Exclusive currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple

[Arminius]

 

Tyros/Tyre in Phoenicia, as independent city during Roman times, 25-24 BC.,

Tetradrachm or Shekel (25-26 mm / 13,93 g),

Obv.: head of beardless Herakles / Melqart r., [lion skin tied around neck].

Rev.: TYPOY ΙΕΡΑΣ - KAI ΑΣΥΛΟΥ , eagle with closed wings standing left on prow of galley, palm branch under far wing, date ΡB (year 102 in Greek letters = 25-24 BC.) above club in left field, control mark ΠPΔ monogram in right field, and Phoenician letter "B" between legs.

RPC I, 656, 4636 ; BMC 181 .

 

The shekels and half-shekels of Tyre were the exclusive currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple. The annual Jewish tribute tax to the Temple was half a shekel. It is also commonly accepted that the Tyre shekels comprise the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for his betrayal of Jesus.

 

Tyre is an ancient Phoenician city and the legendary birthplace of Europa and Elissa (Dido). Today it is the fourth largest city in Lebanon.

In 126 BC, Tyre regained its independence from the Seleucids and was allowed to keep much of its independence when the area became a Roman province in 64 BC.

[thedeadpoint]

Thanks for the background, arminius

[henare]

you mean it wasn't Visa?

[henare]

you mean it wasn't Visa?

[Arminius]

If historians tell us "exclusive currency accepted currency" they might talk about those years on which the New Testament of the Bible focusses: comparatively stable years under Roman rule before the Jewish revolts and without mayor economical crisis.

 

(In our current days they might probably accept everything except papers like L****n certificates - maybe even credit cards )