And Now For Something Completely Different - Impulse Purchase

Never even noticed it until the seconds were counting down to zero
I hesitated but a fraction of a second ......
then fired off a bid
I never expected to win it !
The more I look at it (and compare it to some similar) the more I like it

Arabia Felix - Himyarites
(Region of Modern Yemen)
1st century BC
AR Light Denarius

Obv. Diademed male head right with symbols on either side above and below
Rev. "Bucranium" (antelope head)
monogram and open curved sign on either side
Reverse legend ? I I - I I - I I - I I - I I
with - I I - below !




Interestingly shortly after the ancient Abyssinians abandoned Judaism for Christianity (3rd century AD) the people of Southern Arabia (4th century AD) adopted Judaism for most of the next 2 centuries
According to some sources (Edward Gibbon) In the 6th century when the people of Medina invited Muhammed (then exiled from Mecca) to come into the city and reign as Prince the population was approximately 1/2 Jewish with a significant part of the rest being "heretic" Arian Christians ie exiles from "the" Empire
The simple phrase "there is no God but God" might have been borrowed
Abraham Moses Mary and Jesus were all well known historical figures
This region of Arabia was much more complicated than we might imagine