VIRTUAL JEWISH MUSEUM

Early Payment

The Middle east progressed from barter, to weighing valuable commodities, to using the newly introduced coins of the empires around them. The coins represented the wealth, power, and prestige of the issuing empires East, North, and West of the Holy Land.

Hacksilber

Chunks of silver have been discovered in the region which appear to be stores of value. Some have been poured into a form and then cut apart. These are described by the term 'Hacksilber' - chopped silver - and often come in meaningful weights. The two shown here each weigh just about the amount of half a shekel (5.5 grams), and could have been used to pay the Biblical half-shekel tax.

Carob Pods and Seeds

Weighing precious commodities on a balance scale was long in use by the time of the Bible. The Middle East Carob tree produces long thin pods which contain seeds. These hard seeds, more or less uniform in size, became a useful weighing tool. Silver weighing a fixed number of seeds would be the price of an item.

Seeds Equal Weight

The Bible instructs us to be honest in using uniform stones as weights. (See Devarim - Deuteronomy 25:13). The stone shown here weighs one shekel (and is marked accordingly). It is much easier to store, and handle, than the pile of seeds that weigh the equivalent.

A shekel's weight of silver

The same stone weight matches this pile of silver pieces.

Weighing on a balance scale

They are of equal weight on the balance scale.

One half-shekel of silver

This slice of silver is equal in weight to this half-shekel stone weight

Inscribed Stone Weights

All the ancient stone weights must have originally been inscribed as to their value. These three have a full word engraved on them: (left to right) Netsef = 5/6 shekel, Pym = 2/3 shekel, Beqa = 1/2 shekel.

Range of Weights

While not a complete set, this group of limestone, dome-shaped, weights gives a range: From the lower left: 8, 4, 2, 1, 5/6, 2/3, 1/2 shekel. 4 Gera, 3 Gera. Each one is engraved with a symbol of value. Some exist without any visible value. Probably it was originally painted on and wore off over the centuries. These were in regular use until the destruction of the first Jerusalem Temple (586 BCE.)

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Beqa Weight.Side View

Many weights survived intact and show that they were beautifully crafted. Dome-shaped on top, they are very flat and smooth on the bottom. This allowed them to stay in place on the scale pan.

Weight of 8 Shekels

This example weighs 89.2 grams. it is just 2 grams under the expected weight of 8 X 1 shekel (weighing an ideal 11.3 grams). It bears 2 symbols. the right hand symbol looks like a fish hanging down - or a Hebrew script letter Ayin. It is understood to be the symbol for 'shekel', based on ancient Egyptian writing, and appears on all the full shekel weights and multiples. Next to it is an ancient Egyptian numeral used here to represent 8.

Weight of 4 Shekels

This example weighs 46 grams. It is just 8 grams over the expected weight of 4 X 1 shekel (weighing an ideal 11.3 grams). It bears the shekel symbol on the right and an ancient symbol for 4 next to it.

Weight of 2 shekels

This example weighs 22.7 grams. It is exactly the expected weight of 2 X 1 shekel (weighing an ideal 11.3 grams). It bears the shekel symbol on the right and 2 strokes signifying '2' on the left.

Weight of 1 Shekel

This example weighs 11.3 grams. That is precisely the average weight of dozens of examples that have been discovered. It bears the shekel symbol on the right and one stroke for '1' on the left.

Weight inscribed 'Netzef'

This example weighs 9.9 grams. That is slightly more than the 9.7 grams which is the average weight of over 50 known specimens. It is inscribed with 3 ancient Hebrew letters - from right to left: 'Nun' 'Tzadi' 'Fay'. The resulting word 'Netsef' does not appear in the Bible. It appears to represent 5/6 of a shekel. It also corresponds to a well- known Egyptian weight of 1 Kedet'. There seems to be Egyptian influence on these weights and their symbols.

Weight inscribed PYM

This example weighs 7.5 grams. That is precisely two thirds of the weight of a full shekel (of 11.3 grams). It is inscribed with the ancient Hebrew letters from right to left: 'Pey' 'Yud' 'Mem'. The resulting word 'Pym' appears once in the Bible in I Samuel 13:21. It represent the price of sharpening a plow - 2/3 shekel. It may be a contraction of the Hebrew 'Pi Shnayim' meaning 'two times (a third)'.

