19. A LATE HELLENISTIC COIN HOARD
by Haim Gitler and Ya’akov Kahanov
Reprinted from Coin Hoards 9 (2002): 259–68. N 1988 a hoard of forty-six bronze coins and one silver diobol (reg. no. 20040) was found by the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon in Grid 38, Square 74, Fine Grid 22 (Phase 8; see figure 15.65 above). This hoard was recovered from a building dated to the first century B.C. The hoard was sealed under a floor in a subfloor fill layer. At the time of their discovery the coins were stuck together, indicating that they may have been originally stored in a purse or small container that has since disintegrated. All of the coins in this hoard are bronze except no. 18, which is silver. The catalogue below is arranged according to the geographical distribution of the mints that produced the coins. The only exception is coin no. 44, minted at Sardis, which is listed with the Seleucid group. Twelve additional coins were recovered in the same subfloor fill layer in which the hoard was found. Only four of these coins are identifiable; three
I
of them coincide with the later time span of the hoard. A bronze coin from Samos (reg. no. 20086) belongs to the hoard, in our opinion, and appears in the catalogue as no. 6a. The remaining three identifiable coins are issues of Ashkelon itself: A. Reg. no. 20205 (Fine Grid 43) 5.24 g 22 mm Antiochus IV Uncertain year, either 168/7 or 166/5 B.C. SNG Israel 1, no. 1161. B. Reg. no. 20153 (Fine Grid 23) 1.61 g 13 mm Mid-second century B.C. BMC Ascalon 9. C. Reg. no. 20006 (Fine Grid 23) 5.86 g 17 mm A coin from the time of Nero (this coin is apparently intrusive).
386
Inscriptions and Coins
Figure 19.1: Coin nos. 1 to 47 (obverse and reverse) from the late Hellenistic hoard
A Late Hellenistic Coin Hoard
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Catalogue of Coins in the Late Hellenistic Hoard TEOS
ca. 310–250 B.C.
1 Obv. Griffin seated, l. forepaw raised. Rev. Lyre; around legend written outwards: ΤΗΙΩΝ [–] ΤΟΥ 2.09 g 12 mm Æ issue 7; SNG Cop. nos. 1461–65 (different magistrates’ names). For general type, see Kinns 1980:517–18, nos. 109–19. Kinns knows of no other example which has the legend written outwards, or with magistrate’s name ending in ΤΟΥ. The genitive case is also exceptional, but occurs elsewhere on the coinage of Teos of the given period (P. Kinns, pers. comm.).
SAMOS
412–404 B.C.
2 Obv. Prow of a Samaina to r. Rev. Amphora between the letters Σ[Α], surrounded by an olive wreath. 1.21 g 9 mm Barron 1966:99 no. 5; SNG Cop. no. 1691.
281–221 B.C.
3–6 Obv. Head of Hera r., wearing stephane. Rev. Lion’s scalp; below, ΣΑΜΙΩΝ 0.92 g 10 mm 1.38 g 11 mm 1.18 g 10 mm 1.37 g 11 mm BMC Ionia, p. 368, no. 190; SNG Cop. nos. 1717–18; Barron 1966:142 (with pl. 31, 8–9). According to Barron (1966:142), “the silver coins were probably accompanied by an issue of bronze in two sizes having a full profile head of Hera on the obverse, a lion’s mask on the reverse, surmounting the full ethnic.” The silver coins are octobols, tetrobols, and diobols and are dated by Barron to 281–221 B.C. Same as no. 3. 1.05 g 10 mm This piece was recovered in the same subfloor fill layer where the hoard was found (fine grid 22; reg. no. 20086). We assume that this coin belonged to the hoard and slipped out of the purse of small container where the coins were kept before the rest of the pieces were stuck together by corrosion. Same as no. 3 but smaller head of Hera. 0.87 g 11 mm 1.05 g 12 mm Same as no. 3 but the lion’s scalp is rendered in a less conservative way. 1.16 g 10 mm Same as no. 3 but border of dots both on the obv. as well as on the rev. 1.36 g 11 mm
6a
7–8
9 10
ca. 200 B.C.
11–16 Obv. Prow of galley r. Rev. Prow of galley l.; below, ΣΑΜΙ; all within a border of dots. 0.56 g 9 mm 0.81 g 8 mm 0.73 g 9 mm 0.96 g 10 mm 0.62 g 9 mm 1.02 g 9 mm SNG Cop. no. 1720.
