Some Notes on the Depictions of the Achemenid Great King on the Coins of Fourth-Century Judah, Samaria and Philistia

Abstract

The coins from fourth-century Judah, Samaria, and Philistia are articulate pieces of mass
media. Depictions of the Achemenid Great King on these coins reflect the complex dynamics
between overlord and vassal states. The presence of Achemenid imagery on coins from the
Levant has been explained either as enforced propaganda on the part of the Achemenids or
as a local attempt to curry favor with the Achemenid overlords. To these explanations, the
possibility must be added that the images of the Great King were used to fortify the (slightly
exaggerated) value/purity asserted by the coins.