WIDOW’s MITE Ancient Biblical Jerusalem King Alexander Yehonatan Coin i36727

Item: i36727

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan)

Bronze ‘Prutah’ 14mm (1.73 grams) Struck in the mint of Jerusalem

Reference: Hendin 473

 Hebrew inscription (Yehonatan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews)

surrounded by wreath.

 Double cornucopiae adorned with ribbons; pomegranate between horns

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

Authenticity.

The cornucopia (from Latin cornu copiae) or horn of plenty
is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container
overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form.
Originating in
classical antiquity
, it has continued as a
symbol in
Western art
, and it is particularly associated
with the
Thanksgiving
holiday in
North America
.

Allegorical
depiction of the Roman
goddess
Abundantia
with a cornucopia, by
Rubens
(ca. 1630)

In Mythology

Mythology
offers multiple
explanations of the origin
of the cornucopia.
One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant

Zeus, who had to be hidden from his devouring father
Cronus
. In a cave on
Mount Ida
on the island of
Crete
, baby Zeus was cared for and protected by
a number of divine attendants, including the goat
Amalthea
(“Nourishing Goddess”), who fed him
with her milk. The suckling future king of the gods had unusual abilities and
strength, and in playing with his nursemaid accidentally broke off one of her
horns
, which then had the divine power to
provide unending nourishment, as the foster mother had to the god.

In another myth, the cornucopia was created when
Heracles
(Roman
Hercules
) wrestled with the river god
Achelous
and wrenched off one of his horns;
river gods were sometimes depicted as horned. This version is represented in the

Achelous and Hercules

mural painting
by the
American Regionalist
artist
Thomas Hart Benton
.

The cornucopia became the attribute of several
Greek
and
Roman deities
, particularly those associated
with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual abundance, such as personifications
of Earth (Gaia
or
Terra
); the child
Plutus
, god of riches and son of the grain
goddess Demeter
; the
nymph

Maia
; and
Fortuna
, the goddess of luck, who had the power
to grant prosperity. In
Roman Imperial cult
, abstract Roman deities who
fostered peace (pax
Romana) and prosperity were also depicted with a cornucopia,
including Abundantia
, “Abundance” personified, and
Annona
, goddess of the
grain supply to the city of Rome
.
Pluto
, the classical ruler of the underworld in
the
mystery religions
, was a giver of agricultural,
mineral and spiritual wealth, and in art often holds a cornucopia to distinguish
him from the gloomier Hades
, who holds a
drinking horn
instead.

Modern depictions

In modern depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped
wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive
fruit
and
vegetables
. In North America, the cornucopia
has come to be associated with
Thanksgiving
and the harvest. Cornucopia is
also the name of the annual November Wine and Food celebration in
Whistler
, British Columbia, Canada. Two
cornucopias are seen in the
flag
and
state seal
of
Idaho
. The Great
Seal
of
North Carolina
depicts Liberty standing and
Plenty holding a cornucopia. The coat of arms of
Colombia
,
Panama
,

Peru and
Venezuela
, and the Coat of Arms of the State of
Victoria, Australia
, also feature the
cornucopia, symbolising prosperity.

The horn of plenty is used on body art and at Halloween, as it is a symbol of
fertility, fortune and abundance.

• 
  

  Base of a statue of
  Louis XV of France

The Lesson (or Parable) of the widow’s mite is a story

present in the

Synoptic Gospels

(Mark

12:38-44,

Luke 20:45-47

,21:1-4),

in which Jesus
is

teaching at the

Temple in Jerusalem

. The Gospel of Mark specifies that a mite was

worth less than a

quadrans
,

the smallest Roman coin, implying that Mark’s intended audience were more

familiar with Roman culture than with Jewish.

In Jesus’ times there actually was no coin called a mite. However, there was

a mite in the time of the King James translation. The denomination is well known

in the Southern Netherlands. Both the

duke of Brabant

and the

count of Flanders

issued them and they were sometimes imitated in the North.

