JUDEA - JERUSALEM - ANCIENT ISRAEL
SILVER SHEKEL TEMPLE COIN PATTERNED AFTER THE TETRADRACHM OF THE INDEPENDENT CITY STATE OF TYRE IN PHOENICIA
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SUPERB SHEKEL OF TYRE BIBLICAL HELLENISTIC ANCIENT COIN
CERTIFIED GENUINE SHEKEL OF TYRE BY PCGS
OBV: "LAUREATE" BUST OF THE TYRIAN GOD MELKART (KNOWN AS KING OF THE CITY AND ASSOCIATED WITH HERAKLES) RIGHT.
REV: EAGLE RIGHT STANDING ON THE BEAK OR PROW OF A SHIP, CLUB LEFT; GRAECO-PHOENICIAN LEGEND "OF TYRE, SACRED AND INVIOLATE".
TYRE GAINED INDEPENDENCE FROM THE SELUECID EMPIRE (HELLENISTIC SYRIAN KINGDOM) IN 126/125 CE. THE CITY STATE MINTED COINS OF THIS TYPE UP TO THE REIGN OF THE ROMAN EMPEROR NERO (54-68 CE) AFTER ROME GAINED CONTROL OF THIS ANCIENT CITY (64 CE).
THE COIN DESIGN IS BASED ON SELEUCID COINS WHICH WERE MODELLED AFTER EARLIER PTOLEMAIC COINS.
MONEY OF THE BIBLE
THE TYRIAN SHEQEL WAS KNOWN FOR ITS STANDARD OF CLOSE TO HALF AN OUNCE OF AROUND 95% PURE SILVER AND WAS IN USE, BEFORE AND AFTER THE ROMAN OCCUPATION, AS STANDARD PAYMENT FOR THE TEMPLE TAX IN JUDEA. THE JEWISH TEMPLE TAX WAS LEVIED ANNUALLY AND A HALF-SHEKEL (DIDRACHM) WAS PAID FOR EVERY MALE IN ISRAEL.
BEFORE THE FIRST JEWISH REVOLT AGAINST ROME IN 66 BCE, JEWISH LEADERS OBTAINED PERMISSION TO CONTINUE TO MINT "TYRIAN" SHEKELS, SINCE THEY WERE OF A HIGHER PURITY THAN OTHER AVAILABLE COINS. THE JEWISH COINS, MINTED IN JERUSALEM AND STAMPED WITH "KP" WERE NOT AS FINELY STRUCK AS THE ORIGINALS, BUT WERE OF THE SAME STANDARD PURITY AND BORE THE SAME DESIGN.
MANY TAX PAYERS NEEDED THEIR EVERYDAY COINAGE EXCHANGED AT THE TEMPLE SO MONEYCHANGERS WERE SET UP TO EXCHANGE HEATHEN COINAGE (SUCH AS ROMAN MONEY OR PTOLEMAIC COINS SIMILAR TO THE TYRIAN COINS, BUT UNACCEPTABLE TO THE PRIESTS) FOR THE ACCEPTABLE TYRIAN SHEKELS. IN THE BIBLE, WHEN JESUS VISITED THE TEMPLE AND FOUND THIS THRIVING BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD HE WAS GREATLY ANGERED AND THREW THE MONEY CHANGERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE.
THE COIN RETRIEVED FROM THE FISH'S MOUTH WHEN JESUS WAS ASKED TO PAY TRIBUTE IN CAPERNUM IS ALSO THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN A TYRIAN TETRADRACHM. JESUS PAID THE HALF-SHEKEL TAX FOR BOTH JESUS AND PETER WITH ONE TETRADRACHM.
JUDAS ESCARIOT WAS PAID 30 PIECES OF SILVER, ALSO TYRIAN SHEKELS, FOR HIS PART IN THE BETRAYAL OF CHRIST, AND AFTER FEELING GREAT REMORSE, HE RETURNED THE SILVER COINS TO THE PRIESTS AND ELDERS OF THE TEMPLE.
AFTER THE GREAT REVOLT (66-70) , JEWISH AUTHORITIES BEGAN MINTING THEIR OWN DISTINCT COINAGE, NOT ONLY TO SHOW THEIR NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE BUT TO DO AWAY WITH THE GRAVEN IMAGE ON THE TYRIAN STYLE COIN WHICH WAS THEN CONSIDERED SACRELIGIOUS.
CONTAINS .950 FINE SILVER
23 MM IN DIAMETER
