Issue O994 of 1 November 1999
Ancient Jewish Coins Revealed at the Israel
Museum
Foremost Private Collection of Ancient Jewish Coins Revealed at the Israel
Museum, Jerusalem
Showcasing the coin legacy of Abraham Bromberg, "More than Money" explores
Jewish history, numismatics, forgeries and more
Opening: Saturday, October 30, 1999
"Philisto-Arabian" silver drachm-Ashdod mint 4th c BCE |
Numismatics is defined as "the study of
money." But as visitors
to the Israel Museum's new "More than Money" exhibition will discover,
numismatics is in fact a vast field of historical study that traces
cultural evolution through one of the most basic dimensions of our lives.
"More than Money" reveals the largest display of coins ever exhibited from
the Museum's holdings, many donated by Abraham Bromberg, whose collection
of ancient Jewish coins is among the most important in the world. These
coins, along with maps, ancient manuscripts and interactive displays, trace
diverse aspects of Jewish history and coin-collecting from the eleventh
century to the present.
"More than Money" also highlights the special interest of Jewish scholars
in ancient Jewish coins, noting references to coins found in the Talmud,
which attribute the invention of coins to one of four biblical heroes:
Abraham, Joshua, David or Mordechai. The exhibition also includes the
first Hebrew-language book on coins, published in Palestine in 1913 with
the help of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the linguist responsible for reviving
Hebrew as a modern language; and the first Israeli coin, made of aluminum,
issued in November 1948 and depicting a bunch of grapes - a motif appearing
on coins from the time of the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans (2nd
century AD).
Left: Silver Shekel 134/5 AD -- Right: Silver Tetradrahma 133/4 AD Both show Holy Temple |
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem is the country's largest cultural institution,
with encyclopedic collections from pre-history through contemporary art.
The Museum, which receives approximately 750,000 visitors annually from
Israel and around the world, mounts more than thirty exhibitions each year
and has a permanent collection of nearly 500,000 objects in all of the fine
arts and archaeology, Judaica and ethnography.
For more details contact the Press Department, Israel Museum, Jerusalem,
Tel: 972 2-670-8868; Fax 972-2-670-8063, email:rachelsh@imj.org.il
or
Goldfine & Partners
Tel: 972 3 687 0804; Fax 972 3 639 1371, email: goldfine@classnet.co.il
Editor's Note: Text and images submitted to Anistoriton by The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
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