Coins from the Synagogue at Phanagoria

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Abstract

The coins retrieved during the excavation of the ancient diasporic synagogue at Phanagoria are discussed. Almost all the coins are bronze staters minted in the names of Thothorses (AD 285/286‒309/310), Rhadamsades (AD 309/310‒318/319) and Rhescuporis VI (AD 318/319‒341/342). A hoard of 13 staters was discovered in a hidden compartment in the floor of the prayer hall. Two dozen coins were scattered under the floors of the synagogue. It is suggested that these low-value deposits were made ad hoc for apotropaic protection, which in Jewish tradition is called ayin ha-ra (‘evil eye’). Others came probably from a kuppah (charity box) as they were found with its cover in Room 2. In the middle of the sixth century the synagogue perished in a huge fire, as well as entire city.

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About the authors

Mikhail G. Abramzon

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Phanagoria State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve; Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: abramzon-m@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6111-048X

доктор исторических наук, профессор, ведущий научный сотрудник отдела классической археологии; старший научный сотрудник; директор НИИ исторической антропологии и филологии

Russian Federation, Moscow; Sennoy; Magnitogorsk

Vladimir D. Kuznetsov

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Phanagoria State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve

Email: phanagor@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0002-3214-3586

доктор исторических наук, заведующий отделом классической археологии; директор

Russian Federation, Moscow; Sennoy

Sergey N. Ostapenko

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Phanagoria State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve

Email: osn-23@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9131-1335

кандидат исторических наук, младший научный сотрудник отдела классической археологии; первый заместитель директора

Russian Federation, Moscow; Sennoy

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2. Fig. 1. Phanagoria. Plan of the synagogue

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3. Fig. 2. Phanagoria synagogue. 1 - view from the south-eastern corner of room 1; 2 - south-western corner of room 1. The arrow points to the burnt remains of the Ark of the Torah (aron kodesh)

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4. Fig. 3. Marble artefacts from the synagogue: 1 - fragments of a large menorah; 2 - lion's head; 3 - detail with the inscription ‘ΙΟΥΔΑ’

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5. Fig. 4. Byzantine and Bosporan coins found together in the fire layer of the 6th century in the synagogue winery: 1, 2 - solidi of Justinian I 538-545 and 545-565; 3 - follis of Anastasius I or Justinian I (badly damaged by fire); 4 - staters of Phophoris 298/9 AD; 5-7 - staters of Rescuporides IV 320/1, 323/4 and 325/6 AD

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6. Fig. 5. Lid of the tzedakah box from room 2

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7. Table I. Phanagoria. Coins from the synagogue (No. 1-13 - hoard from the prayer hall)

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8. Table II. Phanagoria. Coins from the synagogue

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9. Fig. 6. Treasure from the synagogue. 1 - prayer hall with the remains of a bima and a cache at the threshold. View from the north-east; 2-3 - close-up of the cache

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10. Fig. 7. Solids from Phanagoria. 1 - Zenon, 476-491 AD (Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Inventory No. N-211334); 2 - Justinian I, 538-545 (Excavation "Upper Town". GIAMZ "Fanagoria". Inventory No. FM-KP 104/2 N3354)

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