JUDAEA, Jewish War. 66-73/4 CE. Shekel (Silver, 22 mm, 14.09 g, 12 h), Jerusalem, Year 4 = 69/70 CE. 𐤔𐤒𐤋 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 ('Shekel [of] Israel' in Paleo-Hebrew) around ritual chalice; above, 𐤔𐤃 ('Year 4' in Paleo-Hebrew). Rev. 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤒𐤃𐤅𐤔𐤄 ('Jerusalem the Holy' in Paleo-Hebrew) Sprig of three pomegranates. Bromberg I 72. Deutsch 7.3 (this coin, O2/R7). Hendin 6393. Kadman 28. Meshorer, AJC, 23 (same obverse die). Samel 2270-2271. Shoshana I 20212 (same dies). Sofaer 29. Very rare. Beautifully toned and among the finest known, an excellent example of this key-date issue. Some uncleaned horn silver, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.



Year 4 of the revolt ran from Nisan 69 through Adar 70 CE – approximately 10 March 69 to 28 March 70, although precise equivalents in the modern calendar cannot be established with certainty. At the beginning of this period, Simon bar Giora was admitted into Jerusalem by the opponents of John of Gischala. Josephus dates the event to the month of Xanthikos, corresponding to Nisan, and writes: ‘Thus did Simon, in the third year of the war, in the month Xanthikos, become master of Jerusalem’ (Josephus B.J. 4.577). Josephus’ reference to the third year of the war follows a different reckoning from the Nisan-based era used on the rebel coinage. Simon subsequently gained control of much of the city, while John and his followers remained entrenched in the Temple precinct, leaving Jerusalem consumed by factional warfare even before the Romans launched their final assault.

In Sivan 69, Vespasian resumed military operations, occupying the toparchies of Gophna and Acrabatta, together with Bethel and Ephraim, and advancing into the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem. At the same time, Roman forces under Cerialis devastated parts of Idumaea and captured Hebron. The expected siege was postponed, however, when Vespasian was proclaimed emperor by the eastern legions in July 69. He then turned his attention to securing Egypt and to the struggle against Vitellius, entrusting the final campaign against Jerusalem to his son Titus.

Toward the end of 69 or the beginning of 70, Eleazar ben Simon broke with John, temporarily dividing Jerusalem among three armed factions. Josephus describes the resulting civil conflict as having become ‘a triangular affair’ (Josephus B.J. 5.2). The fighting spread through the Temple precinct and the residential quarters, while stores of grain and other provisions were destroyed by fire, gravely weakening the city’s ability to withstand a prolonged siege. A later rabbinic tradition similarly relates that ‘the zealots arose and burned down these storehouses [ambarei] of wheat and barley’ (b. Gittin 56a), although this account is better understood as a later moral and theological tradition than as contemporary historical testimony. Meanwhile, Titus assembled his forces at Caesarea and prepared for the decisive campaign against the city.

Deutsch’s die study shows that the production of silver coinage declined dramatically in the fourth year of the revolt (cf. lot 235 below). Just over fifty Year 4 shekels are recorded, and the present coin ranks among the finest surviving examples. One final, exceedingly small issue of shekels was struck in Year 5, before the revolt was largely brought to an end by the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in the late summer of 70 CE.