Sb Diadumenian Sb Sb Sb, Sstg Elagabalus Sb Sb Sb Sb Hstg Sb Sb Aquila Severa Sb Severus Alexander Sb Sb Sb Hb, Hstg Julia Maesa Sb Ssit, Istg Maximinus Hb, Sstg Hstg Gordian III Hb Philip Sr Sstg Philip Jr Sstg I + Hstg Trajan Decius Sstg Ssit Herennia Etruscilla Sstg Ssit Herennius Etruscus Sb, Sstg Hostilian Sb, Sstg Sstg Herennius Etruscus Sstg & Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus Sb Volusian Sstg Sstg Salonina Sb Abbreviations for the table: b = bust; H = Harpocrates; I = Isis; S = Sarapis; sit = enthroned; stg = standing Caesarea and Aelia Capitolina: Serapis is the only Egyptian divinity that appears on the coins of Caesarea and Aelia Capitolina. These are the most numer- ous types after those of Tyche. At Caesarea, the bust of this bearded god, with copious hair, draped and wearing a calathos, appeared extensively until 249 CE DEITIES FROM EGYPT ON COINS OF SOUTHERN LEVANT 125 (Pl. 17:1).4 Afterwards Serapis is depicted standing and holding a long scepter on various coins of Trajan Decius and his family (Pl. 17:2).5 At Aelia Capitolina, the bust of Serapis is depicted (Pl. 17:3),6 as is the god enthroned with Cerberus at his 4 Citations for the bust of Serapis type (Caesarea): Emperor BMC Pal. CNP 2 Rosenberger 1975 SNG ANS 6 Hadrian 58–63 28 29 767 Antoninus Pius 36 30 Marcus Aurelius Caesar 79–82 38 32 776 Marcus Aurelius Augustus 83–91 40 33 777–779 Lucius Verus 98 52–53 40–41 782 Commodus 100–107 59 45 783–785 Septimus Severus 64 Caracalla 68–70 54–56 794 Macrinus 76 64 Diadumenian 110–115 78 67 801 Elagabalus 116–117 82–84 72–75 Severus Alexander 89 Suppl. 5 Julia Maesa Suppl. 4 Hostilian 194 Trebonius Gallus 205 5 Citations for the standing Serapis type (Caesarea): Emperor BMC Pal. CNP 2 Rosenberger 1975 SNG ANS 6 Trajan Decius 131 117 Herennia Etruscilla 171 166 137 Hostilian 189–190 195–196 159–160 849 Volusian 225 221–222 183 6 Citations for the bust of Serapis type (Aelia Capitolina): Emperor BMC Pal CNP 1 Rosenberger Meshorer SNG Others 1972 1989 ANS 6 Antoninus Pius Caesar 13–14 18 13–13ª 593 Antoninus Pius Augustus 15–16 19 28 Marcus Aurelius Caesar 48 Marcus Aurelius Augustus 47 Marcus Aurelius & Lucius 51–53 58–60 35 Verus Lucius Verus 69 Marcus Aurelius & 55–56 63 57 607 Commodus Commodus 79–80 43 71 613 Septimus Severus 44 2 (Barag 1990–1991) Caracalla 91 55 (SNG Milan; cor- rected legend) Macrinus 101 56 104 Diadumenian 105 suppl.