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Beautiful Year Three Silver Shekel
275
Judaea. The Jewish War. Silver Shekel (14.08 g), 66-70 CE. Jerusalem, year 3 (68/9 CE). ‘Shekel of Israel’
(Paleo-Hebrew), ritual chalice with pearled rim, the base raised by projections on both ends; above, ‘year
3’.Rev. ‘Jerusalem the holy’ (Paleo-Hebrew), staff with three pomegranate buds, round base. TJC 202;
Hendin 1361. Excellent metal and lustrous. Nearly Mint State.
$7,000
From the Goldberg’s Hunter Collection, Sale 72, lot 4090.
The third year (April-May 69 CE_ of the Jewish War saw some slight respite from the Roman advance as the
death of Nero plunged the Roman Empire into a civil war into which Vespasian was drawn. However, vio-
lence in Jerusalem reached new heights as the Zealot leaders of the crushed northern revolt waged their own civ-
il war against Ananus ben Ananus, the leader of the more moderate priestly authorities. This factional conflict result-
ed in an ignominious siege of Jerusalem by the Zealots and the slaughter of Ananus and his adherents. Jerusalem the holy,
as it is described on the shekels, had been defiled by the blood of its own people before ever the Romans entered the city.