Originally, the Brabant mijt (maille in French) was 1/76 stuiver, the Flemish

mijt 1/48 stuiver. When the two areas were united under the dukes of Burgundy

and later under the Habsburgs, the rate of the mijt was set at 1/32 stuiver.

More important, they were the very smallest copper coins. By 1611 they were no

longer made, but they still circulated.

It was almost a social obligation to give a silver coin at church

collections, for there were many framed money galleries and armored safes that

needed to be filled. Only the very poor could get away with giving a copper coin

and only the desperately poor would give a copper coin as small as a mijt, as

their social status could hardly sink any lower. A widow would in principle have

to live without any income. The translator probably had a beggar and a

contemporary widow in mind. In 1611, all this would have been self-evident to

the readers.

Witnessing the donations made by the rich men, Jesus highlights how a poor

widow
donates

only two mites, the least valuable

coins available at

the time. But, Jesus observes, this sum was everything she had to her name,

while the other people give only a small portion of their own wealth.

Taken literally, the widow’s donation of one mite could have been by

obligation, since she could not have given any less. Following this reasoning,

some interpreters note that Jesus sits down in judgment “opposite” (over

against, in opposition to) the treasury; the lesson drawn emphasizes that, while

people are impressed with the large sums that are put in, they did not notice

that the temple took half of what the “poor widow” had to live on. Connected

with Mark 13:1-2, “there will not be left one stone upon another, that will not

be thrown down”, the lesson is then interpreted as promising the overthrow of

any worship of God sustained by robbery.

However, since the woman would have been under no obligation to give the

second mite, when she gave “all her living” she could not have given any more.

Following this reasoning, the tale is typically understood by Christians as a

condemnation of the rich as they are described, for their inflated self

importance displayed by the ostentatious announcements of their own generosity:

which Jesus dwarfs by comparison to the widow’s mite. Also, in light of its

proximity to the widow’s mite story, Mark 13:1-2 may imply that the widow’s

worship is of greater value than the Temple. Accordingly, the story is typically

taken as an admonition to be wholeheartedly devoted to God, rather than

concerned with pleasing men.

In earlier times, many Christians, especially the

Gnostics

Ebionites

,

Waldensians

, and

Franciscans
,

argued that the passage is an encouragement to live in poverty, and not seek

riches. In the introduction to the passage, Jesus is portrayed as condemning the

Pharisees who feign piety in order to gain the trust of

widows
, and

thereby gain access to their assets; although most interpretations of this read

it as criticism of the actions of certain individuals,

racist

groups have historically argued that the passages in question justify

anti-semitism

, particularly as the Gospel of Mark argues that severe

punishment awaits those who follow such actions (Brown et al.).

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

of Judea
from

(103 BCE to 76 BCE), son of

John

Hyrcanus
, inherited the throne from his brother

Aristobulus

, and appears to have married his brother’s widow, Shlomtzion

or “Shelomit”, also known as

Salome Alexandra

, according to the Biblical law of Yibum (“levirate

marriage”), although

Josephus
is

inexplicit on that point.

His likely full Hebrew name was Jonathan; he may

have been the High Priest Jonathan, rather than his great-uncle of the same

name, who established the

Masada

fortress. Under the name King Yannai, he appears as a wicked tyrant in the

Talmud
,

reflecting his conflict with the

Pharisee

party. He is among the more colorful historical figures, despite

being little known outside specialized history. He and his widow (who became

queen

regnant
after his death) had substantial impact on the subsequent

development of Judaism.^[1]

Jannaeus expanded the Hasmonean Kingdom and established the city of

Gamla
in 81 BCE

as the capital for the

Golan

Heights
.

Conquests of Alexander Jannaeus

During the twenty-seven year reign of Alexander Jannaeus, he was almost

constantly involved in military conflict. Primarily, international factors at

the time created an environment suitable for Jannaeus’ conquests. First of all,

Jannaeus received support from Cleopatra III in Egypt. She was probably swayed

to support Jannaeus through two Jewish commanders in her military. This support

was particularly crucial during the war with Ptolemy Lathyrus (discussed later).

