These seventeen genuine ancient coins have been set in a modern 18 karat gold necklace.

The dissatisfaction of the people during the period of roman pro curatorial rule in Judea led from time to time to outbreaks and bloodshed, and to their suppression by the roman legions. In 66 A.D., serious rioting broke out at Caesarea, which soon spread. The Jews quickly gained the upper hand and the roman occupation forces were driven out of much of the country, which encouraged the population to openly oppose the roman army. For the next several years a bitter war was waged in Judea between the Jewish inhabitants and the roman legions, with the latter slowly regaining the positions they had lost at the beginning of the revolt. Nero, the emperor at the time the war began, sent the general Vespasian to command the roman forces. He re conquered the northern part of the country and then laid siege to Jerusalem, on the ninth of Av, 70 A.D., the second temple was destroyed. By this time, Vespasian had already been proclaimed emperor in Rome, and his son, Titus, had taken over as commander. Sixty-two years after the destruction of the second temple, the second major war against the roman broke out --the bar Kokhba revolt. Carefully and secretly prepared, this war was prompted by Hadrian’s wish to install Greco-roman culture with even greater force. The spiritual leader of the revolt was rabbi Akiva, while the military and civil leader was Simeon Bar Kosev a (Shimon Bar Kokhba). This war was much fiercer than then first Jewish revolt, and the Romans were initially hard pressed. The twenty-second legion was defeated and completely wiped out. The exact extent of the territory controlled by Bar Kokhba is not quite clear, but he certainly held the Hebron district, part of Idumea and the Dead Sea region. It is still not known for certain if he took Jerusalem, and the war came to an end following Bar Kokhba’s death there.