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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.
- (C.7763)
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