"COIN OF THE MONTH" - YEHUD AR HALF GERAH (1/2 OBOL) BURNING INCENSE - "KETORET"
Hendin 6062, Near Very Fine, edge flake, some roughness, 7.4mm, .30 gram, Struck Circa. 4th Century B.C.E., Under Achaemenid Persian Rule
Obverse: Incense bowl with flames and leafy branches
Reverse: Falcon with spread wings and head to right, ['YHD' in Paleo-Hebrew] in outer right field
A VERY RARE and Enigmatic coin missing from most Judaean collections!
According to Yigal Ronen (INR, 2009) the obverse depicts an incense bowl with flames and smoke. This view is followed by Hendin in GBC. We have made one small modification to the identification which is the leafy branch pattern seen above the left side of the bowl (hard to see on this coin, but quite clear on the very best examples).
What was the purpose of the plant? And what is the incense bowl coming to represent altogether?
We believe that this coin is closely related to the other early and rare yehuds, one type depicting an ear and the other a Shofar (ram's horn). These are directly linked to worship and the Jewish Holidays, most specifically, the High Holy days. The Shofar represents Rosh Hashana and is its most important service. The burning incense represents Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the most paramount service of the day was the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies with the flaming incense. The incense was made of plants and herbs. This is depicted as leafy branches on the obverse to illuminate to the viewer what they are looking at.
There is a view (Gitler, Lorber and Fontanille) that see the obverse as a dove. We do not find their suggestion as plausible for various reasons, but if indeed correct, the dove would very possibly represent the turtledove Noah sent out of the ark, which returned to him with an olive branch in its beak.
Ex: Collection of a pastor in Texas
