JUDAEA. Gaza. Hadrian, 117-138. Hexassarion (Bronze, 35 mm, 26.53 g, 12 h), Epi(demia) 3 and CY 192 = 131/2. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑI ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹE Laureate head of Hadrian to left. Rev. ΓΑΖΑ MAPNAC / •Γ•ΕΠΙ ΒϘΡ (date) 𐡌 ('m' in Aramaic) Distyle temple; within, Artemis standing right, drawing arrow from quiver with her right hand and holding bow in her left, facing Marnas standing left, holding arrow (?) in his right hand and bow in his left. BMC 14-5. RPC III 4023. Samel -. Shoshana -. SNG ANS -. Sofaer 51-2. Very rare. Slightly rough, otherwise, good very fine.



The reverse of this coin makes explicit what the earlier Philistian issues express only through symbol (see lots 45-47 above): Marnas, the chief god of Gaza, is not only represented within the temple but actually named in the legend, ΓΑΖΑ ΜΑΡΝΑΣ. Remarkably, the ancient Aramaic mem (𐡌), already used as his emblem on Gaza’s coinage in the fourth century BCE, appears alongside the fully written name, providing a striking link between the city’s Persian-period and Roman-period numismatic traditions. The type thus offers exceptional testimony to the extraordinary continuity of Marnas’ cult and civic significance at Gaza across nearly five centuries.