Yoram Tsafrir,B.A., M.A., PhD (30 January 1938–23 November 2015)

Abstract

The coins attributed to Alexander Jannaeus include a very common type that was apparently struck during the last four years of his 27-year reign, or possibly after his death. The presence or absence of these common coins, at sites where there is a relevant gap in the sequence of the numismatic archaeological finds, can sometimes indicate whether the site was destroyed and abandoned for a period at the end of the second century and/or during the first half of the first century B.C.E. Analysis of this presence or absence can also, in some instances, help to resolve a long-standing question about the attribution of certain other Hasmonean coins to Jannaeus. These contentions are demonstrated through case studies of the numismatic finds at Samaria, Pella, Bethsaida, Khirbet esh-Shuhara, and Gibeon.