Ultimately, conflict in the Roman Empire was the greatest outside influence on

Judean military campaigns. Political instability in Rome led to a Civil War

beginning in 88 BCE. With Rome chiefly concerned with a tumultuous domestic

predicament, Jannaeus was free to expand the Judean state. Finally, a weak

Seleucid Empire was unable to help Hellenistic cities near Judea.

With a mercenary army similar to that of his father, Jannaeus led a Judean

army that conquered the entire coastal plain except for Ashkelon. Jannaeus

toppled Western Samaria, the Galilee and the Northern Transjordan. The coastal

ports of Dor and Caesarea were also taken after Jannaeus was defeated at Acre.

Elsewhere on the Mediterranean coast, the Judeans triumphed over the cities of

Raffah and Antedon. Finally, Jannaeus outlasted the inhabitants of Gaza in a

year long siege. This impressive victory gained Judean control over the

Mediterranean outlet for the Nabatean trade routes.

War with Ptolemy Lathyrus

After a failed siege against Gaza, Jannaeus struck a phony league of

friendship with the Egyptian co-ruler

Ptolemy Lathyrus

. In reality Jannaeus sought the assistance of Lathyrus’

mother,

Cleopatra III

, against her son. When Lathyrus learned of this treachery, he

took out his fury on Judea. After defeating Jannaeus near the Jordan River,

Lathyrus’ soldiers slaughtered fleeing Jewish troops. Afterwards, Lathyrus

attacked a small village in Judea with utter malice. The Egyptian troops

strangled women and children. Then the deceased were cut into pieces, boiled in

cauldrons, and eaten as a sacrifice. This disgusting act of cannibalism was used

to terrify the Judean people and their military. After this massacre, Jannaeus

was in no position to stop the onslaught of Lathyrus. However, Cleopatra III

stepped in to prevent Lathyrus from sacking Jerusalem.

News of this slaughter certainly spread rapidly throughout Judea, exemplified

by the Pesher on Isaiah 4Q161 found at Qumran: “(25) He will shake his fist at

the mount of the daughters of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem…(27) when he goes up

from the Valley of Acco to fight against Philistia…(29) and even up to the

boundaries of Jerusalem.”

High Priesthood

It is clear that a strong rift existed between the Pharisees and Alexander

Jannaeus. The rival Sadducees were avid supporters of Jannaeus (see 4Q448). The

Pharisaic opposition to Jannaeus continued with his marriage to his brother’s

widow, which was forbidden by Torah law. Furthermore, Jannaeus established

himself as a ruler concerned mainly with conquests rather than his religious

obligations.

One year during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, Alexander Jannaeus, while

officiating as the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) at the Temple in Jerusalem,

demonstrated his support of the Sadducees by denying the law of the water

libation. The crowd responded with shock at his mockery and showed their

displeasure by pelting Alexander with the

etrogim
(citrons)

that they were holding in their hands. Unwittingly, the crowd had played right

into Alexander’s hands. He had intended to incite the people to riot and his

soldiers fell upon the crowd at his command. The soldiers slew more than 6,000

people in the Temple courtyard.

This incident during Tabernacles was a major factor leading up to the Judean

Civil War by igniting popular opponents of Jannaeus. A Qumran document sheds

further light on another opponent of Jannaeus. The scroll 4Q390 was written by

an adversary of Jannaeus seeking popular support to overthrow the Hasmonean

King. The author called for an end to the dispute between Jannaeus and the

Pharisees. According to the author, the only acceptable solution was an end to

the Hasmonean Priesthood and secular control. This opposition culminated in the

Judean Civil War.

Judean Civil War and the Crucifixion of the 800

The Judean Civil War initially began after the conquest of Gaza by Jannaeus.

