The Coin that Shook the World

http://ancient-coins.com/articles/hasmonean/
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Ahab.html

Do you now see the Kingdom? Did you ever think there was so much, in 
so few words in regards to John the Baptist.

"Seek, and thou shall find."

Jon 

The Hasmoneans were willing to incorporate similar titles
and motifs, such as the anchor symbols, cornucopiae, and even
diadems but placing their images on coinage was so closely
identified with ruler cults, that this clearly crossed the line of
cult verses culture. The inscriptions on the shekels of Tyre show a
distancing from these ruler cults. Rather than having the name of a
dynast on the shekel, it reads, "of Tyre the holy and city of
refuge".

Looking at the obverse of the shekels of Tyre, one sees the powerful
bust of Melqart. It is difficult to conceive of the local Jewish
population readily accepting this graven image on coinage used for
holy purposes. However, there is a fascinating, yet far-reaching,
link between the Jews and Melqart. As the Phoenicians became more
Hellenize, Melqart became equated with Heracles. Josephus provides
in his Antiquities a genealogy of the Forefathers of the Jewish
people. His discussion states that Heracles married one of the
granddaughter's of the Patriarch Abraham. From this lineage the
barbarous people called the Sophacians were derived (15). Josephus
and other Jewish writers had an agenda for creating legends such as
these. The manipulating of Greek stories and myths was done to
create a shared sense of national cultural identity. By showing
that the Greek traditions and Hero's were dependent on the
characters of the Torah, these Jewish writers attempted to
demonstrate the superiority of the doctrines of the Torah over
Hellenistic traditions. Despite the above-mentioned story linking
Heracles to the Jewish people, we have evidence that the Jews did
not fully accept Heracles and the Hellenistic traditional
surrounding him. In Maccabees 2:4:18-20, we see Jason the high
priest sending 300 silver drachms to Tyre for a sacrifice to
Heracles. The Jewish ambassadors who were sent to represent Jason
did not agree with the use of these funds and convinced the Tyrians
to use the money for building triremes. It appears that using this
money for a sacrifice to Heracles was too close to crossing the
boundary of cult verses culture mentioned above. While the more
pious Jews would not be swayed to accept Melqart's graven image on
coins, stories such as Josephus's might have allowed less religious
Jews to more readily accept Melqart's image on the shekel of Tyre.---
 
--- In davincicodefans@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jon Presco" 
<montrose44@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> Did Salome dance for a Silver Shekel, that is, the image John 
> Melicertes head on silver platter?
> 
> Jon Presco
> 
> HELLENISTIC INFLUENCES ON HASMONEAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS GRAVEN 
IMAGES 
> AND SILVER SHEKELS OF TYRE 
> 
> By Ronn Berrol
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
> In the ancient world the use of imagery on coinage was quite 
> ubiquitous.  An incredibly diverse variety of images can be found 
on 
> early Greek coinage.  Initially the Greek custom was to place 
images 
> of local deities, mythological hero's (as well as these hero's 
> attributes), and even visual puns on the names of the Greek Cities 
> (such as a rose for the city of Rhodes (1)).  Later, as the city-
> states were replaced by the kingdoms of the Hellenistic period, 
> ruler portraits came to dominate the obverse of coins.  Despite 
the 
> fact that most coinage in the Hellenistic age had images of local 
> rulers, ancient Jewish coinage is known for its paucity of 
> portraiture on coins.  This is particularly evident on the coinage 
> of the Hasmoneans. The reasons for the Jewish aversion to placing 
> certain images on coins is directly related to religious 
> restrictions recorded in the Torah.  The religious prohibition in 
> Deuteronomy (4:16-19, 5:8) and Exodus (20:3-4,23) clearly state 
that 
> the making of graven images is forbidden.  According to 
Deuteronomy 
> graven images are considered anything in the shape of a man or 
> woman, any animal, bird, reptile or fish.  One of the fascinating 
> aspects of Jewish history and art is why in certain eras this 
> prohibition was enforced more stringently and in other eras more 
> loosely.  An interesting paradox of the Hasmonean period is the 
> widespread use and tolerance of the silver shekel of Tyre for 
> payment of the annual temple tax.
> 
>   
> 
> The shekel of Tyre (figure 1) is an impressive coin, weighing 
14gms 
> and consisting of almost pure silver (92-96%).  The obverse shows 
a 
> bust of Melqart, with a laureate head.  The reverse demonstrates 
an 
> eagle standing on a prow.  Clearly both sides of this important 
coin 
> have graven images as defined by the Torah.
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Recently David Hendin discussed the complex issue of allowing 
> payment of the Temple Tax with the shekel of Tyre, despite visible 
> graven images noted on both sides of this famous coin.  I refer 
all 
> readers to the February 2002 edition of the Celator, Tyre Coins 
and 
> Graven Images. .  As has been adequately documented by others, the 
> use of graven images on Jewish coins, buildings and artwork has a 
> rather inconsistent history.  As Hendin says in his article, 
> Numismatic Expressions of Jewish Sovereignty (2), "The Persian and 
> Samarian coins struck in the fourth century B.C.E. in ancient 
Judaea 
> and Samaria virtually all portray various graven images.  And, 
there 
> are other uses of graven images in Jewish art beginning almost 
> immediately after the rule of the Hasmoneans, through Talmudic 
> times, and right up to the present day Jewish State."  The 
question 
> is, why did this change in the Hasmonean period, and why was an 
> allowance apparently made for the use of the shekels of Tyre?  In 
> fact, the Jews were practically commanded to use only this form of 
> payment for the temple tax. (Tosefta, Ketubbot 13,20).
> 
>   
> 
> Prior to the Maccabean (the Maccabees are also known as the 
> Hasmoneans) revolt in 167 B.C.E., there was significant evidence 
of 
> Jewish Hellenization within Judaea and the temple cult.  Although 
we 
> traditionally think of Antiochus IV (175-164 B.C.E.) as being the 
> sole culprit for the Hasmonean Revolt, the truth is that there was 
a 
> significant push for Hellenizing Judaea from within.  Various 
> political parties with different agendas were striving to control 
> Judaea.  Lee I. Levine writes, "The Macabees revolted in response 
to 
> the persecutions imposed by the king and, according to Bickerman 
and 
> others at least, the instigation of radical Jewish Hellenizers." 
