32 / 120
Very Rare and Impressive Year One ‘Abu Jara”
51
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Æ Large Bronze (27.62 g), 132-135 CE. Year 1 (132/3 CE). ‘Simon, Prince of
Israel’ (Paleo-Hebrew) within wreath. Rev. ‘Year one of the redemption of Israel’ (Paleo-Hebrew), amphora
with two handles. (Mildenberg 2 (O1/R2); TJC 220b; Hendin 1376).
Very Rare.
Dark green patina with
earthen highlights on a full round flan. Very fine.
$ 15,000
Purchased privately from Superior, December 1987.
This variety of the large bronze denomination of the first year (132/3 CE) of the Bar Kokhba War (132-135 CE) is notable for its
obverse paleo-Hebrew legend which does not name Jerusalem within the wreath anymore, but rather Simon [bar Kokhba] as
nasi
(president) of Israel. Although
nasi
is sometimes translated as “prince” rather than “president,” it almost certainly refers to Simon bar
Kokhba’s role as the leader of the Great Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious assembly that originally held court in the Jerusalem Temple
before its destruction).