PHILISTIA. Central Mint. Philistian-styled, circa 420-350 BCE. Mʿh = Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.57 g, 6 h). Lion advancing right above a ram recumbent right; in upper left field, 𐡁 (B in Aramaic). Rev. Bes standing facing, bow-legged and with lion’s tail, wearing plumed headdress and holding two lions upside down by their tails; all within dotted square border in incuse square. Gitler & Tal XXVIII.5Oa-c (same dies). Hendin -. Jeselsohn -. Kindler, Ashdod, pl. A, 6 (same dies, as 'Ashdod'). Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Extremely rare, apparently the fourth known example of this fascinating issue. Slightly rough and the obverse struck somewhat off center, otherwise, about extremely fine.



This piece is closely related in iconography to lot 118 above. Both types associate Bes closely with lions, though here the god is shown full-length rather than merely as a head. His leonine nature is emphasized by the lion’s tail visible between his legs; at the same time, by holding two lions by their tails, he appears as master of the animal world.

The obverse echoes the reverse type of lot 118, but with the lion dominating a ram rather than a gazelle. In composition, it also closely recalls lot 105 above, where the lion appears in almost identical fashion above a recumbent animal, though in that case the animal is a semi-incuse ibex rather than a ram.