Jakob Trugenberger

• B2: Coinage in Syria-Palestine between Hellenistic-Roman Influence and Jewish Tradition

“Whose likeness and inscription is this?” (Mt 22:20) – A research project examining coin design and coin use within local tradition and foreign cultural influences in Syria-Palestine in the Hellenistic-Roman period

This project is dedicated to exploring the design and social function of coinage in ancient society in the period between the 2^nd century BC and the 3^rd century AD in the region later known as the province of Syria-Palestine. The Praxeological Model of a ‘different’ aesthetics is to be applied. As an everyday medium of images and texts, the coins to be studied reflect the dynamics between external cultural and religious influences, and local traditions. The project aims to investigate how these dynamics and the everyday use of coins correspond and reflect each other. A particular focus will be on the interdependence between the technical, artistic logic of coin design (autological dimension) and the pragmatic and historical logic of everyday coin use (heterological dimension). The project draws on a broad base of archaeological and numismatic sources from the area under consideration (excavation finds and coins) as well as on textual evidence (legal and economic documents from the region, biblical texts, rabbinical texts). All of these sources are to be analysed and interpreted equally. Profound insights into the characteristics of regional monetary circulation are thus to be gained. Besides, deeper understandings of everyday economic, political, religious and cultural life are possible. These insights could prove fruitful for the understanding of a contemporary history of the New Testament, and for exegesis.

• Neutestamentliche Zeitgeschichte
• Antike Numismatik (insbesondere der südlichen Levante)
• Geschichte und Münzprägung der Hasmonäer