Miriam and the Women

Miriam And The Women 1996/5757
3rd in the Biblical Art Coin Series

The Biblical Art Coin Series is dedicated to works of art with biblical themes. The picture of Miriam and the Women depicted on the coin is taken from the "Golden Haggadah" of Barcelona, one of the earliest and most spectacular of the Spanish Haggadahs, dating from about 1320.

Miriam was the elder sister of Moses and Aaron. From the Bible, we learn about her heroism and compassion, as well as her great intellectual knowledge and leadership abilities.

The Book of Exodus, which describes the Exodus from Egypt, offers a depictive description Miriam,

"Miriam the Prophetess, Aaron's sister took the drum in her hand and all the women followed her with drums and dance" (Exodus 15:20). While others were complaining about the desert conditions, Miriam was giving thanks for the great, miraculous Redemption that had just occurred after the parting of the Red Sea.

The work of art displays Miriam the Prophetess with her tambourine, followed by the women dancing with tambourines in hand, in joyous songs of praise, "And Miriam sang unto them: Sing ye to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea." (Exodus 15:21)

Obverse: Face value in Hebrew and English, Israel State Emblem, "Israel" in English, Hebrew and Arabic, mint year, inscription "Miriam and the Women – Golden Haggadah – Barcelona c. 1320" in Hebrew and English, a decorative element representing Miriam's tambourine.

Reverse: Miriam and the Women with tambourines in song and dance, taken from the "Golden Haggadah" of Spain.

Edge: Silver B.U. Coin – Smooth Silver Proof and Gold Coin – Milled

Mint Marks: Silver B.U. Coin – Star of David, Silver Proof and Gold Coin – Hebrew letter "mem"

Designer: Obverse – Oswald Adler Reverse – Gideon Keich

Plaster Reliefs: Tidhar Dagan

Mint: Royal Dutch Mint