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✦ JUDAEA ✦ FIRST JEWISH REVOLT Year Four | 69/70 AD Jerusalem | Bronze Eighth-Shekel Reconstruction of Jerusalem near the end of the Second Temple period, representing the city shortly before the revolt and its destruction in 70 AD. A coin struck in Jerusalem during Year Four of the First Jewish Revolt, only months before the city and the Second Temple fell to the Roman army. ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Coin Details Region Judaea Conflict First Jewish Revolt / First Jewish–Roman War Date Year Four — 69/70 AD Mint Jerusalem Denomination Commonly called 1/8 Shekel Metal Bronze Diameter Approximately 18 mm Weight 5.16 g Reference Hendin 6398 The Design Obverse A lulav, or palm branch bundle, flanked by two etrogs. Around the design is the Paleo-Hebrew inscription identifying the issue as “Year Four.” Reverse A chalice or ritual cup with a pearled rim, surrounded by the Paleo-Hebrew inscription: “For the Redemption of Zion.” ✦ Lulav, Etrog & Sukkot
The lulav and etrog are closely connected with the Jewish festival of Sukkot. Their use on the coin places distinctly Jewish religious imagery at the center of the rebel coinage.
The inscriptions were written in Paleo-Hebrew, an archaic form of Hebrew script. The revolt\'s coinage deliberately used Jewish language, dating, and symbols rather than the imperial imagery normally found on Roman provincial money.
Year Four — 69/70 AD The Final Year of Rebel-Held Jerusalem
Year Four was dramatically different from the earlier years of the revolt. During Years Two and Three, bronze coins had carried the message “Freedom of Zion.”
In Year Four, the inscription changed to “For the Redemption of Zion.” The year also saw the introduction of several larger bronze denominations, usually interpreted as fractional shekels.
This smaller denomination combined the new Year Four inscription with the chalice, lulav, and etrogs, creating one of the most historically distinctive designs of the revolt.
✦ Jerusalem & Rome in Year Four
The revolt had begun in 66 AD. After an early Roman defeat, Emperor Nero sent the experienced commander Vespasian to suppress the rebellion.
By 69, however, events in Rome changed the course of the war. During the civil conflict known as the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian was proclaimed emperor. Military operations in Judaea paused, and command eventually passed to his son Titus.
The coinage of Year Four was therefore being struck during a brief but critical interval — after years of Roman campaigning but before Titus launched the final assault on Jerusalem.
The Siege of Jerusalem
In 70 AD, Titus brought the Roman army against Jerusalem. After months of siege and intense fighting, Roman forces broke through the city\'s defenses.
The Second Temple was destroyed, much of Jerusalem was devastated, and the center of organized resistance in the city collapsed.
The wider war did not immediately end. Resistance continued at several strongholds, most famously Masada, which fell several years later. But the fall of Jerusalem in 70 fundamentally changed the course and meaning of the conflict.
First Jewish Revolt Timeline 66 AD — The revolt begins against Roman rule.
67–69 AD — Vespasian leads the Roman campaign in Judaea.
69 AD — Vespasian is proclaimed Roman emperor; operations pause.
69/70 AD — Year Four coinage is struck in Jerusalem.
70 AD — Titus besieges and captures Jerusalem; the Second Temple is destroyed.
73/74 AD — The last major resistance at Masada comes to an end. ✦ Condition Condition: About F/VF. Well-centered, mottled patina.
This coin has not been graded by a third-party grading service. Any grade, condition, or descriptive wording is the seller’s opinion only and is not a professional grade, guarantee, or prediction of how NGC, PCGS, ANACS, ICG, CAC, or any other grading service may evaluate the coin. Grading is subjective. Please review the photos and video, where available, and make your own judgment regarding condition and overall appearance before purchasing.
Ancient coins were individually struck by hand. Differences in centering, flan shape, patina, deposits, wear, and surface characteristics are normal features of ancient coinage. Please examine every listing photograph carefully when evaluating condition and appearance.
✦ The First Jewish Revolt Roman and rebel-controlled territory during the conflict Map showing Roman and rebel-held territory during the First Jewish Revolt. The Roman Victory
After the fall of Jerusalem, Vespasian and Titus celebrated the Roman victory. The triumphal imagery later carved on the Arch of Titus in Rome famously depicts Temple treasures, including the menorah, being carried in the Roman triumph.
Replica of the Arch of Titus relief depicting the Temple menorah and other spoils carried in the Roman triumph. ✦ A Coin of Year Four
This bronze was issued at a moment when Jerusalem still possessed its own rebel administration and coinage, even as the Roman campaign was moving toward its decisive conclusion. Its Paleo-Hebrew inscriptions, Jewish festival imagery, and the words “For the Redemption of Zion” preserve the voice of the revolt from the final year before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple.
WESTBRIDGE COIN ✦ ✦ ✦ Historical images are included for educational and historical context and are not part of the item offered. Jerusalem model photograph: Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Great Jewish Revolt map: Rh0809, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Arch of Titus relief image: Steerpike / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
