23 / 120
Lustrous Year Three Silver Shekel, 66-70 CE
38
Judaea, The Jewish War. Silver Shekel (13.99 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). Delicate golden toning. Lustrous. Superb extremely fine.
$ 6,000
Purchased privately from NFA, November 1984.
The third year (April 68-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, violence in Jerusalem reached new heights
as the Zealot leaders of the crushed northern revolt waged their own civil war against Ananus ben Ananus, the leader of the more
moderate priestly authorities. This factional conflict resulted 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.
39
Judaea, The Jewish War. Silver
1
/
2
Shekel (6.69 g), 66-70 CE. Jerusalem, year 3 (68/9 CE). ‘Half of a Shekel’
(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 203; AJC
19a (this coin); Hendin 1362). Light iridescent toning along the periphery. Extremely fine.
$ 6,000
ex Superior (21 November 1983), lot 44.