> (3).  Among, the Hasmoneans there was a very real perception that 
> Judaism was being threatened by a shift towards paganism.  What 
the 
> Maccabean revolt represented was a move towards a more 
> fundamentalist approach to Judaism.  For a brief period of time, 
> under Simon Maccabee, the Hasmoneans and the more pious factions 
> appeared to be united in their goals of religious and political 
> autonomy.  However, once the Jews regained Jerusalem in 164 
B.C.E., 
> the Maccabees began to slowly relax their fundamentalist 
leanings.  
> This was the beginning of a slowly evolving split with their 
> religious populace allies.  The Hasmoneans very rapidly began to 
> develop a more tolerant view of Hellenism as it applied directly 
to 
> affairs of state (4).  Once the Temple had been regained and 
> rededicated the war against the Seleucids changed from a battle 
> against religious persecution to one of establishing an autonomous 
> state in the full Hellenistic sense. Martin Hengel 
indicates, "After 
> the Maccabean revolution, the apostasy to paganism was no more a 
> danger in Jewish Palestine; political-religious identity had 
become 
> stronger in spite of the steady new progress of "Hellenization" 
> (5).  The history of Hasmonean rule became an attempt to build a 
> Hellenistic state based on a Jewish national theocracy.
> 
>   
> 
> Under John Hyrcanus (135-104 B.C.E.) the Hasmonean leadership 
> increasingly consolidated their power.  This consolidation led to 
a 
> distancing from the pious factions and the original aims of the 
> Maccabean movement.  Here we begin to see Hyrcanus align himself 
> with the more aristocratic and Hellenized Sadducees and away from 
> the Pharisees who wanted a more strict interpretation of the 
Torah.  
> The Sadducees were much more amenable to religious compromise (6).
> 
>   
> 
> It should be noted that there is a precedent for the use of 
> figurative art in the Hasmonean period.  The tomb of Jason in 
> Jerusalem is from the time of the Hasmoneans (7).  Jason may have 
> been from a priestly family and was most likely aligned with the 
> Sadducees.  On his tomb are figurative displays of merchant 
vessels, 
> warships, a gazelle, and a menorah.  Of further note, Jason's tomb 
> has inscriptions in both Aramaic and Greek.  Clearly there were 
> certain allowances concerning "graven images".
> 
>   
> 
> It is now generally accepted that the requirement of the temple 
tax 
> of one-half silver shekel for all men over the age of 20 was 
> strictly enforced only from the advent of Hasmonean rule.  This 
> enforcement required the use of silver coinage.  Although the 
> Hasmoneans began the minting of autonomous coins, their lack of 
> silver resources made the minting of silver coinage impractical.  
> The institution of the temple tax was meant to be an economic 
> stimulus to the temple cult; re-minting silver coins donated to 
the 
> Temple was a costly and impractical solution.
> 
>   
> 
> From around 200 B.C.E. the local economy of Judaea became linked 
to 
> that of the Seleucid Empire.  Seleucid silver coinage became 
> dominant in the region.  We can only speculate as to what prompted 
> the Jews to begin using Tyrian shekels for payment of the temple 
tax 
> rather than the local circulating Seleucid coinage.  The Jews had 
> just fought a long, drawn out war for independence with the 
> Seleucids.  The memory of the oppressive Seleucid regime might 
have 
> made the use of Seleucid silver distasteful to the Jews.  This is 
> especially significant since the reverse of many Seleucid 
> tetradrachms had images of Zeus on the reverse (It should be 
> remembered that Antiochus IV had attempted to make the holy temple 
> in Jerusalem a temple of the cult of Zeus).  In addition, the 
> Seleucids were undergoing a series of dynastic wars following the 
> death of Antiochus IV.  Seleucid coinage began to change very 
> rapidly, with each dynast minting unique coinage.  Conveniently, 
> Tyre in 126 B.C.E had just regained their autonomy from the 
Seleucid 
> yoke as well.  They immediately began to mint their own high-grade 
> silver coinage, the silver shekels of Tyre.  The Tyrians issued 
> coins that were to be of a consistent weight, purity and 
iconography 
> for approximately 106 years (from 19 B.C.E. to 65 C.E. there is a 
> controversy as to who continued to issue the shekels of Tyre).  
The 
> consistency of these shekels of Tyre offered a great advantage as 
a 
> coin for payment of the temple tax.  It also may have been more 
> acceptable to use the coinage of Tyre because they had also 
recently 
> won autonomy from the hated Seleucids.  There is strong evidence 
for 
> local trade and commerce between Tyre and North Judaea, 
specifically 
> the Galilee.  Joyce Raynor and Ya'akov Meshorer concluded 
that, "Of 
> the Phoenician cities, Tyre continued to be the focus of economic 
> activity and contact with the populace of Meiron (located in the 
> upper Galilee)?..Tyrian Influence on the Upper Galilee was 
> continuous and substantial". (8).  Danny Syon provides impressive 
> evidence for further economic ties between Tyre and Judaea.  Of 
972 
> city coins found at Gamala, an exclusively Jewish city located in 
> the Golan Heights, just over 74% of these coins were from Tyre 
(9).  
> Sean Freyne has made the argument that because the Tyrians were 
only 
> trying to expand their commerce and not their culture and cultic 
> religion to the Galilee, that the use of Tyrian shekels was more 
> tolerable to the Hasmoneans (10).  These findings support a 
secular 
> economic policy by the Hasmoneans.  What we cannot know is if 
> economic concerns took precedence over religious concerns.
