Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
Auction 110 4-5 Jun 2019
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Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Sela (11.59 g), 132-135 CE. Year 2 (133/4 CE). 'Simon' (Paleo-Hebrew), tetrastyle façade of the Temple of Jerusalem; show bread table or Ark of the Covenant in chest form with semicircular lid and short legs, seen from a narrow side; above façade, cross. Reverse: 'Year two of the freedom of Israel' (Paleo-Hebrew), lulav with etrog at left. Hendin 1387a; Mildenberg 17 (O4/R11); TJC 230. Lightly toned. Rough surfaces. Sharpness of Fine. Estimate Value $2,000 - UP
From the S. Moussaieff Collection.
The obverse of this year 2 sela issue depicts the Jerusalem Temple but now features a + shape above the façade whereas this space was taken up by part of the paleo-Hebrew legend on the issues of the first year of the Bar Kokhba War. There is a great deal of controversy over whether this added symbol was intended to depict a star and advertise Simon bar Kokhba's supposed messianic ambitions. The patronymic of the rebel leader was actually bar Kosiba but he assumed the name bar Kokhba (literally "son of a star") as his nom de guerre because of its association with the messianic prophecy of Numbers 24:17.
From the S. Moussaieff Collection.
The obverse of this year 2 sela issue depicts the Jerusalem Temple but now features a + shape above the façade whereas this space was taken up by part of the paleo-Hebrew legend on the issues of the first year of the Bar Kokhba War. There is a great deal of controversy over whether this added symbol was intended to depict a star and advertise Simon bar Kokhba's supposed messianic ambitions. The patronymic of the rebel leader was actually bar Kosiba but he assumed the name bar Kokhba (literally "son of a star") as his nom de guerre because of its association with the messianic prophecy of Numbers 24:17.