Caesarea

Caesarea
State Medal, 5725-1965

Near the end of the Second Commonwealth, Caesarea was the most beautiful city in all of Israel and many Jews were attracted to it. The great revolt against the Romans was kindled in Caesarea and Jews were among the first to be killed in the revolt. In the 2nd century BCE the Jewish community was reestablished in Caesarea and during the Mishnaic and Talmudic period it served as a focal point of attraction to Tannaim and Amoraim. The town was destroyed during the Arab conquest in 639 CE. The Crusaders who conquered Caesarea in 1102 fortified it again. The final Moslem conquest in 1265 left the city abandoned. In modern times Caesarea's glory was rediscovered by archaelogists who have unearthed a brilliant past including remnants of Jewish synagogues from the period of the 4th to 7th centuries.

Obverse: A stylized impression of the city: a Roman arch with the sea beyond. Below, a capital from the 5th century synagogue found on the spot, featuring a seven-branched candelabrum between acanthus leaves. The name of the city, "Caesarea", in Hebrew above and in English below.

Reverse: In the center, a replica of a coin minted in Caesarea by Agrippas 1 (37-44 CE). Tyche (Fortune) holding in her right hand a ship's rudder, in her left a palm branch. The inscription around Tyche in Greek, "Caesarea, close to the harbor Sebastos", (Sebastos being the Greek for Augustus), the letter "LH" stand for the year 44 CE. On the rim, the inscription, "Coin of Caesarea 44 CE" in Hebrew, 3804 in English below.

Edge: "State of Israel" in Hebrew and English and the menorah. The silver medals are marked with the words "Sterling" in English and "Silver 935" in Hebrew.

Serialization: All the medals are numbered

Designer: Obverse - Mordechai Grumpel. Reverse - Alex Berlyne.

Engraving: Kretschmer

Mint: Kretschmer