Valerius Gratus, Roman Prefect Of Judaea Under Tiberius, 15-26 Ce (NGC Slab)

Valerius Gratus was the Roman Prefect of Judaea _x000D_province under Tiberius from 15 to 26 CE. He _x000D_succeeded Annius Rufus and was replaced by P_x000D_ontius Pilate. The government of Gratus is chiefly _x000D_remarkable for the frequent changes he made in the _x000D_appointment of the high-priesthood. He deposed _x000D_Ananus, and substituted Ishmael ben Fabus, then _x000D_Eleazar, son of Arianus, then Simon, son of Camith, _x000D_and lastly Joseph Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Ananus._x000D_In the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and its _x000D_derived films, Gratus is almost killed by a roof tile _x000D_which accidentally falls from the home of Judah _x000D_Ben-Hur, which prompts all subsequent events of the _x000D_story. _x000D__x000D_This is a genuine ancient bronze prutah of the Roman province of Judaea, struck during the prefecture of Valerius Gratus. Obverse is a palm branch, reverse is a _x000D_wreath.