Description

The Shekel of Tyre

The Silver shekel issued by the Phoniceian city Tyre 126 BC – 66 AD. and its the most significant of all the bible coins for both Jews and Christians.

This coin was produced in South Lebanon and Judea became the standrad coin and replaced the AlexaNER THE GREAT COIN.
It is logical to assume that the 30 silver pieces of silver paid to Judas were Tyre sheqels, since this type of coin was mostly use in this area.

Zechariah 11:12-13:
12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

The tradition of the Temple Tax, as mandated in the Torah, required every adult male to contribute half a shekel to the upkeep of the Temple, a practice that underscores the communal spirit of ancient Jerusalem. These contributions were collected annually, aligning the community in a shared act of faith and responsibility. The silver shekels served not only as a medium of this religious duty but also as a symbol of belonging to a wider community of faith. It was a tangible affirmation of one’s role and place within the sacred narrative of Jerusalem’s history.