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17 18
Inscriptions and Coins
Same as no. 11 but border of dots on obv. as well. 0.90 g 8 mm Obv. Head of Hera r., wearing stephane, earrings and necklace, within border of dots. ; all within a border of dots. Rev. Prow of Samian galley to l.; above, a trident; below, ΣΑΜΙΩΝ; l. 1.33 g 13 mm AR, diobol Barron 1966:147–48, 227 no. 2; BMC Samos 185.
KOS
ca. 300–200 B.C.
19 Obv. Head of young Heracles in lion’s skin to r. Rev. Crab; above, [ΚΩΙΟ]Ν; below, [Α]ΙΣΧΡΙΩ[Ν] and club. 2.48 g 13 mm BMC Cos 86 (worn).
ca. 200 B.C.
20 Obv. Head of young Heracles in lion’s skin three-quarter facing to r. Rev. Bow in case and club; above, [Κ]ΩΙΟΝ; below, ΘΕΥ∆ΟΤΟ[Σ]. 3.66 g 16 mm BMC Cos 104. According to Ashton (1998b:227 n. 14), the 1932–34 Kalymna hoard (IGCH 1320), which contained some of the Koan bronzes (apparently displaying some wear), was buried in the 170s B.C. Same as no. 20 but magistrate’s name illegible. 3.17 g 15 mm
21
22–23 Obv. As last. Rev. As last; countermark, crab. 3.12 g 16 mm 2.65 g 15 mm These coins are very worn and the magistrates’ names are illegible. For the countermark, see Ashton 1996:278–79.
KNIDOS
ca. 300 B.C.
24 Obv. Head of Aphrodite to r., hair rolled. Rev. Prow r.; below, club; beneath, [–] ΑΜΟΙ [–] or [–] ΑΜΟΚ [–]. Only the upper left part of the fourth letter is visible. In its present state it looks like the letter Ι, but of course it could also be the letter Κ. 1.36 g 13 mm cf. SNG Cop. nos. 306–10. This type of Knidian issue is part of J. H. Nordbø’s Series 11, which he dates to ca. 250–210 B.C.: “Utmyntningen på Knidos, 394 f. Kr.–ca. 210 e. Kr.” (University of Oslo, unpublished M.A. thesis, 1972). The name of the magistrate mentioned on this issue does not occur on the Aphrodite/prow coins of Nordbø’s Series 8 and 11. However, ∆ΑΜΟΚΡ[. . .] does occur on a single coin in Nordbø’s Series 12 with Apollo head/prow (Bibliothèque nationale de France 513). Nordbø dates his Series 12 to 310–210 B.C., i.e., broadly contemporary with Series 8 and 11. Ashton (pers. comm.) believes that Series 8 and 11 (which he combines into one series) were dichalka and Series 12 were chalkoi, and that to some degree they complemented one another. Furthermore, he suggests that Nordbø’s Series 8 and 11 do not extend much, if at all, beyond the end of the fourth century (see Ashton 1999:Appendix 1).
RHODES
Early second to early first century B.C.
25–36 Obv. Helios head radiate to r. Rev. Rose with bud on stem on either side; in field, Ρ – Ο; all within incuse square. 1.38 g 11 mm 0.98 g 13 mm 1.33 g 12 mm 1.46 g 12 mm 1.57 g 12 mm
A Late Hellenistic Coin Hoard
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1.58 g 13 mm 1.20 g 11 mm 1.39 g 12 mm 1.18 g 11 mm 1.25 g 12 mm 1.57 g 13 mm 1.91 g 12 mm SNG Cop. no. 860. These bronze coins apparently accompany the plinthophoric silver series. G. K. Jenkins (1989:101, 105) thought that the series began in the 170s and ended in 84 B.C. A similar date appears in Troxell 1982:98. Ashton argued briefly for an earlier starting date of about 190 B.C. in Ashton 1994:58 (with references), and again in more detail in Ashton 2001. A hoard of Rhodian bronzes was published by Weiser (1986). In Ashton’s opinion, however, this assemblage of coins was not a hoard (it contained Rhodian bronzes of the fourth and the second century B.C. in roughly the same state of wear). See his comments in Coin Hoards 8 (1994): 597.
LYCIAN LEAGUE
ca. 180?–167 B.C.
