ANCIENT JUDAEA & SAMARIA
    Everyone who thinks they have an iron in that fire thinks they know what Judaea was, but the stories pretty much boil down to "it used to be ours" and they might actually all be true.
    Samaria is part of what is currently called the "Occupied Territories" of the "West Bank" (of the Jordan River).  That is to say - not Israel but not not-Israel, not Palestine but not not-Palestine.  In ancient times Samaria was not considered part of the homeland of the Jews and the Samarians (Samaritans) were not considered Jews by the Jews.  The Samaritans actually did consider themselves Jews, and considered the Jews to be not-Jews.  There are still a few of them left.  Their scripture is the Pentateuch, they sacrifice goats.  They still think they're the "real" Jews.
    Typically for this region I got an email from someone explaining to me that the Samaritans were actually "Canaanites" who adopted and adapted Hebrew practices in a sort of "cargo cult" way with all kinds of misunderstandings and vulgarisms, never were Jews, never could be.  That double-edged sword without a handle that is the concept "you are not one of us," along with laziness and stubbornness, possibly to be the ruin of us all.
    Anyway, the progression, for numismatic purposes, is Persian, then Seleukid (some royal coppers attributed to Jerusalem), Hasmonean (Macabbee) as vassals to the Seleukids, Hasmoneans under the Romans, Herodians under Romans, then the Romans directly, the revolts, then the Romans broke up the zone into little pieces.

JUDAEA, Persian period, before 333 BC, silver hemiobol, H-426, head of Athena R / owl R, F+ $245.00
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JUDAEA, John Hyrcanus II, 67 & 63-40 BC, bronze pruta, SG-6095, H-479, legend: YEHONANAN... / double cornucopiae, overstruck on Jannaeus H472, VF $53.00 sold 4/12/2010
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JUDAEA, Mattathias Antigonos, 40-37 BC, bronze 4 pruta, SG-6104, H-482, cornucopia / Greek legend, pitted, G $95.00
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JUDAEA, Herod I, the Great, 37-4 BC, bronze 2 pruta, H-490, cross in diadem / tripod, porous VG $95.00
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JUDAEA, Herod I, the Great, 37-4 BC, bronze pruta, SGI-5529v, H-491, cross in diadem / tripod, VG $55.00
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JUDAEA, Herod I, the Great, 37-4 BC, bronze pruta, SGI-5534, H-508, anchor / crossed cornucopiae, aVF $56.00 sold 4/12/2010
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JUDAEA, Archelaus, 4 BC-6 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5541, galley prow L, HRW / EQN in wreath, crude VG $33.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Agrippa I, 37-44 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5567, H-553, year 6 (42/3 AD), umbrella / 3 corn ears, year 6 (41 AD), aVF $62.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Agrippa I, 37-44 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5567, H-553, umbrella / 3 corn ears, year 6 (42/3 AD), aVF $65.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Agrippa I, 37-44 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5567, H-553, yr 6 (42/3 AD), umbrella / 3 corn ears, year 6 (41 AD), VG-F $35.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Pontius Pilate, 26-36 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5622, H-648, 3 barley ears / simpulum, LIS, year 16 (31 AD), F/VG $85.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Pontius Pilate, 26-36 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5622, H-648, 3 barley ears / simpulum, LIS, year 16 (31 AD), F $85.00sold 11/22/2010
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JUDAEA, Pontius Pilate, 26-36 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5623, H-649, lituus / legend, LIZ, year 17 (30 AD), porous aVF $120.00 sold
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JUDAEA, Pontius Pilate, 26-36 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5624, H-650, lituus / legend, LIH year 18 (30 AD), VF $120.00 sold
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    This is of course THE Pontius Pilate, noted in the actual writings of the time as basically a venal and bitter nogoodnik who hated Palestine and the Jews and just wanted to get back to Rome where they knew how to cook.  There are 1000s of Pilate's coins around, not nearly enough for all the faith-filled who might covet one.  In the context of the (probably) millions of "widow's mites" available Pilate's coins must be considered rare.

JUDAEA, Antonius Felix, 52-59 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5625, H-651, legend in wreath / crossed palms, year 14 of Claudius (54 AD), F/aVF $38.00 sold 8/12/2009
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JUDAEA, Antonius Felix, 52-59 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5626, H-652, crossed shields & spears / palm tree, year 14 of Claudius (54 AD), VG $25.00 sold 4/13/2009
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JUDAEA, Porcius Festus, 59-62 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5627, H-118, NERO in wreath / palm branch, year 5 of Nero, 58 AD, misattributed in Sear, F+ $32.00
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JUDAEA, First Revolt, 66-70 AD, bronze pruta, SGI-5639, H-661, amphora / grape leaf, year 2 (67/8 AD), aVF $62.00 sold 4/12/2010
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JUDAEA, ASCALON, Domitian, 81-96 AD, 18mm bronze, Hendin-280, BMC-118, year 198 (94/5 AD),  bust R / Phanebol standing L with spear & shield, looks like someone excavated a corrosion spot on his neck, porous aF $22.00
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