WHAT ANCIENT COINS TELL US

What do ancient coins tell us about the Omer period and the time of the Bar-Kochba revolt, when the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot became associated with death and mourning?

According to the Bible, the seven weeks between the two holidays referred to as ‘omer' – a unit of measure which was used to quantify the amount of produce to offer as a sacrifice to God – was not meant to carry any specific connotation other than its agricultural meaning.

A window into that period and the life in the land of Israel during those years can be opened today through an unexpected means: the ancient coins minted by the rebels.

Coins were considered an expression of sovereignty, Donald T. Ariel, head of the Coin Department at the Antiquities Authority (IAI), told The Jerusalem Post. Minting coins meant to be free.

The symbolism behind the coins is clearly stated in the ornaments they feature. They include the Temple facade, trumpets, a harp/violin, vine leaves, palm trees – which at the time were considered the ultimate symbol of Judea – as well as writings such as Year One of the Redemption of Israel or Year Two of the Freedom of Israel and Jerusalem.

The revolt – also known as the Third Jewish Revolt – broke over the religious restrictions imposed by the Romans, as well as their decision to build a Roman city over the ruins of Jewish Jerusalem, including a pagan sanctuary where the Temple had stood.

The geographic distribution of the coins found offers important insights into the vicissitudes of the revolt; as much as the insurgents yearn to return to Jerusalem, they were not able to.

Some 22,000 coins have been excavated in the area of the Old City of Jerusalem. Of those, three were Bar-Kochba coins. Another few were found in other areas of modern Jerusalem. This is important evidence showing that the city was never captured by the rebels, Ariel said.

To read the complete article, see:
What do ancient coins tell us about Bar Kochba and the Omer period? (https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/what-do-ancient-coins-tell-us-about-bar-kochba-and-the-omer-period-667775)

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