Weight inscribed Beqa

This example weighs 6.1 grams, slightly higher than the average of 2 dozen specimens. It is inscribed in ancient Hebrew 'Bet' 'Kuf' 'Ayin' spelling Beqa which means 'half' and the Bible specifies that amount as the Temple tax per person (Exodus 38:26). (Many of the known Beqa weights, like this one, weigh a little more than the expected half of an ideal shekel of 11.3 grams which would be 5.65 grams.)

Weight of 4 Gera

This example weighs 2.8 grams. It is a fraction of a shekel. The shekel was divided into 20 'Gera', and at some point into 24 Gera. This weight is inscribed with a symbol representing 5, that is 5 Gera which is a fourth of a shekel: (4 x 2.8 g = 11.2 g).

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Weight of 3 Gera

This example weighs 1.6 grams. It is a fraction of a shekel. The shekel was divided into 20 'Gera', and at some point into 24 Gera. This weight is inscribed with 3 strokes symbolizing 3 Gera. Its weight is barely 1.7g, exactly right. (3/20 of a shekel of 11.3 g = 1.695).

Bronze Scale Weights

A small number of weights have been found made of bronze. Their similar shape suggests that they were used in the same culture. Scholars date them earlier, to the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. Only a handful have been found inscribed. From lower left we have 80 g (7 or 8 shekels), 7.4 (Pym), 5.5 (Beqa), 3.2 (5 Gera?), 2.6 (1/4 shekel), and .6 g = 1 Gera - the smallest unit.

Dome Shaped Bronze Weight

Seen from the side, the dome shape and flat base of the bronze weight is clearly evident.

Bronze Gera weight

This example weighs just .6 grams. It is not limestone but instead Bronze. Bronze examples have been found in similar dome shape and various sizes, but rarely inscribed. It's a little heavy at .6g instead of .56g but very likely represents one Gera.

Beka.Bronze.Inscribed

This weight is also inscribed 'Beka', with the same 3 letters as the stone example. It is bronze, and squarish in shape. It measures 11 mm across, 10 on the sides, and about 4 mm thick. It is light at 5.1 grams. Very rare. Hendin suggests it may have been used at the periphery of the country, with foreign transactions.

Croesus Silver Siglos

The first true system of gold and silver coinage was introduced by Croesus, king of Lydia which was the western half of modern-day Turkey. He ruled from 560 - 546 BCE until conquered by Persia. This silver coin weighs 5.3 grams and is called a 1/2 stater or 1/2 shekel or siglos. The lion symbolizes power and the bull represents fertility. Only the front has a design while the back shows punch marks from the minting process.

Persian Daric and Siglos

After the Persians conquered Lydia, they became the producers of gold and silver coinage in the East, probably even copying their design at first. Their own design was of a 'Great King' running right, carrying a spear and bow. The 'Daric' was gold, weighed 8.2 grams, and was worth 20 of the silver 'Siglos' (='shekel') coins.

Persian Gold Daric

The Daric may have been named for Persian King Darius although the word also means 'gold'. This was a month's pay for a Persian soldier. The back ('reverse') shows simply a punch mark that was used to force the metal into the die to create the front ('obverse') design. It would be decades before someone figured out that the punch could also impress a design, resulting in a two-sided coin.

Persian Silver Siglos

The silver siglos matches the design of the gold daric. The running king wears a crown and robe. He carries a spear in his right hand and a bow in his left, with a quiver of arrows on his back.

Sigloi. 4 designs

Specimens show many minor differences, in the beard, the face, the robe, etc. There are however 4 distinct, but similar, types which span about a hundred years. 1) Half-figure holding bow and arrows 2) full figure drawing a bow 3) full figure with spear and bow 4) full figure with bow and dagger. The darics also come in these varieties.

