Phoenician Silver Tetradrachm of Tyre, 2 Century BCE - 1st Century BCE
Silver
C.2074
Obverse: Portrait of the Phoenician God of the Sea Melkar Reverse: Eagle Facing Lef The one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unt...
Obverse:
Portrait of the Phoenician God of the Sea Melkar
Reverse: Eagle Facing Lef
The one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unt them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And the covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver.
- Matthew 26:14-15
Silver tetradrachms of Tyre, commonly called shekels, were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple and are the most likel coinage with which Judas was paid for the betrayal of Christ. They were issued from 126 B.C. to the time of the First Jewish War i 69-70 A.D. on a very consistent, yearly basis. Considering that the world was quickly falling to Roman invaders, thi fact is even more impressive. Ye the reasons are evident: the Jewish people had to pay an annual tax to th Jerusalem Temple that was only payable in the money of Tyre. Shekels from Tyre were widely available in the region and were well know for their good silver content and accurate weight. Such a coin as this is likely to have been one among the thirty silve shekels handed over to Judas to induce his betrayal of Jesus.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or you purse? What eras and lands have th coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, w rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coi will venture to after us. More tha money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time an place, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship an intricate sculptural details that are often lacking in contemporary machine-mad currencies. In our hands, this coin transports us to another era as the pas comes alive. Feeling the silver against our skin, we become overwhelmed b the temptations of wealth and riches Judas succumbed to. Suddenly the stories of the Bible become alive and thei lesson gain a new relevance to our modern lives.
Portrait of the Phoenician God of the Sea Melkar
Reverse: Eagle Facing Lef
The one of the 12, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unt them, 'What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?' And the covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver.
- Matthew 26:14-15
Silver tetradrachms of Tyre, commonly called shekels, were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple and are the most likel coinage with which Judas was paid for the betrayal of Christ. They were issued from 126 B.C. to the time of the First Jewish War i 69-70 A.D. on a very consistent, yearly basis. Considering that the world was quickly falling to Roman invaders, thi fact is even more impressive. Ye the reasons are evident: the Jewish people had to pay an annual tax to th Jerusalem Temple that was only payable in the money of Tyre. Shekels from Tyre were widely available in the region and were well know for their good silver content and accurate weight. Such a coin as this is likely to have been one among the thirty silve shekels handed over to Judas to induce his betrayal of Jesus.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or you purse? What eras and lands have th coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, w rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coi will venture to after us. More tha money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time an place, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship an intricate sculptural details that are often lacking in contemporary machine-mad currencies. In our hands, this coin transports us to another era as the pas comes alive. Feeling the silver against our skin, we become overwhelmed b the temptations of wealth and riches Judas succumbed to. Suddenly the stories of the Bible become alive and thei lesson gain a new relevance to our modern lives.