Due to Jannaeus’ victory at Gaza, the Nabatean kingdom no longer controlled

their trade routes to Rome and Damascus. Therefore Nabatean king Obadas I

launched an attack on Judea in the Golan. Potentially, the war with the

Nabateans was the last straw against a war-mongering king and an incompetent

High Priest. After Jannaeus was defeated in battle against Obadas, he returned

to fierce Jewish opposition in Jerusalem. A civil war broke out between

Pharisaic supported Jewish rebels and Jannaeus.

Overall, the war lasted six years and left 50,000 Judeans dead. After

Jannaeus succeeded early in the war, the rebels unbelievably asked for Seleucid

assistance. Judean insurgents joined forces with Demetrius III to fight against

Jannaeus. The Seleucid forces defeated Jannaeus at Schechem and forced him into

exile in the mountains. However, these Judean rebels ultimately decided that it

was better to live under a terrible Jewish king than backtrack to a Seleucid

ruler. After 6,000 Jews returned to Jannaeus, Demetrius was defeated. The end of

the Civil War brought a sense of national solidarity against Seleucid influence.

Nevertheless, Jannaeus was uninterested in reconciliation within the Judean

State.

The aftermath of the Judean Civil War consisted of popular unrest, poverty

and grief over the fallen soldiers on both sides. The greatest impact of the war

was the victor’s revenge. Josephus reports that Jannaeus brought 800 rebels to

Jerusalem and had them crucified. Even worse, Jannaeus had the throats of the

rebel’s wives and children cut before their eyes as Jannaeus ate with his

concubines.

This incredible account is supported in the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the Nahum

Pesher, the Judean Civil War and Jannaeus’ brutal retribution are specifically

mentioned.

“(2) The interpretation of it concerns Demetrius, King of Greece, who sought

to enter Jerusalem on the advice of the Seeker-After-Smooth-Things. (3) But God

did not give Jerusalem into the power of the Kings of Greece from Antiochus

until the rise of the rulers of the Kittim… (6b) Its interpretation concerns the

Lion of Wrath (7) which will bring vengeance against the

Seekers-After-Smooth-Things; he would hang men alive.”

In this passage, The Seekers-After-Smooth-Things represent the Jewish Rebels,

the Lion of Wrath represents Alexander Jannaeus, and the rulers of Kittim

signify the Roman Empire. Given that this passage mentions the Roman takeover,

it was clearly written after the fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty. Nevertheless,

substantiation of Josephus’ account of the crucifixion of Jewish rebels by

Jannaeus quells any doubt of historicity of this event.

Coinage

The coinage of Alexander Jannaeus is characteristic of the early Jewish

coinage in that it avoided human or animal representations, in opposition to the

surrounding Greek, and later Roman types of the period. Jewish coinage instead

focused on symbols, either natural, such as the

palm treee

, the

pomegranate

or the star, or man-made, such as the

Temple

, the

Menorah

, trumpets or

cornucopia

Alexander Jannaeus was the first of the Jewish kings to introduce the

“eight-ray star” or “eight-spoked wheel” symbol, in his
bronzee
“Widow’s

mite” coins, in combination with the widespread

Seleucid

numismatic symbol of the anchor. These coins are thought to be the

ones referred to in the

Bible
in Luke

21:1-4:

“and Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people

cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much. And He

called unto him His disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you,

that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into

the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her

want did cast in all that she had”

Depending on the make, the star symbol can be shown with straight spokes

connected to the outside circle, in a style rather indicative of a wheel. On

others, the spokes can have a more “flame-like” shape, more indicative of the

representation of a star within a diadem.

It is not clear what the wheel or star may exactly symbolize, and

interpretations vary, from the morning star, to the sun or the heavens. The

influence of some

Persian

symbols of a star within a diadem, or the eight-spoked

Buddhist

wheel (see the coins of the

Indo-Greek

king

Menander I

with this symbol) have also been suggested. The eight-spoked Macedonian star (a

variation of which is the

Vergina

Sun
), emblem of the royal

Argead dynasty

and the ancient kingdom of

Macedonia

, within a Hellenistic

diadem

symbolizing royalty (many of the coins depict a small knot with two

ends on top of the diadem), seem to be the most probable source for this symbol.