Siglos equals half a shekel

The siglos is really half-a-shekel in the Persian standard of 11.2 grams. That matches perfectly with the stone shekel weight of the first Temple period. This specimen, at 5.5 grams, is essentially a half-shekel, and would nicely pay the half-shekel tax mentioned in the Bible.

Siglos with reverse Chopmark

Sigloi (plural) often come with 'chopmarks'. These are small cuts in the coin's edge or surface to make sure it isn't a silver plated fake (called 'fouree') since the silver content was the essential value. Here we see a chopmark impressed on the back, with an oval border. the marks often have mini designs identifying the banker who made them. The obverse bears the design of 'Running with dagger'.

Siglos with reverse design

This siglos has another design in addition to the chopmark. It doesn't cut in to the silver but is raised above it. It looks like an animal head, without any border or depression. Some forward-thinking coiner must have engraved a design on his reverse punch, giving us a rare reverse design!

Athens Tetradrachm

Athens Greece was the dominant center among the Greek city-states from 500 - 300 BCE. This coin, bearing their patron Athena, (goddess of wisdom and warfare) on the front and her symbol of an owl on the reverse, became an international currency. Their drachm ideally weighed 4.3 grams. This tetradrachm (= 4x) falls a little short at 16.6 grams. The deep cut on the reverse was made by an untrusting recipient to ensure the silver was pure. This classic style was minted between 480-400 BCE.

Athenian Tetradrachms Compared

The specimen on the left is a later style, minted between 350 and 300 BCE. It is known as a period of fine art which is apparent from the more lifelike portrait. This example is smaller, but thicker, and weighs more - 16.8 grams. The coin was widely imitated, especially in the East, including the Holy Land

Tyre Didrachm

Just 35 miles north of Haifa Israel lies the ancient city of Tyre in Lebanon. This coin was issued there in 335-275 BCE. Its design is a combination of elements: the owl from Athens, the crook and flail from Egypt, the king with bow from Persia. The flying horse with tail of a fish was a Greek mythological creature - 'hippocamp'. It weighs 8.4g, about half an Athenian tetradrachm.

Tyre.Small change

Even small bits of silver were valuable and numerous tiny coins were minted in and around the Holy Land. This coin is almost a duplicate of the di-drachm, but it only weighs .6 g. It is a small fraction of a didrachm. Notice the owl.

Phoenicia.Byblos fraction

Byblos is another Phoenician city, known in the Bible as Gebal. This small but beautifully struck coin from there also weighs .6g. The Lion-Attacking-Bull side is inscribed 'Azbaal King of Gebal' in ancient 'Phoenician' script. The reverse shows a war galley with lion-head prow carrying 2 soldiers, all above a hippocamp. 2 more letters, Ayin & Bet, which might be the king's initials, also appear. about 350 BCE.

Alexander of Macedon

Alexander the Great minted coins all over his vast empire. This tetradrachm was minted in Judea and actually mintmarked (under the arm) in Akko. At 17 grams, it follows the Athenian standard. The obverse shows his profile, wearing a lion skin, reminiscent of Hercules' labors. The reverse portrays Zeus with his symbols of scepter and eagle. The design was used on 10 different denominations. Circa 320 BCE.

Alexander Tetradrachm.Akko mintmark

Of the hundred mints that produced Alexander's coinage, Akko (Acre) is the only one in Judea. This one was minted there and is marked under the outstretched arm. The first two letters, at least, spell 'Ak', followed by the date, in local years. It was minted circa 315 BCE as the coinage continued after Alexander's death.

Ptolemy.Tetradrachm.Akko

Ptolemy I became king of Egypt after Alexander's death. His tetradrachms are lighter, around 14 grams, following a local shekel standard. This one weighs 12.9 g. and was probably 'shaved' - had a piece cut of the rim. It was minted close to Egypt, in Gaza.

Ptolemy.Gaza mint

this close-up shows the mintmark in Greek letters: Gamma Alpha = GA. The obverse shows Ptolemy's portrait and the reverse shows an eagle, the mintmark, and his title.

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This tetradrachm weighs a closer 13.6 grams. The mintmark is Pi and Tau, for Ptolemais (Akko) which is what the city was called under Egyptian rule. This is far north in Judea, much closer to rival Syria, and shows that Egypt ruled this area under the Ptolemys.