37–41 Obv. Radiate bust of Apollo facing; to r. cithara. Rev. Bow and quiver; in r. field legend: ΛΥΚΙΩΝ. 1.04 g 8 mm 0.77 g 8 mm 1.17 g 9 mm 0.74 g 11 mm 1.59 g 9 mm Troxell 1982:17–23, Period I, Series B:4. For the general dating of the Lycian League’s first period of coinage, see Troxell 1982:13. Troxell’s Series B, to which our coins have been assigned, appears to be the later one in the Period I Bronze series (ibid., p. 19). Troxell (1982:227) assumes that this series was minted at one of the cities of the Xanthus Valley.
SIDE
ca. 200 B.C.
42 Obv. Athena r. in crested Corinthian helmet. Rev. Nike advancing l., holding wreath in extended r. hand; on l. pomegranate; across lower field: [Σ]Ι[∆] – [ 2.96 g 13 mm SNG Deutschland, Pfälzer Privatsammlungen nos. 504–9.
TYRE (autonomous)
126/5–ca. 100 B.C.
43 Obv. Head of Tyche r. wearing turreted crown and veil; behind, palm branch; border of dots. Rev. Galley l. with stem curving forward in volute and aphlaston at stern, on which Astarte standing l., r. hand outstretched; in l. cruciform standard; date illegible; in exergue: . 2.53 g 15 mm BMC Tyre 248.
SELEUCID ISSUES
241–228 B.C.
44 Obv. Laureate head of Apollo to r. with hair in formal curls. Rev. Apollo standing to l. holding arrow in extended r. hand and resting l. elbow on tripod. [Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] Α[ΝΤΙΟ]Χ[ΟΥ], no visible control marks. 2.09 g 14 mm Antiochus Hierax Mint of Sardis Newell 1941:no. 1438; SNG Israel 1, nos. 489–91.
390 145–130? B.C.
45
Inscriptions and Coins
Obv. Diademed head of a king r.; dotted border. Rev. Palm tree; date across lower field not visible; dotted border. 1.78 g 12 mm Mint of Tyre cf. SNG Israel 1, nos. 1680–83, 1691–95, 1710–14, 1723–25, 2039, 2042, 2059–60, 2237.
138–129 B.C.
46 Obv. Prow of galley r.; dotted border. Rev. Pilei of Dioscuri, surmounted by stars; around from top r.: [ΒΑΣΙΛΕ]ΩΣ Α[ΝΤΙΟΧ]ΟΥ. 1.45 g 9 mm Antiochus VII Mint of Antioch SNG Israel 1, undated issue, nos. 1973–78.
PTOLEMAIC ISSUES
114/3–107/6 or 105/4 B.C.
47 Obv. Head of Zeus-Ammon to r., diademed. Rev. Traces of eagle standing l., in the field l. Τ with star of eight rays above. 7.69 g 20 mm Mint of Paphos Nicolaou 1990:46–48, nos. 358–65, 367–75. The condition of the coins is such that it is impossible to be certain of the reverse type. The traces that remain are also consistent with there having been two eagles. In this case, an alternative identification is possible (see Nicolaou 1990:nos. 324–56). This coin type has been attributed to either Ptolemy X Alexander I, king in Cyprus, 114/3– 107/6 B.C., or to the very beginning of Ptolemy IX Lathyrus’s second rule over Cyprus, i.e., 105–104 B.C. (Gitler and Kushnir-Stein 1994).
