One of my favorite coins is this very small silver coin with a picture of God on it. It was struck in Samaria which was the name for Israel at the time of Christ and a few centuries before. The southern kingdom containing Jerusalem was Judah. The Samaritans had been conquered by foreign powers (Assyria) 721/2 B.C. Thus the influence of other religions had affected their national character for much longer than Judah which was conquered by Babylonia 586/7 B. C. and more or less freed by the Persians a Sabbath of Sabbaths later (49 years). Samarian coins show much more latitude than do the coins of Judah commonly called Yehud coins. The Jews in Judah would never strike a coin showing YHWH but the Samaritans did although none of said coins ever show the sacred name of God (YHWH) either by itself or in construct form (combined with another word) on the same side of the coin as the image. Thus some respect of the image prohibition is retained.
Interesting! How is it determined that the deity on your coin represents YHWH rather than the unspecified "four-winged deity" shown on this 4th century BCE Samarian coin, or are they the same deity? (from CNG's archives) SAMARIA, Samarian-signed Series. Circa 375-333 BC. AR Obol (9mm, 0.66 g, 12h). King of Persia seated right, on throne with back terminating in swan’s head, holding flower in right hand and scepter in left; ŠN (in Aramaic) to left / Four-winged deity standing right, wearing crown, holding flower in right hand and uncertain object in left; MZ (in Aramaic) to left. Meshorer & Qedar 100; Sofaer 41; HGC 10, –; Sunrise –. Good VF, lightly toned, area of flat strike on reverse. Very rare. From the Sunrise Collection. Ex Shoshana Collection (Part I, Heritage, 8 March 2012), lot 20067
Hand of God. I traded this one back to ANoob so he has this awesome "hand of God" coin in his collection now.
They are very similar to Ahura-Mazda, aren't they?! Man I want one of those Tiribazos staters. I've bid on a few but never won. pilfering CNG's archives again, here's a very nice example: CILICIA, Mallos. Tiribazos. Satrap of Lydia, 388-380 BC. AR Stater (20mm, 10.33 g, 12h). Struck circa 384-383 BC. Baal standing half-left, holding eagle in extended right hand, lotus-tipped scepter in left; MAP to left, TRBZW (in Aramaic) to right / Ahura-Mazda facing, head right, body terminating in solar disk with wings and tail feathers, holding up wreath in right hand, lotus blossom in left. Casabonne Series 1; SNG France 389; SNG Levante 147; Sunrise 40 (this coin). EF, attractively toned, typical die wear. Rare. From the Sunrise Collection.
This is my thought. How can we be certain of the attribution to God and how did this assignment come to be? I am no expert on the series, so I am not the one to ask, but I am always willing to learn.
The only other language on the coins of Samaria is an inscription "Zeus" on one coin in which a sort of Zeus is portrayed sitting. However, this Zeus is smelling a Lilly and has a crown, very atypical Zeus attributes. The other side of the coin (which I have but I give up trying to post pictures here) shows a riding satrap and has an inscription in Aramaic that says "God answers" which involves YHWH although the last letter is changed because it is in construct form (combined with another word). Meshorer and Qedar wrote the two successive definitive books on Samaritan coins and they call it YHWH. Remember that YHWH is an invisible god so any representative images (always very rare and mostly prohibited) will vary some, something you can't do with say Ahura Mazda because countless statues and images of him exist to which the lesser images must artistically correspond. Although the Samaritans are the descendants of the Jews of the northern kingdom (Israel) the southern Jews (Judah) considered them mostly heretical. Showing God on a coin would be to them further proof of same. However, I maintain even the Samaritans refused to put an image of God and his name on the same side of a coin. That would be an obvious and egregious violation of the aniconic prohibition.
I'm confused. Was there a conflation between YHWH and Zeus among the Samarians, according to Meshorer and Quedar?
well, no civilization develops in a vacuum. so its a "who made who" thang. i'd say there's evidence of several influences on that one.
@Gary Waddingham, we would like to see the other side, when you figure out how to post it. That OP coin is a great coin! I have a tiny Samarian coin: 9-8 mm. 0.78 grams. Helmeted head of Athena right owl standing facing, wings spread , letters transliterating to SN M&S 87. The type is like that of the Athenian decadrachm. It does not have God on it, but it is pretty neat anyway.
