The First Jewish Shekels. 343 



temporary independence secured by the revolt, but they have 

 only for inscription, " The liberty of Jerusalem/' and "Year 1 of 

 the deliverance of Israel/' and no name. Barcocebas, or more 

 correctly, Bar-Jmou-hab (the son of star), becoming the sole 

 director of the revolt, it assumed under his command impor- 

 tant dimensions, and he rapidly made himself master of 50 

 fortresses and 985 villages, which called serious attention 

 to a revolution which had not at first created much alarm. 

 Barcocebas, after these successes, assumed the title of king, and 

 also of Messiah, continually styling himself " prince of Israel/' 

 on that fine series of coins issued by his authority, which were 

 formerly attributed by numismatists to the glorious reign of 

 Simon Maccabaaus. Their present assignment to Simon Bar- 

 cocebas appears fully justified by their general character and 

 appearance, which differs entirely from that of the Jewish 

 coins of the Maccabsean period. Their workmanship bears a 

 close resemblance to that of the Romano-Egyptian coins of the 

 period of Hadrian, both in a peculiar solidity of make, and also 

 in a liny rigidity of outline exhibited in the devices. The types 

 are of analogous character to those of the ancient shekels of 

 Yaddous, and the inscriptions bear a similar import, proving 

 that the very first emission of national money, under the pro- 

 tectorate of Alexander the Great, still possessed more pleasing 

 associations than the subsequent issues of the native princes. 



The larger silver coins of the issues of Barcocebas appear 

 to be tetradrachms or double shekels. Their weight, however, 

 corresponds more accurately to that of Roman denarii, the large 

 pieces being of the weight of four. The one engraved (Fig. 9) is 

 of the well-known "Temple" type, in which the oriental character 

 of the capitals and bases of the columns are very peculiar, 

 resembling those of the Persian architecture of the Alexandrian 

 period, which may be an allusion to the original temple, and 

 not to the building then existing', which, as Josephus informs 

 us, had been partly rebuilt by Herod, who, in his restora- 

 tions, employed the Corinthian order. The inscription, 

 part of it being on each side of the columns, appears to 

 read " Simeon, - ''' Barcocebas having doubtless assumed the 

 still popular name of the celebrated Simon Maccabeeus. The 

 type of the reverse is an ornamental bunch or bouquet 

 of flowers and branches, called loulab, such as was carried 

 by the priests in the Feast of the Tabernacle, and by the 

 side of it is a cone of cedar, the inscription being, ' f Lecheruth 

 Jeroushalini/' (" to the liberty of Jerusalem/') with numerals 

 expressing the year 2 of the liberation, after the manner 

 of the coins of Yaddous. Among a number of other types, 

 all having reference to the national and religious institutions, 

 those of the copper coins engraved are as interesting as any. 