Table 6. Chronological List of Coins in the Late Hellenistic Hoard
Coin 2 1 19 24 3–10 44 11–16 18 20–23 42 25–36 37–41 45 46 43 47
†
Mint Samos Teos Kos Knidos Samos Sardis Samos Samos Kos Side Rhodes Lycia Tyre Antioch Tyre Paphos
Description Prow/Amphora Griffin/Lyre Heracles/Crab Aphrodite/Prow Hera/Lion’s scalp Apollo/Apollo standing Prow r./Prow l. Hera/Prow Heracles/Bow and club Athena/Nike Helios/Rose Apollo/Bow and quiver King’s head/Palm tree Prow/Pilei Tyche/Galley Zeus/Eagle
Date Range 412–404 B.C. ca. 310–250 ca. 300–200 ca. 300 281–221 241–228 ca. 200 ca. 200 ca. 200 ca. 200 ca. 190–84 180–167 145–130 138–129 126/5–100 114–104
Wear† U3 U3 U4 U2 U2-3 U4 U2-3 U2 U4 U3 U1-3 U3 U4 U4 U2 C4
Reference Barron 1966:99 no. 5 Kinns 1980:nos. 109–19; Æ issue 7 BMC Cos 86 cf. SNG Cop. nos. 306–10 BMC Samos 190 Newell 1941:264, no. 1438 SNG Cop. no. 1720 Barron 1966:147–48, 227 no. 2 BMC Cos 104; Ashton 1996:278–79 SNG PfPs. nos. 504–9 SNG Cop. no. 860 Troxell 1982:Period I, Series B:4 cf. SNG Israel 1 no. 1680 ff. SNG Israel 1 nos. 1973–78 BMC Tyre 248 Nicolaou 1990:nos. 358–65, 367–75
For definitions of the terms used to describe the state of wear of the coins, see “Usure et corrosion,” Bulletin ITMS 2 (1995), Supplément (Lausanne), pp. 10–11 and 18–19: “U1” = quite fresh; “U2” = slightly worn; “U3” = worn; “U4” = very worn; “C4” = heavily corroded.
A Late Hellenistic Coin Hoard Numismatic Commentary A date around 100 B.C. for the concealment of the hoard is provided by the Ptolemaic issue (no. 47). In a normal situation it would be expected that the latest coin in a hoard be in a relatively good state of preservation as compared to the other coins in the hoard. Our Ptolemaic piece is in poor condition, but this was probably not caused by extensive wear but rather is due to the fact that the coin is made of a highly leaded alloy, as is evident from the large lead encrustation on the reverse. In coins made of very highly leaded alloys, discrete globules of lead are formed near or at the surface of the coin, which is a consequence of the insolubility of lead in copper alloys (Cope 1972:14). This type of lead encrustation preferentially corrodes because lead is more chemically reactive than copper, thus coins made from such an alloy will appear more heavily corroded than their less leaded counterparts.135 Excavations carried out in Israel have shown that coins from the fourth to the end of the second century B.C. from the mints of western and southern Asia Minor rarely reached ancient Palestine. Other than a relatively large number of bronzes from Side, only a handful of coins from this area have been found in excavations so far.136 Isolated coins found in the course of excavations at Ashkelon show the same general pattern. The best represented mint is that of Side, with seven examples of the Pomegranate rev. type (cf. SNG PfPs. nos. 471–75). In addition, one bronze of Rhodes (SNG Cop. nos. 858–59) and one of Ephesus (SNG Cop. no. 256) have been found. There are other finds from Palestine that can be compared to the Ashkelon hoard. A Rhodian amphora containing about 100 kg of bronze objects was discovered during underwater excavations at a site dated to ca. 100 B.C. near Megadim, off the Carmel coast close to Haifa (Misch-Brandl and Galili
135
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1985:12–13; see also Parker 1992:273 no. 689).137 The bronze objects in the amphora were part of a larger cargo destined for scrap. Seven coins were found among these objects: a Lycian League issue (same type as our nos. 37–41); Seleucid bronzes of Antiochus V (from Tyre) and Antiochus VII (from Antioch); and two Ptolemaic issues from the mint of Paphos, assigned to Ptolemy VIII, IX, and/or X (same type as our no. 47). One of these two Ptolemaic coins is related to the same series as Paphos II (Nicolaou 1990), nos. 358–65, 367–75, while the second can be identified with Paphos II, nos. 324–56. Two hoards discovered in the same geographical area as Ashkelon contain Rhodian plinthophoric and Attic-weight drachms. One hoard was allegedly found in 1982 at Beth Likiah near Jerusalem, and the other was bought in Cairo in 1923 and is said to have been found at Sakha in the Nile Delta (Ashton and Weiss 1997:24–26).138 A third hoard of Rhodian plinthophoroi was claimed to have been found in Gaza in the early 1980s but no record of these coins exists. Until the discovery of the Ashkelon hoard, none of these Rhodian drachms had been found in controlled excavations. Historical and Archaeological Commentary Coin issues of western and southern Asia Minor are rarely found in Israel, thus it seems unlikely that someone could have gathered such a variety of small bronzes while remaining in a single place. It is generally accepted that bronze coinage was issued for local use and rarely circulated much beyond the boundaries of the issuing state (T. Jones 1963:313–24; Ashton 1998a:44–46). For example, the excavations at Sagalassos in Turkey yielded 85 Greek autonomous and imperial coins, of which 39 (46%) were from the mint of Sagalassos and 18 (21%) were from Perge, the nearest seaport (Scheers 1997:338).
