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Herod the Great ruled Judea from 37-4 B.C. He
was a superb military leader who secured control
of the region under the graces of Rome. A skilled
builder, Herod completely remodeled the
Jerusalem Temple, designed Caesarea and other
cities, and built palaces at Jerusalem, Masada,
and other places. Although other rulers might be
remembered foremost for these building ruins,
Herod is most often associated with being King
during the time of Jesus Christ’s birth. Jewish and
Christian traditions portray Herod as a tyrant,
primarily for over-taxation and ordering the
Massacre of the Innocents. However, it is unlikely
that such an event ever took place considering
that such an order would have required the
explicit approval of Rome and that Rome would
not support an order likely to incite rebellion and
revolt. This prophetic myth instead reflects
Herod’s obsessive paranoia and fear of
conspirators that often afflicts those in
possession of great power.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial
to the great King Herod, King of the Jews, passed
from the hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation that still appears as
vibrant today as the day it was struck.
- (LC.428)
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