Hadrian

Hadrian, 117-138 Æ Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem), Æ 25mm., 10.42g. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.Hadrian, as founder, plowing right with yoke of two oxen; vexillum in background. Meshorer, Aelia 2. Rosenberger 1.

Good Fine.

Ex Leu sale 86, 2003, 645. From the T. Kollek coll.

One of the primary causes of the Bar Kohkba War was Hadrian's establishment of a new pagan city, which he named Aelia Capitolina, on the top of the ruins of the ancient Jewish capital, Jerusalem. For a long time the date of this event was quite controversial: some believed the city was founded in 135 or 136, after the final destruction of Bar Kokhba's forces, while others preferred to follow Cassius Dio and place it during Hadrian's visit to the province in 130/131. As Meshorer noted, coins of Aelia have been found in hoards with coins of Bar Kokhba, thus conclusively proving that the new city was already in existence before the start of the war.