> 
>   
> 
> Although there is much vitriolic literature against the Greeks, 
the 
> Hasmoneans were not above using innovations and tools of 
Hellenistic 
> influence that advanced their needs.  The literature of Maccabees 
2 
> is fiercely anti-Greek, lauding the rebellion of the Jews against 
> Antiochus, yet it is written in Greek, not Aramaic.  The 
Hasmoneans 
> set up their state along Hellenistic lines.  They had a Greek 
style 
> army, with foreign pagan mercenaries included.  Tax collecting was 
> modeled along the lines of the Greeks as well.  Eventually the 
> Hasmonean Kings also adopted Greek names.  Even the Jewish 
festival 
> of Hannukah has Hellenistic overtones.  Hannukah, which celebrates 
> the Jewish victory over the Seleucids, was instituted by the 
> Hasmoneans and was the first Jewish Holiday not sanctioned by the 
> Torah.   The instituting of a holiday to commemorate a historical 
> event was a Hellenistic custom (11). Elias Bickerman summarized 
this 
> sentiment as follows; "Judah (Maccabee) imitated the practice of 
his 
> enemies, but at the same time incorporated it into Judasim."(12) 
It 
> appears that what develops is an unofficial rule that Hellenistic 
> culture is acceptable, but Hellenistic cults are not.  Thus, if 
> something appeared to cross this line and border on adopting 
cultic 
> practices then it could not be tolerated.  If the use of the 
Tyrian 
> shekels was considered a part of the Hellenistic culture, and not 
of 
> the cult of Mel kart, then we can understand how its usage was 
> acceptable to a majority of Judaean society. 
> 
>   
> 
> A possible example of this unwritten rule concerns the golden 
eagle 
> that Herod mounted on the great gate of the Holy Temple.  It's 
> presence caused much debate and turmoil in the city, and when it 
was 
> rumored that King Herod was near death, a mob got together and cut 
> it down. (War of the Jews 1:32:2) This eagle may have represented 
a 
> threat to the Temple Cult, whereas the eagle on the reverse of the 
> shekels of Tyre did not.  Goodenough (13) has made the case that 
> eagles had Jewish connotations and were acceptable symbols to the 
> Jews.  The fact that the eagle had religious significance to the 
> Jews could have made the reverse on the shekel of Tyre, which 
> similarly had an eagle displayed, a non-offensive symbol.  A.H.M. 
> Jones (13) felt that the disturbance around the eagle on the holy 
> gate was because Herod used the eagle in a Roman context and not a 
> Jewish one.  Interestingly, the only graven image found on coins 
of 
> Herod's reign are that of an eagle found on the reverse of small 
> bronze leptons (Figure 2).
> 
>   
> 
>     
> 
> 
> As we alluded to at the beginning of this paper, Jewish attitudes 
> towards graven images were much more liberal in the 4th century 
> B.C.E.  A pertinent question is what changed the Jewish attitude 
> towards graven images after this period and up to the advent of 
> Hasmonean rule?  It was not until the conquests of Alexander the 
> Great and his death that rulers began to regularly place their own 
> images on their coins.   What develops quite rapidly is the 
concept 
> of "Ruler Cults".  These "Ruler Cults" were to be one of the most 
> characteristic phenomena of the Hellenistic period (14).  Very 
> quickly we see portraiture on coinage and deification going hand 
in 
> hand.  Cults of Alexander, Ptolemy and Seleukos quickly sprung 
up.  
> With this background in mind it becomes easier to understand why 
the 
> Hasmoneans begin to shun the use of portraiture and graven images 
> upon their own autonomous coinage, especially as it applies to the 
> deutoronometric prohibition of graven images.  The placement of 
> Hasmonean likenesses on coins was too great a compromise of 
> religious principles.  That was a line that the Pharisees and 
> general populace could not endure.  However, the fact that the 
> shekels of Tyre were minted by Tyrians and not Jews probably 
> conferred a level of acceptance on their use despite the noted 
> graven images.
> 
>   
> 
> Hasmoneans coinage did borrow many conventions from the 
Hellenistic 
> societies that they bordered.  The epigraphy from Hasmonean 
coinage 
> is strikingly similar to that noted on contemporary Hellenistic 
> coinage.  Monograms of the Hasmonean coinage begin to call the 
> Hasmonean leaders king.  These monograms are written in both 
Aramaic 
> and Greek.  Clearly this did not cross the boundary of cult verses 
> culture mentioned above.  However, the Hasmonean kings would not 
> cross the line of placing their own images on coins.  The local 
> Greek dynast routinely placed their likeness on imperial coinage.  
> The same dynast consistently developed ruler cults in which these 
> kings were considered "gods incarnate".  Nowhere is this more 
> vividly demonstrated then in the case of Antiochus IV who went by 
> the moniker, Antiochus " Epiphanes", or "god manifest".  The 
message 
> was clear, these kings were attempting to appear to the people as 
> deities.  The Hasmoneans were willing to incorporate similar 
titles 
> and motifs, such as the anchor symbols, cornucopiae, and even 
> diadems but placing their images on coinage was so closely 
> identified with ruler cults, that this clearly crossed the line of 
> cult verses culture.  The inscriptions on the shekels of Tyre show 
a 
> distancing from these ruler cults.  Rather than having the name of 
a 
> dynast on the shekel, it reads, "of Tyre the holy and city of 
> refuge".
> 
>   
> 
> Looking at the obverse of the shekels of Tyre, one sees the 
powerful 
> bust of Melqart.  It is difficult to conceive of the local Jewish 
> population readily accepting this graven image on coinage used for 
> holy purposes.  However, there is a fascinating, yet far-reaching, 
> link between the Jews and Melqart.  As the Phoenicians became more 
> Hellenize, Melqart became equated with Heracles.  Josephus 
provides 
> in his Antiquities a genealogy of the Forefathers of the Jewish 
> people.  His discussion states that Heracles married one of the 
> granddaughter's of the Patriarch Abraham. From this lineage the 
> barbarous people called the Sophacians were derived (15).  
