An Egyptian Queen’s Gold Coin Unearthed in Jerusalem Means a Rare Glimpse into Hellenistic Power
Archaeologists in Jerusalem uncovered a rare gold coin of Queen Berenice II, offering new insight into Hellenistic power, Jerusalem’s vitality, and the unusual prominence of a female ruler.
Archaeologists from the Givati Parking Lot excavation in Jerusalem's City of David unearthed an exceptionally rare gold coin depicting Queen Berenice II of Egypt. This discovery may reshape history's understanding of Jerusalem's post-exilic era and the connections to Hellenistic rule.
Just 20 of these coins are known to exist worldwide, and this find marks the first example discovered outside of Egypt in a proper archaeological context.
Rivka Langler recalled the moment she spotted the coin. "I was sifting through the soil when suddenly I saw something shiny. At first, I couldn't believe it! I've been excavating in the City of David for two years, and this is the first time I have found gold!"
Minted between 246 and 241 BCE during the reign of Ptolemy III, the coin is a quarter-drachma of nearly pure gold (99.3%). On the obverse, Queen Berenice II appears adorned with a diadem, veil, and necklace; the reverse features a cornucopia flanked by stars and a Greek inscription reading "of Queen Berenice."
Unusual for the times, Queen Berenice II, the wife of Hellenistic ruler Ptolemy III, appears as the face of political power. In most ancient coinage, women were relegated to symbolic roles. They were often depicted as goddesses or allegories of prosperity, while male rulers dominated the imagery. Yet on this quarter-drachma, Berenice is not mythologized; she is presented directly as sovereign.
As numismatists Robert Kool and Haim Gitler stated on the Israel Museum's Facebook page, "As far as we know, the coin is the only one of its kind discovered outside Egypt. Berenice appears not only as the king's consort, but possibly as a ruler in her own right."
This rarity suggests that her presence on coinage was a deliberate assertion of authority, signaling her status as more than a queen by marriage. In contemporary accounts, Berenice II was considered a politically shrewd and independent figure. Historians point to not only her dynastic alliances but also to intentional behaviors such as orchestrating a suitor's murder to secure her throne. So, her image on the coin may reflect an intentional projection of female rulership within the Ptolemaic dynasty, a bold move in a world dominated by male sovereigns.
The discovery also challenges long-held assumptions about Jerusalem's status during the Hellenistic period. Archaeologists Yiftah Shalev and Efrat Bocher suggest the coin points to a Jerusalem with an invigorating and dynamic economy. It was most likely connected to the major powerhouses of the eastern Mediterranean, far from the "small, poor town" earlier scholars envisioned.
Married to Ptolemy III, Queen Berenice II is a historically fascinating woman. She is remembered for dramatic court maneuvers and for the mythological tale of Coma Berenices, a constellation named after a lock of her hair said to have been immortalized in the sky after Queen Berenice, anxious for her husband’s safety in battle, vowed to Aphrodite that she would sacrifice her treasured locks if he returned unharmed. But through this coin, her portrayal transcends myth, offering evidence of her real political stature.
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