Second Revolt (132–135 CE) Sabbatical Year: 132/133 Exclusively during year one of the second revolt is leGeulat Yis(rael) “For the redemption of Is(rael)” inscribed upon both silver and bronze coins. During year two, the coins proceed to make exclusive use…
First Revolt (66–70 CE) Sabbatical Year: 69/70 During the revolts, when messianic expectation was a key rallying point, the coins used the more unusual term (Geulah instead of Shmitta) for the sabbatical year of Leviticus 25 which specifically deals with…
Herod Agrippa I (37–44 CE) Sabbatical Year: 41/42 CE Herod Agrippa I minted coins during several years during the years of his reign at the Paneas mint (year 2), the Tiberias mint (year 5) and at Caesarea (year 7 and…
Herod the Great (40–4 BCE). Sabbatical Years: 37/36, 30/29, 23/22, 16/15, 9/8 L G, Year three = Sab Year 37/36. Herod the Great was appointed King over Judea by Augustus in 40 BCE. However, it was not until 37/6 BCE…
Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 BCE); Sabbatical years of his reign: 100/101, 93/92, 86/85, 79/78 Unlike his predecessors who asserted themselves on coins to be "High Priest" and ethnarchs, Alexander Jannaeus proclaimed himself to be both High Priest and King. The title…
After reviewing the cycle of dated coins, it became apparent that numerous bronze issues of coins that were produced by Jewish leaders happened to coincide with Sabbatical years. These tended to be small bronze coins, prutot and lepta (half prutot)…
Historically Documented Sabbatical Years 702/1 BCE 2 Kgs 19:29//Isa 37:30 Assyrian siege of Jerusalem during Sabbatical Year 457/456 Neh. 10:32(31) Nehemiah’s reading of the Law 331/330 Josephus AJ 11:347 Alexander the Great exempts Jews on Sabbatical Year 163/162 I Macc.…
Sunday, April 6th, began the month of Nisan and the Biblical New Year. According to the present Jewish calendar, the current Sabbatical Year began this past fall, at Rosh HaShanah. But in what month did the Sabbatical Year begin during…