Josephus 
> and other Jewish writers had an agenda for creating legends such 
as 
> these.  The manipulating of Greek stories and myths was done to 
> create a shared sense of national cultural identity.  By showing 
> that the Greek traditions and Hero's were dependent on the 
> characters of the Torah, these Jewish writers attempted to 
> demonstrate the superiority of the doctrines of the Torah over 
> Hellenistic traditions.  Despite the above-mentioned story linking 
> Heracles to the Jewish people, we have evidence that the Jews did 
> not fully accept Heracles and the Hellenistic traditional 
> surrounding him.  In Maccabees 2:4:18-20, we see Jason the high 
> priest sending 300 silver drachms to Tyre for a sacrifice to 
> Heracles.  The Jewish ambassadors who were sent to represent Jason 
> did not agree with the use of these funds and convinced the 
Tyrians 
> to use the money for building triremes.  It appears that using 
this 
> money for a sacrifice to Heracles was too close to crossing the 
> boundary of cult verses culture mentioned above.  While the more 
> pious Jews would not be swayed to accept Melqart's graven image on 
> coins, stories such as Josephus's might have allowed less 
religious 
> Jews to more readily accept Melqart's image on the shekel of Tyre.
> 
>   
> 
> There is a sense that the religious and political tension between 
> the more orthodox Phariseenic sect and the Hellenizing Hasmonean 
> leadership was a constant balancing act.  When Jonathan the 
Maccabee 
> became High Priest control of this important office became an 
> inherited position for the Hasmoneans.  This office conferred 
> enormous religious power upon the Hasmoneans.  The High Priesthood 
> held significant psychological influence on the people and brought 
> the Hasmoneans control of the Temple and its vast economic 
> treasures.  The Priesthood also gave them a say in official 
> interpretations of the Torah (16).  Eventually though, toward the 
> end of Jannaesus's reign, the Pharisees began to win over the 
> people.  Phariseenic influence was on the rise and the Hasmoneans 
> were forced to make concessions to them.  Late in the reign of 
> Alexander Jannaeus, under Phariseenic pressure the royal diadem 
seen 
> on certain Hasmonean coinage was removed (14).  Apparently the 
> Pharisees disapproved of the use of the title of King along side 
the 
> title of High Priest used by Jannaeus on his coinage.  The use of 
> Aramaic on Hasmonean coinage was probably another concession to 
the 
> Pharisees as well (18).
> 
>   
> 
> The Jews of Judaea were not the only ones affected by the temple 
> tax.  Jews from the diaspora made annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem 
> and sent significant monetary contributions to the Temple.  Many 
> communities collected the annual half-shekel tax from all eligible 
> males and then sent the funds along to the temple in Jerusalem.  
> These communities were routinely exposed to Hellenistic influences 
> and were much less strict in their upholding Mosaic law.  It would 
> have been very common for the Jews in these dispersed communities 
to 
> routinely use coinage with graven images for almost all financial 
> transactions of daily life.  They would have had no problem paying 
> their temple tax with shekels of Tyre.  Eventually these Jewish 
> diaspora communities established a permanent presence in Jerusalem 
> (19).  These permanent communities and the constant stream of 
> pilgrims no doubt influenced Jewish life in Judaea.  These 
> influences were resisted by the more religious Jews of Jerusalem, 
> but never the less infiltrated Jewish society at all levels (20).
> 
>   
> 
> In 37 B.C.E. the Hasmonean dynasty ended with the defeat of 
> Mattathias Antigonus.  In the months before the defeat of 
Antigonus, 
> at the hands of Herod and his Roman allies, he minted a most 
unusual 
> coin that appears to have broken prohibitions forbidding the 
> representation of certain sacred temple objects.  The coin in 
> question (Figure 3) has a seven-branched menorah on the obverse 
and 
> a showbread table on the reverse.  The prohibition referred to 
above 
> comes not from the Torah, but rather from the Talmud.  "A man may 
> not make a house after the design of the Temple, a courtyard after 
> the design of the Temple court, a table after the design of the 
> table (the showbread-table), or a candelabrum (menorah) after the 
> design of the Candelabrum.  He may, however, make one with five, 
six 
> of eight, but with seven he may not make it even though it be of 
> other metals" (Babylon Talmud, Avodah Zarah 43).   The Talmud was 
> compiled from 200-500 C.E., so we cannot accurately determine when 
> this prohibition was issued. However, the fact that the coins of 
the 
> First Jewish Revolt and the Bar-Kokhba Revolt shun these images 
> argues for the fact that this prohibition was recognized long 
before 
> the compilation of the Talmud.  The use of the menorah and 
showbread 
> table on Antigonus's coinage must have been quite provocative.
> 
>  
> 
>     
> 
> 
> Slowly a further testing of the boundaries of tolerance concerning 
> images on coinage began.  In 1-2 C.E.,  Philip the son of Herod 
> places his image on coinage, but these were coins meant for the 
> gentile populations under his domain.  Agrippa I also placed his 
> image on some of his coinage.  Although both of these rulers felt 
> confident enough to place their portrait on coinage, neither 
> attempted this in areas of heavily Jewish populated territory.  In 
> 87/88 C.E. Agrippa II minted the only known Jewish coin with a 
truly 
> pagan figure.  The coin (Figure 4) shows on its reverse the God 
> Pan.  This coin was probably minted in the city of Paneas whose 
> chief deity was Pan (21).  Coinage of Agrippa II are also known to 
> have images of Tyche, Nike and Moneta on the reverse flans.
> 
>  
> 
>     
> 
> 
> In 66 C.E. the First Jewish Revolt against Rome began.  This 
> heralded another period of increased religious fervor, with a 
> temporary uniting of various Jewish factions.  The coinage of this 
> period adheres much more strictly to the prohibitions against 
graven 
> images.  This era bears coinage with truly unique Jewish images 
and 
> epigraphy with similarly unique Zionist slogans.  There is no 
trace 
> of compromising religious restrictions as seen on the coinage of 
the 
> Hasmoneans.  The Bar-Kokhba Revolt would yield further coins with 
> unique Jewish religious and political ideological references and 
> imagery.  Soon after the Bar-Kokhba Revolt we see a rapid increase 
> in the use of graven images in Jewish architecture and art.  The 
> emerging acceptance of figurative art is exemplified by a story 
> concerning Rabbi Gamaliel II.  Around 100-120 C.E, Gamaliel was 
seen 
> bathing in the bathhouse of Aphrodite in Acco.  When his students 
> questioned him about his visiting a Roman bath with a statue of 
> Aphrodite, he answered, ". that which they refer to as a god is 
> forbidden and that which is not referred to as a god is 
permitted."  
