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Re: Copper Scroll (was Re: orion-list Essenes, Zias article, etc.
Dear Robert Leonard,
Thank you for your thoughtful and interesting reply to the possibility I
raised that the Copper Scroll may list treasures hidden by the former
Jannaeus partisans exiled from Jerusalem in 76 BCE rather than during the
First Revolt.
> While no Herodian Era placenames (Masada, Caesarea, etc.) are mentioned in
> the Copper Scroll, references to the Portico or Stoa (Column XI, Line 2)
and
> the Colonnades (Column XI, Line 8) may refer to Herod's reconstruction of
> the Temple. Neither of these translations is universally accepted,
however.
This is an interesting argument. That these features are commonly
interpreted as referring to Herod's temple may however simply reflect the
widespread assumption that the Copper Scroll dates to a time when that temple
was standing. In articles I have read I have seen no discussions of the
possibility of referring these lines to the earlier temple. Since this
possibility that these lines refer to the pre-Herodian temple has (to my
knowledge) never been raised, it has not yet been excluded. Assuming the
above translations are correct, and granted that Herod's temple contained a
Royal Portico and Colonnades, this only points to the Herodian period if it
can be demonstrated that the pre-Herodian temple lacked similar architectural
features. I would welcome further discussion on this point.
> If there is thought to be any correlation between the hoarding described
in
> the Copper Scroll and recovered coin hoards from Israel in general, the
> First Revolt is still the most likely. There are a number of shekel
hoards
> associated with the First Revolt, but none from c. 76 B.C.E. and
relatively
> few from the Second Revolt. An Inventory of Greek Coin Hoards, 1973,
lists
> the following hoards for Hellenistic Phoenicia - Palestine for this
period:
> El-Jib (Gibeon), Judaea, c. 75 B.C.E., 23 copper coins; Golan
> (Gaulanitis/Trachonitis), c. 100-75 B.C.E., 40 copper coins;
Samaria-Sebaste,
> Samaria, after 74 B.C.E., 22 copper coins, 1 shekel of Tyre. A large
hoard
> of shekels (200+) was recovered at Jericho, but the latest coin was dated
> 103/2 B.C.E. I haven't checked for hoards published after 1973, but would
> be surprised if they change this picture very much.
The First Revolt was of course unsuccessful and as a result many who hid coin
hoards died before retrieving their treasures. This was not the case in 76
BCE. The (Sadducee) former partisans on Alexander Jannaeus exiled to the
Judean fortresses in 76 returned to power under Aristobulus II in the years
67-63 BCE. Doubtless they recovered their hoarded treasures. Josephus, Ant.
13.427 states that "in barely fifteen days he [Aristobulus] occupied
twenty-two fortresses, and obtaining resources from these, he gathered an
army from Lebanon, Trachonitis and the local princes." That is, Aristobulus
hired mercenaries for his revolt using funds provided by his loyalists in the
fortresses to . (At 13.429 the same word "resources" is applied to both an
army and "money in the various treasuries.") The historical argument can be
made that the Jannaeus/Aristobulus partisans recovered the treasures of the
Copper Scroll and used some of this wealth to finance their uprising and
return to power. One would therefore not expect the Copper Scroll treasures
to still be in the ground in modern times.
Best regards.
Russell Gmirkin
For private reply, e-mail to RGmyrken@aol.com
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