Neither Shall They Learn War Anymore

“NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE”
30TH COIN IN THE “BIBLICAL ART” SERIES
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel

The words “neither shall they learn war anymore” appear in the vision of the end of days of both the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 2:4) and the Prophet Micah (Micah 4:3). This vision is one of the most exalted, universal visions of peace in the Bible, describing a future in which there will be an end to war, when nations will live one beside another in peace, when weapons of war will lose their purpose.

In Isaiah’s vision, peace means not only an end to war, but more so a profound change in how people and nations choose to live. Instead of directing their strength and resources to war and destruction, they will turn their weapons into working tools, engage in creative work, and build a shared future. This idea finds expression in one of the most famous peace prophecies of the Bible:

“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.“ (Isaiah 2:4)

Over the millennia, the words of the Prophet Isaiah have accompanied the Jewish people, which, throughout its history, has suffered war and persecution, exile and loss. Yet it has never lost hope for peace and better times. Precisely this history enriches the meaning of Isaiah’s verse. The desire for peace grows not from turning away from war, but from having endured its suffering and its price.

In the State of Israel, where the need to defend our homeland coexists with our constant yearning for peace, the prophetic vision becomes personally significant and especially relevant. In the wake of tough periods of war, loss, and sacrifice, the biblical words “neither shall they learn war anymore” sound more than prophetic. They have become a prayer and fervent hope for the future, for a time when our children will enjoy the merit of growing up within a reality of security and peace, in a time when hands reaching out for peace will prevail over those holding weapons, and standing together will take the place of conflict.

The Commemorative Coin issued by the Bank of Israel, bearing the inscription “NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE”, conveys a message that connects past, present, and future, linking the words of the prophet said in Jerusalem thousands of years ago and the State of Israel in our time, with our hope for a better and more peaceful world.

Coin Description
Reverse: Hands reach out to each other, symbolizing unity, sacrifice, and aspiration for peace. Each hand also forms the shape of a Dove of Peace, while the bigger hand in the center forms the shape of a Dove of Peace holding an olive branch in its beak. Thus, a single design expresses together two human and universal symbols - unity and peace - and provides visual expression of the spirit of the prophetic verse “NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE,” together with hope for a future of brotherhood, cooperation and peace between the nations.
Obverse: The Israel State Emblem, face value, word “Israel” in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, mint year and mint mark. Around the upper border is the inscription “NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE” in English, around the lower border in Arabic, and center right in Hebrew.

Design: Osnat Eshel