137 According to the latest coins found within the ship (issues of Ptolemy IX and X), a date of ca. 100 B.C. seems reasonable. The responsibility for preparing a final report on the coins in the Rhodian amphora has been given to Donald T. Ariel, who kindly provided us with information on the coins. 138 The Beth Likiah hoard (Coin Hoards 8.550) included 169 Peloponnesian triobols, 96 plinthophoric drachms of Rhodes (all of Jenkins’s final group E, which he dated to 88–84 B.C.), 66 Attic-weight Rhodian drachms, and one denarius of Augustus. The Sakha hoard consists of Greek and Roman coins. Relevant to our discussion are six plinthophoric drachms of Rhodes (two of Jenkins’s final group E, four apparently illegible) and six Attic-weight Rhodian drachms.
We are grateful to Matthew Ponting for this information. 136 Donald T. Ariel, the head of the coin department of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), has compiled a list of 73 bronze Hellenistic coins of Side found in excavations in Israel, Syria, and Cyprus (Ariel 2000:47*). Seven additional coins have been found in the excavations at Ashkelon. Most of these issues are of the Pomegranate rev. type and the rest are of the Nike rev. type. Ariel suggests that most of the Side coins found in the Levant date from the end of the third to the beginning of the second century B.C., based on their appearance at the short-lived site of Korazim, in which the latest coins belong to the reign of Antiochus III (Ariel 2000:35*).
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Inscriptions and Coins Table 7. Western and Southern Asia Minor Coin Issues Found in Excavations in Israel
Mint and Date Pergamum ca. 200–133 B.C. Chios 190–133 B.C. Chios 3rd–1st cent. B.C. Colophon 4th cent. B.C.
Provenience Stray find, seashore at Ashkelon Yavneh Ḥammama, near modern Ashkelon Yafo (Jaffa)
Reference R. Kool (pers. comm.) SNG Cop. no. 387 Sokolov 1998 D. T. Ariel (pers. comm.) D. T. Ariel (pers. comm.) Ariel 1982:278 D. T. Ariel (pers. comm.) G. Bijovsky (pers. comm.) SNG Cop. nos. 750–51 Sellers 1933:90 Ariel 1982:278 Misch-Brandl and Galili 1985:13
IAA Inventory No. 75339 58661 57310 47728 — 81803 65833 — — 81239
Ephesus Jerusalem end of 4th–2nd cent. B.C. Miletus 3rd–2nd cent. B.C. Rhodes 350–300 B.C. Rhodes 304–166 B.C. Mopsus 3rd–2nd cent. B.C. Lycian League 3rd–2nd cent. B.C. Yafo (Jaffa) Caesarea Beth-zur Jerusalem Megadim, off the Carmel coast
Our hoard contains two so far unrecorded coins of Teos (no. 1) and Knidos (no. 24). Such uncommon pieces are more likely to have been picked up in their place of origin. Indeed, their place of origin offers a suggestion as to how the coins of the Ashkelon hoard came to be collected. Teos, Samos, Kos, Knidos, Rhodes, Lycia (Xanthus Valley, with Patara as its seaport), Side, Paphos, Antioch (Seleucia), and Tyre are all located along a known seafaring route that is both natural and logical (figure 19.2). At all of these sites remnants of ancient harbors can be traced (see, e.g., Akurgal 1973:139–42, 252–53, 255–62, 336– 41). Some are used as harbors or anchorages to this day (see Heikell 1989:100–2, 142–43, 179 [map], 204–5, 219, 224–27; and Heikell 1987:292–95, 313– 15, 320–24).139 Merchantmen as well as warships sailed along the western and southern coasts of Turkey and the adjacent Greek islands. Thus we can suggest that the coins in our hoard were gathered by a crew member aboard a ship that sailed along the western coast of
139
See Casson 1991 on the use of maritime trading routes. A reconstruction of a voyage on the basis of numismatic finds, similar to what we present here, has been proposed by W. W. Sheridan (1971). We thank P. van Alfen for this reference.
