After the Romans destroyed the Temple and burned Jerusalem that effectively ended the First Jewish Revolt in 70 C.E., they issued the famous “Judea Capta” coins to celebrate their victory.a
“Judea Capta” coins were issued in gold, silver and bronze—in huge numbers, far more than other Capta coins, such as Aegypto Capta, Germania Capta and Dacia Capta.b The Romans were obviously very proud of their victory.
The Romans also issued a number of coins inscribed “Devicta” (defeated), as in “Armenia Devicta.” But these are rarer. Only a relatively few “Judea Devicta” coins have been recovered.
A third variant is the “Recepta” (received) coin, a somewhat gentler characterization of a Roman triumph. But this variant has never been found in connection with Judea—until now! Its first appearance is reported in a recent issue of Hebrew University’s Israel Numismatic Research by Gil Gambash of the University of Haifa, Haim Gitler of the Israel Museum and Hannah M. Cotton of Hebrew University.1
The newly recovered “Judea Recepta” coin is an aureus, that is, a gold specimen. On the obverse is a portrait of the emperor Vespasian. On the reverse with the legend stand a woman and a palm tree representing Judea. The palm tree has no fruit. The standing woman has crossed legs and bent arms with her head resting on her right hand.
“Recepta” has a different connotation from “Capta,” the authors point out. “Recepta” implies “a return to the embrace of the empire.” “Capta” (captured) implies a conquest by force of new territory.” Since Judea was a part of the Roman Empire, why are Capta coins so common, while only a single “Judea Recepta” coin is known?
The “Judea Recepta” coin presents Judea as “a former province that had temporarily been lost to the empire and was now reintegrated into the provincial system,” according to the report on the new coin. The “Judea Recepta” coin, the authors say, represents an early stage of Roman reaction to Judea’s defeat. However, “recepta” failed to reflect the toll the Jewish revolt had taken on Rome. Perhaps the “recepta” coin was minted at commander Titus’s direction immediately after the collapse of the revolt. He may well have been soon overruled by the emperor Vespasian back in Rome. But this, the authors admit, is only their tentative conclusion.
To return to the more mundane, the aureus sold at auction for 155,000 Swiss francs (approximately $175,000) and is now in the collection of David and Jemima Jeselsohn of Zurich, well-known collectors and major supporters of archaeology in Israel.
After the Romans destroyed the Temple and burned Jerusalem that effectively ended the First Jewish Revolt in 70 C.E., they issued the famous “Judea Capta” coins to celebrate their victory.a
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