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The Very Rare Jewish War Æ
½
(Shekel) Year 4
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Judaea, The Jewish War. Æ
1
/
2-
Shekel (17.01 g), 66-70 CE. Jerusalem, year 4 (69/70 CE). ‘Year four, half ’
(Shekel) (Paleo-Hebrew), two lulav branches flanking ethrog (citron). Rev. ‘To the redemption of Zion’ (Pa-
leo-Hebrew), palm tree with two bunches of dates, flanked by baskets with dates. (TJC 211; Hendin 1367).
Medallic flan. Dark green and brown patina with earthen highlights. Very fine.
$ 5,000
Purchased privately at the NYINC, December 1995.
The introduction of large bronze denominations in the final year (April 69-March 70 CE) of the Jewish War illustrates the desperate
state of the Jewish rebels as they struggled to defend Jerusalem against the Roman forces led by Titus and against the violent rifts in
the rebel leadership. Silver denominations from this disastrous year are very rare, suggesting that silver had become more difficult
to obtain in the Holy City. Josephus even provides us with the scene of inhabitants so desperate that they took to swallowing their
silver and gold. These large bronzes must have filled in the gaps in the rebel currency system as the horrific end of the war loomed
closer; indeed, they carry legends identifying them as a “half,” presumably indicating a fiduciary token standing in for a proper silver
1/2 Shekel.
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Judaea, The Jewish War. Æ
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4
Shekel (9.56 g), 66-70 CE. Jerusalem, year 4 (69/70 CE). ‘Year four,
quarter’ (Paleo-Hebrew), two lulav branches. Rev. ‘To the redemption of Zion’ (Paleo-Hebrew), etrog. (TJC
213; Hendin 1368). Lovely dark green patina with flecks of red and sandy highlights. Choice very fine.
$ 2,500
ex Superior (1-2 December 1990), lot 2219.
The lulav branches and etrog types depicted on the token bronze quarter shekels of the fourth year (April 69-March 70 CE) of the
Jewish War refer to Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, which was both a harvest celebration and a commemoration of the deliverance
of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This typology may appear at this time because the rebels had reached the point of no return
and had no hope of surviving the coming Roman onslaught without divine aid.