Biblical Numismatics

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."   - Matthew 2:1-2 (ESV) Among the wonders told in the Bible, the mysterious Star of Bethlehem is one that fascinates the imagination. Astronomers have attempted to explain what the star might have been. Among several theories, one theory is the object was a conjunction of planets. We get to see such an event on December 21st, when Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close together they will form a bright star-like light that people haven't seen in 800 years. Whatever the Magi from the east saw, it signified the most significant event in cosmic history: the birth of our Lord Jesus the Christ. It impressed these astrologers so much that they were willing to risk their lives and travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem to worship the divin

Alexander III of Macedon aka Alexander the Great Probably one of the most influential figures of the ancient world is Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon). He lived from 356 to 323 BC, and in his thirty-two-year life, he managed to conquer much of the ancient world spanning from Macedonia all the way to India in the east and as far south as Egypt, including ancient Israel and Jerusalem. Was this event foretold in the Bible by the Prophet Daniel? In Daniel 2, Daniel interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar, saying that four empires would rise up to rule the world. These are understood to be Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire. In Daniel 10:20-21 (ESV), we read this: Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none

Numismatics is a fancy term for the study of money, coins, and commemorative medals. Once a hobby for just kings and nobility, anyone can collect coins using any theme or connection one so chooses. When you have a coin in your hand, whether one from a recent transaction or an ancient coin thousands of years old, you are touching history. That coin has symbols that tell a story. That coin is also a work of art--a sculpture on a disk of metal.  Many of the books of the Hebrew Bible predate the first coins. Coins came into use during the 7th Century BC, about the time of the prophets Daniel, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk. The first government to issue coinage was the Kingdom of Lydia, where they produced specimens made of electrum, an alloy of gold mixed with silver. The precious metal content in those pieces was probably for more significant trade transactions like land and crop sales instead of day to day purchases like bread and other necessities. Over time, other countries produced less valu