> Gamaliel essentially tells his students that the intended purpose 
of 
> the graven images should dictate their attitude towards such 
images. 
> So, if the objects are intended for cult worship, they are to be 
> avoided, otherwise they are permitted.  Thus we see a return 
towards 
> more liberal interpretations of the prohibition against graven 
> images.  This more liberal use of such imagery continues to this 
day.
> 
>   
> 
> This discussion has attempted to demonstrate that in the Hasmonean 
> era the religious prohibition concerning graven images was a 
complex 
> issue with many subtleties of application.  These subtleties 
allowed 
> for the usage of coins such as the shekel of Tyre with minimal 
> protest.  The shekels were a practical coin that allowed the 
> Hasmoneans to collect precious resources of silver.  This silver 
was 
> a great boom to the temple cult.  The fact that the Hasmoneans did 
> not have to mint their own silver coinage allowed this precious 
> silver to be used to maximize the economic power of the temple and 
> the Priests.  Still, there is difficulty in satisfactorily 
> explaining how the image of Melqart, a graven image, could be 
> acceptable to the local Jewish population.  We might hypothesize 
> that the good relations with Tyre, the fact that the Tyrians had 
> gained autonomy from the hated Seleucids, and the fact that the 
> Tyrians did not try to import their own religious ideals, made the 
> shekel of Tyre palatable to the Jews.  The answer may also lie in 
> simple economics rather than religious piety.  Before the 
Hasmonean 
> dynasty, during the early second temple period, the traditional 
> temple tax had been one-third of a Persian siglos (22) (Nehemiah 
> 10:33-34).  Under the Hasmoneans the tax was increased to one-half 
a 
> shekel.  With the siglos weighing 5.8gms grams and the shekel 
> weighing 14 grams, we see an immediate economic impact.  In one 
fell-
> swoop the tax was increased from 1.93 grams to 7 grams, a 363% 
> increase in income for the Temple and the Hasmoneans who 
controlled 
> the temple cult.  Finally, we must remember that the Hasmoneans 
did 
> control the High Priesthood, the ultimate authority of the 
Temple.  
> The Hasmoneans brought a secular attitude to the Jewish theocratic 
> state.  When the Jews gained full autonomy from the Seleucids, the 
> Hasmoneans needed an immediate source of funds to continue the 
> maintenance of the newly independent Temple.  It was under this 
> secular influenced authority that the shekels of Tyre began to be 
> used for payment of the temple tax.  By the time that the 
Pharisees 
> regained significant religious authority under Alexandra Salome 
(76-
> 67 B.C.E.) the shekel of Tyre had already been in use for 50 years 
> and was readily accepted by everyone.
> 
>   
> 
> Finally, I would like to briefly mention how this entire 
discussion 
> applies to a current controversy in Jewish numismatics.  A popular 
> theory advocated by Meshorer is that the minting of Tyrian shekels 
> was transferred to Jerusalem around 19 B.C.E (23)**.  Meshorer 
> indicates that Herod built a mint in Jerusalem for just such a 
> purpose.  We know that Herod took great pains not to offend the 
> religious sensibilities of the Jews, hoping this would help win 
> their acceptance.  We have already seen that aside from the use of 
> the eagle mentioned above, Herod scrupulously avoided all use of 
> graven images on his coins.  The logical question is why didn't 
> Herod change the graven images on the shekels of Tyre once he got 
> control of the minting of these coins?  There is ample evidence 
that 
> other client kings minted their own quasi-autonomous silver 
coinage, 
> such as the kingdoms of Pontus, Mauretania, and Nabataea (24).  
Most 
> numismatists agree that the only reason for the continued minting 
of 
> the shekels of Tyre at this time was to full fill the Jewish 
> religious requirement for payment of the temple tax.  It is beyond 
> the scope of this paper to begin to answer this question.  
However, 
> the fact that the question is raised points to the subtle nuances 
of 
> the use of graven images in general.
> 
>   
> 
> The Hasmonean era became a progressive attempt by the Hasmonean 
> leadership to straddle the needs of a Jewish religious state and 
> their own desires to be seen as kings in the Hellenistic sense.  
> Much of the Hasmonean period was a balancing between incorporating 
> Hellenistic culture while excluding the cults.  The use of the 
> shekel of Tyre for payment of the temple tax is a singular example 
> of this dualism.  While this discussion cannot fully explain how 
the 
> shekels of Tyre could be used so openly without infringing on the 
> prohibition against the use of graven images, I hope that I have 
> shown in greater detail the complexity of this paradox.
> --- In PoS-Roots@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jon Presco" <montrose44@xxxx> 
> wrote:
> > 
> > Didn't John the Baptist hurl a coinat a castle?
> > 
> > Jon
> > 
> > http://ancient-coins.com/articles/hasmonean/
> > http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Ahab.html
> > 
> > 
> > "After the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel, Samaria experienced a 
> > period of renewed construction. The wide avenues were narrowed 
to 
> > make room for the houses of the priests of Ba'al Melqart, whom 
> > Jezebel worshiped. Not forty houses for forty priests, but four 
> > hundred, and then again another fifty. Jezebel's father was not 
> only 
> > the king of Tyre but also a priest of Ba'al Melqart. So Ahab 
> > commanded a temple to be built to the god of his wife and her 
> > father. In an elevated space within the city walls the land was 
> > excavated, pillars were raised, a house of lovely proportion was 
> > hewn of stone and cypress and cedar. Now thousands of people 
could 
> > worship the god whom the Tyrians believed to control the skies 
and 
> > bless the earth with rain and rich fertility: Sky-strider! Cloud-
> > rider, Ba'al Melqart.
> > 
> > But fertility needs a female. The gods must be male and female 
> > together in order to produce fruit. Therefore, Asherah, the 
> goddess 
> > consort of Ba'al, also entered Israel and Samaria. And she 
> required 
> > priests, and they required houses. So the streets grew narrower: 
> > four hundred more houses for four hundred more priests. And all 
> > these servants of Ba'al, together with their families and their 
> > servants - a very great company - ate at the queen's table. 
