Abstract
Coins from the mint of Neapolis, Samaria, first show the sanctuary of Zeus on Mount Gerizim in the second century, rendering the landscape in great detail. While such sacred landscapes are not unknown on coins, they remain a rarity—especially in ancient Palestine. However, by the third century, die engravers are no longer interested in portraying the sacred landscape but in using the landscape as a sacred baetyl, modeled on the sacred baetyl of El-Gabal depicted on coins of Emesa. The coins of Neapolis are unique in extending the symbolism of the “sacred baetyl of Gerizim” to mean “the city of Neapolis.” In doing so, the coins model the transition happening in the late antique world from naturalistic object to abstracted symbol encompassing a wealth of meanings. Such transitions are commonly understood to have happened in sculpture and painting, but they have not yet been noted to occur on coins, a medium with a potentially larger audience.
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