Asia Minor on its way to Cyprus and Phoenicia, and eventually arrived at Ashkelon around 100 B.C. Ships of this period called at various ports and sailors were involved in what may be defined as a “private sailor’s trade,” taking advantage of the voyage to make a profit for themselves. At some these ports the owner of the hoard may have obtained several local bronze coins, which he probably intended to use on his return voyage. Archaeological evidence from excavations both on land and underwater complements the literary evidence for the vitality of this trade route throughout antiquity, and in so doing provides interesting comparanda for the Ashkelon hoard. Only a few wrecks have been extensively excavated along the Turkish coast, the eastern Greek islands, Cyprus, and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean; however, a large number of records have been preserved that may point to shipwreck sites. Two examples require special attention. The Kyrenia Ship. This wreck was found in 1967 about 1 km north of Kyrenia in Cyprus, in water 30 m deep. It was excavated under the direction of Michael Katzev. The ship’s timbers were lifted to the surface, conserved, and reassembled in the Kyrenia castle, where the ship is exhibited today.
A Late Hellenistic Coin Hoard
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Figure 19.2: Map of the eastern Mediterranean showing locations of seaports and mints
(Cities marked by a circle had mints that produced coins found in the Ashkelon hoard.)
According to 14C analysis of the wood, combined with analysis of the ceramic vessels and coins found on board, the Kyrenia ship is dated to about 306–300 B.C. The cargo included 404 amphoras of different origins, millstones that probably served as ballast, and about 10,000 almonds. Specialists concluded that the amphoras originated in Samos and Rhodes, while the millstones were quarried on the island of Nisyros. The almonds were identified as having originated in Cyprus (Katzev 1969; 1970a; 1972; Katzev and Katzev 1974; 1989; Gianfrotta et al. 1997:168). Katzev suggested a possible route for the ship’s last voyage that passed through these places (Katzev 1970b:844; Katzev 1990:245, 256; Gianfrotta et al. 1997:170). This route closely resembles the route that connects the places of origin of the coins from the Ashkelon hoard.
The Maagan Mikhael Ship. This ship was discovered in 1985, in shallow water off the shore of Kibbutz Maagan Mikhael, 30 km south of Haifa, on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Ceramic and 14C dating methods have dated it to about 400 B.C. It was a small merchantman that may have sunk only a short time after its launching. The ship carried about 13 tons of stones and rocks, the majority of which are at present ascribed to the island of Evia, and a portion of the remainder most probably to the southern coast of Cyprus. Some remnants of food have been identified as having their origin in southwest Turkey or the nearby Aegean islands, while most of the 70 ceramic vessels have been attributed to Cyprus. A few decorative wooden boxes and small ceramic wares found on board may be interpreted as “sailor trade” items used in barter by the crew along the coast (Linder 1992;
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Inscriptions and Coins 7. Jaffa: Excavations by J. Kaplan found amphora stamps (now in the Jaffa museum collection) from Amphipolis in Macedonia, Chios, Kos, Knidos, Rhodes, and Kourion. 8. Samaria: The Joint Expedition to Samaria found amphora stamps from Thasos, Sinope, Chios, Kos, Knidos, Rhodes, Kourion, and Paros (see Finkielsztejn 2001). 9. Maresha: Excavations by A. Kloner found amphora stamps from Thasos, Sinope, Chios, Kos, Knidos, Rhodes, and Pamphylia. In addition to archaeological discoveries, we can draw upon literary sources. These provide evidence not just for the routes used by ships but also the duration of sea voyages (for an overview of the literary evidence, see Casson 1995:ch. 12). Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 16.17–20) mentions a sea voyage by King Herod in ca. 14 B.C. from Palestine to Byzantium via Rhodes, Kos, Lesbos, Chios (where he waited a few days for a better wind), and Mytilene. The sea routes traveled by St. Paul during the second third of the first century A.D. are also of interest.140 In Paul’s first missionary journey, as described in the New Testament book of Acts, the ports of Seleucia, Salamis (Cyprus), Paphos, Perga, and Attalia are mentioned (Acts 13:4–5, 13; 14:26). In his second missionary journey the relevant ports are Troas, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Caesarea (Acts 16:11; 17:13–14; 18:18–22). In his third missionary journey he called at the following ports: Troas, Assos, Mytilene, Chios, Samos, Trogyllium, and Miletus; and he passed by Chios, Ephesus, Kos, Rhodes, Patara, Cyprus, Tyre, Akko, and Caesarea (Acts 20:6, 13–16; 21:1–3, 7–8). Later, Paul was taken to Rome by ship. The locations mentioned for this trip are Caesarea, Sidon, Cyprus, Myra, and Knidos (Acts 27:1–7; see also Gianfrotta et al. 1997:10–13). It is clearly that these ports were used by ships which plied these waters on a regular basis (Acts 21:2; 27:6; 28:11). Finally, although it is dated much later, to the end of the fourth century A.D., it is worth mentioning the round trip by sea from Thessalonica to Ashkelon and back to Thessalonica that is recorded by Marcus Diaconus (Vita Porphyrii 6).