Eight 
> > hundred and fifty Tyrian priests were supported by the state.
> > For Jezebel intended to do more than worship the gods of her 
> > homeland. She wanted as well to enlighten the rude people of 
this 
> > backward nation, that they would worship her gods too. Thus the 
> > great number of priests: she had come with a zeal. The Lord of 
> > Israel was law-hard and austere. He was the God of a stony code, 
a 
> > mountain deity of wind and earthquake and frightening fires. 
Such 
> > holiness lacked all sweetness. Let Israel compare green fields 
> with 
> > the forbidding mountain and make a choice.
> > The temple which Ahab built for Ba'al Melqart and Asherah was as 
> > luxurious as their religion. Within its pillars there was 
neither 
> > l--- In davincicodefans@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jon Presco" 
> <montrose44@xxxx> wrote:
> > 
> > Didn't John the Baptist hurl a coin at a castle?
> > 
> > Jon
> > 
> > http://ancient-coins.com/articles/hasmonean/
> > http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Ahab.html
> > 
> > 
> > "After the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel, Samaria experienced a 
> > period of renewed construction. The wide avenues were narrowed 
to 
> > make room for the houses of the priests of Ba'al Melqart, whom 
> > Jezebel worshiped. Not forty houses for forty priests, but four 
> > hundred, and then again another fifty. Jezebel's father was not 
> only 
> > the king of Tyre but also a priest of Ba'al Melqart. So Ahab 
> > commanded a temple to be built to the god of his wife and her 
> > father. In an elevated space within the city walls the land was 
> > excavated, pillars were raised, a house of lovely proportion was 
> > hewn of stone and cypress and cedar. Now thousands of people 
could 
> > worship the god whom the Tyrians believed to control the skies 
and 
> > bless the earth with rain and rich fertility: Sky-strider! Cloud-
> > rider, Ba'al Melqart.
> > 
> > But fertility needs a female. The gods must be male and female 
> > together in order to produce fruit. Therefore, Asherah, the 
> goddess 
> > consort of Ba'al, also entered Israel and Samaria. And she 
> required 
> > priests, and they required houses. So the streets grew narrower: 
> > four hundred more houses for four hundred more priests. And all 
> > these servants of Ba'al, together with their families and their 
> > servants - a very great company - ate at the queen's table. 
Eight 
> > hundred and fifty Tyrian priests were supported by the state.
> > For Jezebel intended to do more than worship the gods of her 
> > homeland. She wanted as well to enlighten the rude people of 
this 
> > backward nation, that they would worship her gods too. Thus the 
> > great number of priests: she had come with a zeal. The Lord of 
> > Israel was law-hard and austere. He was the God of a stony code, 
a 
> > mountain deity of wind and earthquake and frightening fires. 
Such 
> > holiness lacked all sweetness. Let Israel compare green fields 
> with 
> > the forbidding mountain and make a choice.
> > The temple which Ahab built for Ba'al Melqart and Asherah was as 
> > luxurious as their religion. Within its pillars there was 
neither 
> > darkness nor dread nor severity - but lightness, luminance, soft 
> > fountains of a gentle water, and kindness to every sense of the 
> > body. But on the day that this pleasant edifice was dedicated to 
> her 
> > gods, a man stood up in the streets of the city and 
cried, ''Ahab! 
> > Ahab!''
> > 1. MYTH:  Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C.E., two thousand 
> years 
> > before the rise of Islam. 
> >   
> > CORRECTON:  Jerusalem never became a nation in 1312 BC.  The 
fact 
> is 
> > that the Israelite tribes invaded the land of Canaan in the 13th 
> > century BC, settled in the hills, and intermarried with the 
> existing 
> > population, thus negating  their tribal purity.  They did not 
> > establish a nation in 1312 BC.  There were various Israelite 
> rulers 
> > who had small kingdoms for short periods of time in the land of 
> > Canaan.  There was only one kingdom that was called 
the "kingdom  
> of 
> > Israel," and that was the Northern Kingdom formed after the 
death 
> of 
> > King Solomon.  The Northern Israelites tried to establish a 
Jewish 
> > state in what is called Samaria, and they called it the Kingdom 
of 
> > Israel.  It was not a  "Jewish state," but was a secular state 
> made 
> > up of many peoples and religions, and the majority of the 
> population 
> > followed the Canaanite religions.  This state lasted between 
927 - 
> > 722 BC, that is, for 205 years. This state was formed as a 
result 
> of 
> > a resentment for Solomon's secular state, yet this kingdom did 
not 
> > succeed in establishing a strictly Jewish nation.  King Jeroboam 
> > worshipped Canaanite gods, King Omri married a Phoenician woman, 
> > Jezebel, and they worshiped Baal.  King Ahab worshipped Baal, 
and 
> > the Omri dynasty built a temple of worship to the Canaanite god 
> > Melqart.  The Canaanite religion dominated the Northern kingdom. 
> >   
> > Prior to this period, the kingdoms of David and Solomon were 
very 
> > secular in nature.  Most of the people in Solomon's kingdom were 
> not 
> > of Israelite stock.  Even Solomon's heir, King Rehoboam, was the 
> son 
> > of an Ammonite.  Racial  purity, (as dictated by the Halakhah) 
was 
> > not common in those days.  The Israelites were mixed with other 
> > peoples, like the Egyptians.  Moses' wife was a Midianite.  
> Solomon 
> > had seven hundred wives, a tactic he used to unite tribes and 
make 
> > alliances.  Solomon's kingdom was so secular, that he built a 
> temple 
> > for the Moabite god Chemosh, and one for the Ammonite god 
Milcom, 
> as 
> > well as others. 
> >   
> > There were other small "Israelite kingdoms" that existed for 
very 
> > short periods of time.  Between 1037-1018 BC (19 years), King 
Saul 
> > ruled a small Israelite kingdom that was made up of Israelites 
and 
> > Canaanites.  It was not 
> > a "Jewish state."  Between 1018 -1011 BC (7 years), King David 
> ruled 
> > Judah, and between 1011-978 BC (33 years), ruled over Israel and 
> > Judah.  The population of these kingdoms were mixed in races and 
> > religions.  Jebus was 
> > a Canaanite city which he made his capital and renamed it 
> > Jerusalem.  Between 978 - 938 BC (40 years) King Solomon ruled 
> over 
> > a secular kingdom. After his death, Solomon's kingdom was 
divided 
> > into two states: 
> >   
> >     The Kingdom of Israel in the North 
> >     The Kingdom of Judah in the South. 
