Mounted in an 18 Karat Gold Pendant
The dissatisfaction of the people during the
period of Roman procuratorial rule in Judea led
from time to time to outbreaks and bloodshed,
and to their suppression by the Roman legions.
ln 66 A.D., serious rioting broke out at Caesarea,
which soon spread. The Jews quickly gained the
upper hand and the Roman occupation forces
were driven out of much of the country, which
encouraged the population to openly oppose the
Roman army. For the next several years, a bitter
war was waged in Judea between the Jewish
inhabitants and the Roman legions, with the
latter slowly regaining the positions they had lost
at the beginning of the revoIt. Nero, the emperor
at the time the war began, sent the general
Vespasian to command the Roman forces. He
reconquered the Northem part of the country
and then laid siege to Jerusalem. On the Ninth of
Av, 70 AD., the second temple was destroyed. By
this time, Vespasian had already been
proclaimed emperor in Rome, and his son, Titus,
had taken over as commander. Many thousands
were killed in the fighting and, when the temple
fell, aspirations for Jewish independence faded
for generations. This stunning bronze coin,
struck during the third year of the war, features
the beautiful image of a vine leaf, an ancient
symbol of fruitfulness, surrounded by a
revolutionary slogan, typical of this period in
history. The reverse side of the coin depicts a
holy chalice, also surrounded by a dynamic
inscription. This exquisite coin is a powerful
testament to a people's undying hope for
freedom, a representation that is as powerful
today as it was centuries ago.
- (FJ.5193)
|