Linder and Rosloff 1995; Kahanov 1996; Artzy 1985). Although the research has not yet been completed, it may tentatively be suggested that at least the last part of the ship’s voyage was along a route close to the points of origin of the coins in our hoard. Shipwreck evidence for trade connections between western Asia Minor and Palestine in the second and early first century B.C. is corroborated by the discovery of large numbers of imported stamped amphoras (in most cases only the stamped handles are found) in excavations throughout Israel. The evidence catalogued by Gérald Finkielsztejn (2001) shows an increase in trade from Rhodes and the cities of western Asia Minor to the Levant in the second half of the second century B.C. Particularly noteworthy are the stamped amphoras from the following sites: 1. Shiqmona: Excavations by J. Elgavish found amphora stamps from Samos (Elgavish 1968: pl. 61, nos. 147–48), identified by V. R. Grace (1979b:183), as well as from Rhodes (Elgavish 1974:pls. 37–38, nos. 343–49, 351–60) and from Kos (ibid., no. 350). 2. Gezer: Excavations by R. A. S. Macalister found many amphora stamps from Rhodes (Macalister 1912:350–64), as well as from Thasos (p. 350, fig. 467, nos. 6 and 11), Chios (no. 10), Paphos (no. 19), Knidos (no. 25), and Pamphylia (p. 356, no. 175). 3. Giv‘at Yasaf (Tell er-Ras): Ariel 1999:25*– 30*, nos. 1–12 (Rhodes), no. 13 (Chios). 4. Jerusalem (City of David): Excavations by Y. Shiloh found hundreds of amphora stamps from Rhodes (Ariel 1990:29–76, nos. S 1– 450), as well as stamps from Knidos (S 451– 52), Chios (S 453–57), and Kos (S 458–63). See Ariel 1990:13–25 for additional information on the distribution of stamped handles in Israel and elsewhere. 5. Ashkelon: The Leon Levy Expedition has found stamped amphora handles, mainly from Rhodes but also from Chios and Kos (L. E. Stager, pers. comm.). 6. Akko: Excavations by E. Stern and M. Hartal found amphora stamps from Thasos, Sinope, Chios, Kos, Knidos, Rhodes, Paros, and Kourion in Cyprus. A major group of Phoenician amphora stamps from Tyre was also found in these excavations (Naveh 1997).
140 For the locations mentioned in connection with Paul’s voyages being ports in antiquity, see e.g. Akurgal 1973:62, 64–69, 142–44, 157, 206–22, 263–64, 324.
A Late Hellenistic Coin Hoard If the coins of the Ashkelon hoard were indeed gathered by a sailor during the voyage (or voyages) of a merchantman, it would seem that all of the issues represented in the hoard were in circulation at that time in the places concerned. This would imply that in ca. 100 B.C., in the cities and islands of the western coast of Asia Minor, coins in circulation ranged in date from the late fourth century to the beginning of the first century B.C. This wide temporal distribution seems rather unusual. Further evidence is needed either to confirm the simultaneous circulation of coins of such varying dates, or to suggest an alternative explanation for the composition of our hoard.
Acknowledgments:
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The numismatic section was written by Haim Gitler of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the section on maritime archaeology and history was written by Ya’akov Kahanov of the Recanati Centre for Maritime Studies of the University of Haifa. We are indebted to the Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon for allowing us to analyze and publish the hoard. Richard Ashton has made an invaluable contribution to this work by sharing unpublished material and providing key references. We are also indebted to Alla Kushnir-Stein, Gérald Finkielsztejn, Catharine C. Lorber, Arthur Houghton, Ino Michaelidou-Nicolaou, Philip Kinns, Johan van Heesch, and Donald T. Ariel for their comments. The photographs of the coins are by Ilan Sztulman.
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