> >   
> > Between 927 - 586 BC (341 years) was the kingdom of Judah.  
> Between 
> > 927 - 722 BC (205 years) was the kingdom of Israel which was 
> > conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and this area was then 
> > conquered by the Babylonians in 
> > 605 BC. 
> >   
> > If we are to consider the kingdom of Judah which lasted longer 
> than 
> > the kingdom of Israel, plus the small Israelite kingdoms, the 
> total 
> > time that any type of kingdom ruled by Israelites existed in the 
> > land of Canaan was about 440 years.  It was the kingdom of Judah 
> > that had Jerusalem as its capital, making Jerusalem a capital 
for 
> > 421 years. 
> >   
> > When the Kingdom of Judah fell, the Israelite influence was 
> greatly 
> > reduced, except for the following periods: 
> >   
> > During Persian rule 458 - 433 BC (25 years) 
> > During the Maccabee rule 167 - 161 BC (6 years) 
> > During the Romans 18 - 37 AD (19 years) 
> > During Persian influence of 614 - 620 AD (6 years). 
> >   
> > The Jews came to the land of Canaan in the 13th century BC, but 
> they 
> > were not the only peoples who settled this area.  The Canaanites 
> > were there first.  Their kingdoms existed from 7000 BC to about 
> 1000 
> > BC, comprising 
> > 6000 years.  The Canaanite religion survived in Palestine until 
> the 
> > 4th century AD, when the Canaanites converted to Christianity.  
> > Other peoples settled in the area and intermarried with the 
> > Canaanites.  The Egyptians conquered this area frequently, and 
> ruled 
> > the land from about 2500 - 1700 BC, as well as 1550 - 1200 BC.  
> The 
> > Hyksos invaded from 1710 - 1550 BC.  They all intermarried with 
> the 
> > Canaanites.  The Hittites invaded from 1350 - 1290 BC.  The 
> > Philistines (Aegean origin) came around 1250 - 711 BC.  ther 
> peoples 
> > that lived in this area were the Edomites, the Babylonians, the 
> > Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Armenians, amongst 
others 
> > who conquered for various periods throughout the history of the 
> > area. 
> >   
> > 2. MYTH:  Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves 
as 
> > part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the 
> > establishment of the Modern State of Israel. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  Arabs in Israel did not begin identifying 
themselves 
> as 
> > part of a Palestinian people in 1967.  The Philistines settled 
in 
> > the land of Canaan around 1250 BC, establishing 5 kingdoms:  
Gaza, 
> > Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron.  It was from the Philistines 
> that 
> > Palestine received its name. Since Roman times, this land has 
been 
> > known as Palestine.  The Palestinians of today, Muslims and 
> > Christians, trace their descent to all the peoples who have 
lived 
> on 
> > this land from the time of the Canaanites.  After Jesus' time, 
> many 
> > Jews as well as other people on this land became Christian. 
After 
> > the introduction of Islam, many Jews and Christians became 
> Muslims. 
> > It is almost impossible to separate the ethnicity and racial 
> origin 
> > of the Palestinian people, and as such they have always viewed 
> > themselves as "Palestinians." 
> > Al-Bushra adds: The Palestinians of 1948 call them Palestinians, 
> at 
> > the time of the Othomans and well on the time of the English 
> madate 
> > people were called Palestinians. Money, ceritifcates and stamps 
> show 
> > that under both dominations, the Othomans and the English, the 
up 
> > mentioned was called Palestine and not Israel. 
> > Israel bcame a country with in 1948 only. 
> >   
> > 3. MYTH:  Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews have 
> had 
> > dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous 
> > presence in the land for the past 3300 years. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  There was no Jewish conquest in 1272 BC.  As 
> mentioned 
> > above, the Jews were one of many peoples who settled in the land 
> of 
> > Canaan.  It can be seen from the above, that they did not have 
> > dominion over the land for 1000 years, nor did they have a 
> > continuous presence on the land of Canaan. 
> >   
> > 4.  MYTH:  The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 C.E. 
> > lasted no more than 22 years. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  The Arabs conquered Palestine in 638 AD, and 
> certainly 
> > lasted more than the alleged 22 years.  The dates of Arab rule 
are 
> > the following: 638 - 1085 AD (Arab rule), 1291 - 1517 AD (under 
> the 
> > Mamelukes of Egypt). Between 1099 - 1291 AD under the Crusaders' 
> era 
> > when it remained under Arab rule.  So actual Arab rule was for 
865 
> > years.  The Palestinians are a genetic mix of all of the people 
> who 
> > settled in the land of Canaan since 7000 BC. 
> >   
> > 5.  MYTH:  For over 3300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish 
> > capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or 
> Muslim 
> > entity.  Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never 
> > sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come 
to 
> > visit. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  Jerusalem was not a Jewish capital for 3300 years.  
> > Throughout the history of the area, Jerusalem was a Jewish 
capital 
> > for only 421 years.After Solomon's death, when the kingdom 
split, 
> > this marked the end of a united kingdom of Israel.  The Northern 
> > Kingdom was named Samaria after its capital.  Jerusalem was not 
> the 
> > capital of the Northern Kingdom which was comprised of 10 
tribes, 
> > the majority of the Israelites.  The kingdom of Judah in the 
South 
> > kept its capital as Jerusalem, but that kingdom was made up of 
> only 
> > 2 tribes.  So, the majority of the Israelites did not consider 
> > Jerusalem their capital.  When the Assyrians invaded Samaria, 
> their 
> > inhabitants were dispersed, and came to be referred to as 
the "Ten 
> > Lost Tribes of Israel." 
