Reflection of Religious Sensitivities on Palestinian City Coinage

Abstract

There can be little doubt that the early coinages of Neapolis, Sepphoris and Tiberias
reflected the religious sensitivities of the majority of their respective populations, both
Samaritans and Jews. This is true of the issues of the first century CE, but not of later
centuries. The change in iconography is usually explained by intervention of the emperor
Hadrian, who is assumed to have transferred the government of these cities from Jews and
Samaritans to pagans. This paper discusses the possibility of such measures having been
taken by Vespasian in the aftermath of the first Jewish revolt.