Eleazar the Priest

267, Lot: 226. Estimate $500. Sold for $650. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

JUDAEA, Bar Kochba Revolt. 132-135 CE. Æ (18mm, 5.71 g, 11h). Dated year 1 (132/3 CE). “Year one of the redemption of Israel” in Hebrew, palm tree with two bunches of dates / “Eleazar the Priest” in Hebrew, grape bunch on vine. Mildenberg 147 (O1/R1); Meshorer 225; AJC II 7; Hendin 1380; Bromberg 255 (same dies). Good VF, dark green-brown patina, a few light deposits.

The bronze and silver coins struck with the legend "Eleazar the Priest" appear primarily in the first year of the revolt, with some hybrid issues following. While there has been some debate regarding the identity of this figure, the most plausible theory is that the priest referenced is Rabbi Eleazar of Modein, uncle of Bar Kochba. This Eleazar was framed as wanting to surrender to Hadrian’s army, which led to Bar Kochba taking the priest’s life. If accurate, this relationship would have given Bar Kochba the right to “proclaim his own priestly blood” (Hendin p. 371), thus further solidifying his leadership. This was not the case, however, and an explanation may lie in a procedure to test the bravery of army recruits: Bar Kochba required his recruits to have part of their little finger cut off. If it is reasonable to assume Bar Kochba underwent the same procedure, this bodily blemish would have prevented him from claiming the high priesthood.