What is in an ancient coin?

Relive the history of the small country Judea and it's people in one of the most dynamic and important periods.

Meet John Hyrcanus, son of the great Simon Maccabee, on his first Jewish independent minted coins in 135 BC. Yehochanan the high priest and council of the Jews reads his small bronze prutahs. High priests we also find on the coins of Hyrcanus' sons Aristobulus and Jannaeus as well on the last Hasmonean ruler Mattathias Antigonus on the coins minted in his three years battling with Herod the Adommite who takes over Judea.

Herod the Great, or so called great, takes over and mints his own prutahs Of King Herod. No longer high priest. Herod is no priest, he is not even allowed into the temple where only priests can walk. Herod's sons and grand sons all minted there own coins as well.

For the Freedom Of Zion proclaims the Silver Shekels minted for the first time in Jerusalem. The great revolt erupted in 66 CE and continued for 5 years with the Jewish fighters minting coins in each and every year of them.

Judea Capta, Ivdea Capta, Victory Avgvst, announce the headliners on coins of Vespasian and Titus. Finally the Jews struggling to preserve their religion and traditions against constant military and cultural incursions are gone, the Temple burned Jerusalem destroyed. Rome is celebrating.

For The Freedom of Israel reads once again the coins of Simon bar Kochba. The Bar Kochba rebels produced beautiful coins in the three years Shimon was "Nasi Yisroel" president of Israel. The revolt crushed brutally by Hadrian was the end of 300 years of Jewish coins.

These lovely little things aren't lumps of metal, the are living pieces of human history.