http://www.presentthepast.com/2009/09/prophet-josephs-name-found-on-coins-in-egypt/ Keeping you up to date with archaelogy in the Middle East Sat, 13 Nov 2010 10:30:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.presentthepast.com/2009/09/prophet-josephs-name-found-on-coins-in-egypt/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Joyce Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:15:58 +0000 http://www.presentthepast.com/?p=392#comment-83 There may have been coinage as early as the 11th century BC, as the Bible refers to 10,000 gold darics donated toward the future building of Solomon's Temple during the reign of King David. (I Chronicles 29:7). What they were really called is unknown; the 5th century BC author of this text anachronistically called any gold coin or equivalent value a daric. (Darics began under and were named for the Persian Emperor Darius I (521-486 BC). Meanwhile, standardized weights were used for centuries, as these deben stones attest. The photo is too fuzzy to see the inscriptions/images. To attribute some of them to the Prophet/Patriarch Joseph is leaping to conclusions! There may have been coinage as early as the 11th century BC, as the Bible refers to 10,000 gold darics donated toward the future building of Solomon's Temple during the reign of King David. (I Chronicles 29:7). What they were really called is unknown; the 5th century BC author of this text anachronistically called any gold coin or equivalent value a daric. (Darics began under and were named for the Persian Emperor Darius I (521-486 BC). Meanwhile, standardized weights were used for centuries, as these deben stones attest. The photo is too fuzzy to see the inscriptions/images. To attribute some of them to the Prophet/Patriarch Joseph is leaping to conclusions!

]]> http://www.presentthepast.com/2009/09/prophet-josephs-name-found-on-coins-in-egypt/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Joyce Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:54:35 +0000 http://www.presentthepast.com/?p=392#comment-82 It is misleading to call these items "coins," which implies an intrinsic value of the material of which they are made. Instead, they are weights, here, a deben, which would be placed on balance scales against the item being bought or sold, which is why they could be made of non-metallic substances such as ivory or "gem" stones. The earliest coin actually found was from Lydia and I believe was called a stater. The Biblical shekel comes from a verb meaning "to weigh out". It began as a standardized weight and eventually became a coin. It is dubious that Joseph's image would appear on such a weight. It is misleading to call these items "coins," which implies an intrinsic value of the material of which they are made. Instead, they are weights, here, a deben, which would be placed on balance scales against the item being bought or sold, which is why they could be made of non-metallic substances such as ivory or "gem" stones. The earliest coin actually found was from Lydia and I believe was called a stater. The Biblical shekel comes from a verb meaning "to weigh out". It began as a standardized weight and eventually became a coin. It is dubious that Joseph's image would appear on such a weight.

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