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This close-up shows the mintmark PT (in Greek) clearly.

Seleucid tetradrachm

Seleucus I was another general of Alexander who ruled a large portion of the empire, from Turkey to Babylonia. A descendant, Antiochus III conquered Judea from Egypt about 200 BCE. The large silver tetradrachm was usually minted on the Athenian ('Attic') standard (17g). This one of Antiochus VII, at 16.2g, approached that level. They also minted coins on the lighter Phoenician standard of 14.2 grams.

Antiochus IV.bronze.Akko

This bronze coin of Antiochus IV, was minted in the active mint of Ptolemais Akko, showing Syrian control of the land of Israel. Nike gallops to the left in a 2-horse chariot. Underneath is the mintmark: Pi over Alpha for Ptolemais Akko.

Syria.Gaza.mintmark

Seleucid rule extended south close to Egypt. This coin of Antiochus IV was minted in Gaza. A deity stands holding a long scepter. Left is the name 'Antioxoy' and the mintmark Gamma over Alpha for Gaza.

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Antiochus IV

This is a coin of Antiochus IV, famous as the wicked king in the Chanukah story. His profile wears a radiant crown. On the reverse we see an eagle and his titles, referring to him as a deity. 'King Antiochus god made Manifest'.

Tyre.Shekel

Tyre, on the Lebanese coast of the Mediterranean, achieved independence from the Seleucids in 126 BCE. They began issuing shekels and half shekels showing the city's god Melqart on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. The mintmark - club - refers to Hercules/Melqart. Inscribed 'of Tyre the holy and city of refuge'. Their high level of purity made them the choice for shekel tax payments to the Temple in Jerusalem. "All silver payments mentioned in the Torah mean Tyre silver" (Talmud).

Tyre.shekel and half

Tyre issued shekels and half shekels. The designs are the same, except for monograms, and are beautifully executed. Full shekels weigh 14 grams, on the Phoenician standard, and half shekels are proportionally half of that. These weigh 14g and 6.9g respectively.

Tyre and Jerusalem shekels

Some examples have been found struck on smaller, thicker flans. Additionally, they show the Greek letters for K and R, consistently. Interestingly, they are thicker and still contain full weight. The engraving is good. Some have suggested that these were struck in Jerusalem, since the Temple there required repeated donations which these coins satisfied.

Tyre.Half Shekels compared

In addition, there are some examples that are rather crudely made. The above half-shekels left to right are a) a 'regular' one b) a crude almost barbaric one on its reverse c) the same coin showing a regular obverse. We see a crude eagle and club but only dots instead of letters. This one is light, weighing only 6.6 grams. Perhaps the local engraver did not know Greek?

Roman Circulating Denominations

Although not minted in Judea, Roman coins circulated there and were familiar to the local community. All denominations are mentioned in the Talmud. Here we see: gold Aureus (= 25 silver denarii), silver Denarius (= 10 asses), silver Quinarius (=1/2 denarius), brass Sestertius (= 1/4 denarius), brass Dupondius (=2 asses), copper As, brass Semis (= 1/2 As), copper Quadrans (= 1/4 As). All with Hadrian's profile.

Roman set.Talmudic names

The Talmud had its own names for these denominations (Kiddushin 12a). Aureus = 'Dinar Zahav' Denarius = 'Denar' Quinarius = close to a 'Ma'ah' Sestertius = none Dupondius = 'Pundion' As = 'Issar Italqi' Semis = 'Mismis' Quadrans = 'Kuntrunk' [and one quadrans / Kuntrunk = 2 'Prutot'. Pruta was the smallest local bronze coin.

Hadrian.Colonial silver

The Romans also struck coins in the East at local mints. Here are 4 silver denominations. Largest is a Tetradrachm, weighing 12..8 grams; Didrachm weighing 5.9 grams; Drachm weighing 2.6 grams and a Hemidrachm weighing 1.0 gram. These are Greek-style denominations with Greek legends. (The coins from Rome all have Latin legends.) These also show Hadrian's profile.

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