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HOME :
Jewish Coins :
Herodian Kings : Jewish Bronze Prutah of King Herod Archelaus
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Jewish Bronze Prutah of King Herod Archelaus - C.10289
Origin: Israel
Circa: 4
BC
to 6
AD
Collection: Jewish Coins
Medium: Bronze
$1,600.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Herod Archelaus was the son of King Herod the Great and
his wife Malthace. Upon Herod’s death in 4 B.C., his
kingdom was divided amongst his sons Archelaus, Herod
Antipas, and Philip with Archelaus receiving the largest
portion to govern under the title ethnarch, or “national
leader.” However, immediately after his accession, things
went horribly wrong. Just before his death, Herod the Great
sentenced two popular teachers, Judas and Mathias (as well
as their students), to be burned alive for inciting their
pupils to remove the golden eagle from the entrance to the
Temple. An angry mob greeted the new leader, Archelaus,
demanding justice for these martyrs. In order to quell this
protest, Archelaus had over three thousand Jews murdered.
Once calm was seemingly restored, Archelaus ventured off
to Rome to have himself crowned by Augustus. During his
absence, a new series of new riots were initiated by a
series of messianic Jewish leaders, among them Athronges.
Herod’s soldiers were unable to deal with the rebellion and
reinforcements were called in from Roman- governed
Syria. In the end, the rioting ceased after much more
bloodshed. Herod Archelaus was such a bad leader that
the citizens of Samaria and Judea jointly appealed to Rome
to appoint a new leader. There request was granted and
Archelaus was banished to Gaul, ending another bloody
chapter in the history of ancient Israel.
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 reminder of the troubled times during the
reign of Herod Archelaus, 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.10289)
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