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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Judean & Biblical Coins| ▸ |Biblical Coins| ▸ |The Temple Tax Coin||View Options:   | | | At the Great Temple in Jerusalem the annual tax levied on Jews was 1/2 shekel per male. The 1/2 shekel and shekel were not always used in everyday commerce, but were the only coins accepted by the temple. Many taxpayers required a currency exchange, so money changers set up in the Temple court. Jesus found this business and their shouting (advertising rates) offensive, so he threw over their tables. "...go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them [the temple tax collectors] for me and thee." -- Matthew 17:27. Since the tax was one half shekel per man the coin would have to be a shekel to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter. Silver shekels and half-shekels of Tyre were minted from c. 126 B.C. until c. 57 A.D. Any coin minted prior to 32 A.D. may have circulated in Jerusalem during Jesus' lifetime. |
Full Shekel - Tax for Two. At the Great Temple in Jerusalem the annual tax levied was 1/2 shekel per male. The 1/2 shekel and shekel were the only coins accepted by the temple. Some experts believe that after the coinage of Tyre was debased under Roman control, Herod the Great began to strike "Tyre" shekels in Jerusalem. These coins were of cruder fabric and style, but maintained the silver purity required to pay the temple tax. The "Jerusalem" shekels have the letters KP or KAP to the right of the eagle and dates range from PH (18/17 B.C.) to P
E (69/70 A.D.). The Greek letters KP or KAP are probably an abbreviation for KAICAP, Greek for Caesar. SL85592. Silver shekel, Cohen DCA 920-162 (C); BMC Phoenicia p. 249, 206; RPC I 4666; Prieur 1426 (6 spec.); Rouvier 2109; Baramki AUB -, NGC AU (about Uncirculated), strike 4/5, surface 5/5 (1883026-004), weight 14.37 g, maximum diameter 22 mm, die axis 0o, Tyre or Jerusalem mint, 36 - 37 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, date PΞB (year 162) over club left, KP (KAIΣAP?) over monogram right, Phoenician letter beth (control) between legs; NGC| Lookup; SOLDJerusalem or Tyre, 42 - 43 A.D., Jerusalem Temple Tax Coin
The Temple Tax Coin.
Shekels of Tyre were the only currency accepted at the Jerusalem Temple. When Tyre's coins were debased under Rome, shekels marked KP were likely struck at Jerusalem to maintain good silver coinage for the annual temple tax. "..go to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them [the temple tax collectors] for me and thee." Since the tax was one half shekel per man the coin would have to be a shekel to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter. Matthew 17:24-27.SH79730. Silver shekel, cf. CNG auction mail-bid sale 61 (25 Sep 2002), lot 860 (same controls, otherwise unpublished, this date is recorded for a half-shekel, RPC I 4700), VF, nice style, toned, tight flan, reverse die wear (most evident in the H in the date), weight 13.949 g, maximum diameter 26.6 mm, die axis 0o, Tyre or Jerusalem mint, 42 - 43 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, Phoenician letter beth (control) between legs, PΞH (year 168) and club left, KP over PKE monogram (control) right; missing from references and major collections - the CNG coin is the only other year 168 shekel known to Forum; SOLD
POSSIBLE CRUCIFIXION YEAR COIN. The Bible does not tell the date of the Crucifixion, but based on Biblical clues, the Jewish calendar and astronomical evidence many scholars believe it was Friday, April 3, 33 A.D. John the Baptist began his ministry in 28 or 29 A.D. and the Gospel of John points to three separate Passovers during Jesus' ministry. Jesus was executed on the orders of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 A.D. This limits the years to between 30 and 36 A.D. John P. Meier's, A Marginal Jew, cites 7 April 30 A.D., 3 April 33 A.D., and 30 March 36 A.D. as astronomically possible Friday Nisan 14 dates during this period. Isaac Newton, using the crescent of the moon, determined the year was 34 A.D. but John Pratt argued that Newton made a minor computation error and 33 A.D. was the accurate answer using Newton's method. Using similar computations, in 1990 astronomer Bradley Schaefer arrived at Friday, April 3, 33 A.D. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach (consistent with Apostle Peter's reference to a "moon of blood" in Acts 2:20) based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model arrives at the same date, Friday, April 3, 33 A.D.JD40425. Silver half shekel, RPC I 4693, Prieur 1463, BMC Phoenicia -; only one coin from this year in the hoard, aF, weight 6.249 g, maximum diameter 20.4 mm, die axis 0o, Tyre or Jerusalem mint, 33 - 34 A.D.; obverse laureate head of Melqart right, lion's skin knotted around neck; reverse TYPOY IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY (of Tyre the holy and inviolable), eagle standing left, head left, wings closed, right talon on war galley ram, palm frond transverse right behind, PNΘ (year 159) over club left, KP over BA(?) (control) right, Aramaic aleph (control) between legs; very rare year; SOLD
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