> > So the ten lost tribes of Israel had only lived in the Kingdom 
of 
> > Israel until the Assyrian invasion (205 years) before they 
ceased 
> to 
> > exist.  The Southern kingdom of Israelites, who descended from 
the 
> > tribe of Judah, are what remained of the Jews.  Jerusalem was 
the 
> > capital of Judah, not Israel,for 421 years. 
> >   
> > 6. MYTH:  Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the 
> > Jewish Holy Scriptures.  Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the 
> > Koran. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  Contrary to the Tanach, the Quran is not a book of 
> > stories about historical figures and ancestors.  The Quran is 
> mainly 
> > concerned with giving guidance to the believers on how they can 
> best 
> > achieve salvation. Mecca is mentioned only once in the Quran and 
> > Medina is only mentioned twice.  The Quran does not even mention 
> > these cities as being holy, and offers very few names of 
places.  
> > The fact that they are mentioned so few times certainly does not 
> > diminish their status in the eyes of all Muslims. 
> >   
> > Islam is not only comprised of the Quran, but of the Hadith of 
the 
> > Prophet and the Shariah. The Prophet said, "A journey (with the 
> > intention of worship) should be taken only to three mosques:  
The 
> > Sacred Mosque in Mecca, my Mosque in Medina, and the Masjid Al 
> Aqsa 
> > in Jerusalem."  It is a sacred duty for Muslims to visit 
> Jerusalem, 
> > its mosque and the sacred areas that surround it.  Pilgrims to 
> Mecca 
> > and Medina often visit Jerusalem first.  Virtually the entire 
city 
> > of Jerusalem is Waqf land (religious endowment).  This land 
cannot 
> > be sold nor transferred.  The Masjid Al Aqsa has always been a 
> > primary seat of learning in Islam, attracting many Muslim 
scholars 
> > who have settled in Jerusalem. 
> >   
> > 7. MYTH:  King David founded the city of Jerusalem.  Mohammed 
> never 
> > came to Jerusalem. 
> >   
> > CORRECTION:  King David never "founded" the city of Jerusalem.  
He 
> > occupied Jebus, the Canaanite city, and renamed it Jerusalem.  
> While 
> > Jews only regard David as a king, Muslims revere David as having 
> > been a Messenger of God. The fact that he established Jerusalem 
as 
> > his capital makes it that more important to Muslims.  Mohammad 
> came 
> > on a spiritual journey to Jerusalem. 
> > It was also documented that he revered Jerusalem from early 
> > childhood, and he visited Syria and Palestine on trading 
> expeditions 
> > with his uncle, and later for his future wife, Khadija.  Let us 
> also 
> > not forget that Christian Palestinians hold Jerusalem as their 
> most 
> > holy city, and has been holy to them for 2000 years.  However, 
> their 
> > ancestors have lived continuously in this city for 9000 years, 
> since 
> > Christian Palestinians trace their descent to all the peoples of 
> > Canaan wo lived on this land. 
> > Looking at the obverse of the shekels of Tyre, one sees the 
> powerful 
> > bust of Melqart.  It is difficult to conceive of the local 
Jewish 
> > population readily accepting this graven image on coinage used 
for 
> > holy purposes.  However, there is a fascinating, yet far-
reaching, 
> > link between the Jews and Melqart.  As the Phoenicians became 
more 
> > Hellenize, Melqart became equated with Heracles.  Josephus 
> provides 
> > in his Antiquities a genealogy of the Forefathers of the Jewish 
> > people.  His discussion states that Heracles married one of the 
> > granddaughter's of the Patriarch Abraham. From this lineage the 
> > barbarous people called the Sophacians were derived (15).  
> Josephus 
> > and other Jewish writers had an agenda for creating legends such 
> as 
> > these.  The manipulating of Greek stories and myths was done to 
> > create a shared sense of national cultural identity.  By showing 
> > that the Greek traditions and Hero's were dependent on the 
> > characters of the Torah, these Jewish writers attempted to 
> > demonstrate the superiority of the doctrines of the Torah over 
> > Hellenistic traditions.  Despite the above-mentioned story 
linking 
> > Heracles to the Jewish people, we have evidence that the Jews 
did 
> > not fully accept Heracles and the Hellenistic traditional 
> > surrounding him.  In Maccabees 2:4:18-20, we see Jason the high 
> > priest sending 300 silver drachms to Tyre for a sacrifice to 
> > Heracles.  The Jewish ambassadors who were sent to represent 
Jason 
> > did not agree with the use of these funds and convinced the 
> Tyrians 
> > to use the money for building triremes.  It appears that using 
> this 
> > money for a sacrifice to Heracles was too close to crossing the 
> > boundary of cult verses culture mentioned above.  While the more 
> > pious Jews would not be swayed to accept Melqart's graven image 
on 
> > coins, stories such as Josephus's might have allowed less 
> religious 
> > Jews to more readily accept Melqart's image on the shekel of 
Tyre.
> >   
> > There is a sense that the religious and political tension 
between 
> > the more orthodox Phariseenic sect and the Hellenizing Hasmonean 
> > leadership was a constant balancing act.  When Jonathan the 
> Maccabee 
> > became High Priest control of this important office became an 
> > inherited position for the Hasmoneans.  This office conferred 
> > enormous religious power upon the Hasmoneans.  The High 
Priesthood 
> > held significant psychological influence on the people and 
brought 
> > the Hasmoneans control of the Temple and its vast economic 
> > treasures.  The Priesthood also gave them a say in official 
> > interpretations of the Torah (16).  Eventually though, toward 
the 
> > end of Jannaesus's reign, the Pharisees began to win over the 
> > people.  Phariseenic influence was on the rise and the 
Hasmoneans 
> > were forced to make concessions to them.  Late in the reign of 
> > Alexander Jannaeus, under Phariseenic pressure the royal diadem 
> seen 
> > on certain Hasmonean coinage was removed (14).  Apparently the 
> > Pharisees disapproved of the use of the title of King along side 
> the 
> > title of High Priest used by Jannaeus on his coinage.  The use 
of 
> > Aramaic on Hasmonean coinage was probably another concession to 
> the 
> > Pharisees as well (18).
> > http://ancient-coins.com/articles/hasmonean/
> > http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Ahab.html





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