Judaea Capta coinage

Judaea Capta coins were a series of commemorative coins originally issued by the Roman Emperor Vespasian to celebrate the capture of Judaea and the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by his son Titus in 70 AD during the First Jewish Revolt. There are several variants of the coinage. The reverse of the coins shows a Jewish female (representing Judaea) seated right in an attitude of mourning at the base of a palm tree, with either a captive Jewish male standing right, with his hands bound behind his back, or the standing figure of the victorious emperor, or the goddess Victory, with a trophy of weapons, shields, and helmets to the left.

The female figure may reflect the prophesy of Isaiah 3:8, 25-26: "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen ... Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn, and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground".

The Judaea Capta coins were struck for 25 years under Vespasian and his two sons who succeeded him as Emperor - Titus and Domitian. These commemorative coins were issued in bronze, silver and gold by mints in Rome, throughout the Roman Empire, and in Judaea itself. [http://www.amuseum.org/book/page15.html] They were issued in every denomination, and at least 48 different types are known [Judaea Capta Coinage by Howard Brin] .

Only bronze 'Judaea Capta' coins were struck in Caesarea, in the defeated Roman province of Judea. These coins are much cruder than the Roman issues, and the inscriptions are in Greek rather than Latin. The designs feature the Goddess Nike writing on a shield, Minerva with a spear, shield, trophy and palm tree, etc. Most such coins were issued during the reign of the Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD). [http://www.amuseum.org/book/page15.html]

Herod Agrippa II

Unusually, a 'Judaea Capta' coin was also minted by the Jewish ruler Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Brought up in Rome at the court of Claudius, Agrippa was thoroughly Romanised and was a close friend of Titus, whom he supported throughout the First Jewish Revolt. His bronze coin was minted at Tiberias and shows a portrait of Titus on the obverse with the Greek inscription ' KAICAP CEBAC AVTOKP TITOC', while the reverse depicted the goddess Nike advancing right holding a wreath and palm branch over her shoulder, with a star in upper right field and the inscription 'ETO - KS BA AGRI-PPA'.

ee also

*List of historical currencies
*First Jewish Revolt coinage
*Great Jewish Revolt
*Jewish-Roman Wars
*Siege of Jerusalem
*Fall of Masada
*Arch of Titus
*Temple in Jerusalem
*Second Temple

References

External links

* [http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/titus/i.html Titus coinage, including Judaea Capta coins]
* [http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/vespasian/i.html Vespasian coinage, including Judaea Capta coins]
* [http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/domitian/i.html Domitian coinage, including Judaea Capta coins]
* [http://www.amuseum.org/book/page15.html Judaea Capta coins on The Handbook of Biblical Numismatics]
* [http://www.jewishhistory.com/jh.php?content=content/judea_capta_coin&id=Roman 'Judaea Capta' coins on Jewish History.com]
* [http://www.bible-history.com/sketches/ancient/judea-capta-medal.html 'Judaea Capta' coins on Bible History.com]
* [http://research.haifa.ac.il/~hecht/archaeology/Judea_Capta.html Gold 'Judaea Capta' coin]
* [http://etext.virginia.edu/kinney/small/n18.htm 'Judaea Capta' coinage on The Abraham Cowley Text and Image Archive]
* [http://www.garstang.us/judaean/firstrevolt.htm 'Judaea Capta' coinage]