Ancient Rome 15-26AD – Governors of Judaea – Valerius Gratus AE Prutah

This is a genuine ancient prutah of the Roman province of Judaea, struck during the prefecture of Valerius Gratus, AD 15-26. It has been inspected and certified as genuine by NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation). This is a stock photo and the coin received may not be identical to the one pictured. Comes in Box with a COA. Valerius Gratus was the Roman Prefect of Judaea province under Tiberius from 15 to 26 CE. He succeeded Annius Rufus and was replaced by Pontius Pilate. The government of Gratus is chiefly remarkable for the frequent changes he made in the appointment of the high-priesthood. He deposed Ananus, and substituted Ishmael be Fabus, then Eleazar, son of Arianus, then Simon, son of Camith, and lastly Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Ananus. In the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and its derived films, Gratus is almost killed by a roof tile which accidently falls from the home of Judah Ben-Hur, which prompts all subsequent events of the story.