Replica Bible Coins

Bible coins - Gold darics were probably included in the gold mentioned in I Chronicles 29:7 and Ezra 8:27.

According to the British Museum:

"In 550 BC Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire by amalgamating the Iranian tribes of the Medes and the Persians. Cyrus then looked to the west. His army defeated the Lydians and their king Croesus in 547 BC."

"It was in Lydia that the Persians first came into contact with coinage. After conquering Lydia in 547 BC, the Persians adopted the Lydian tradition of minting coins.

The gold daric, named after the Persian king Darius I (521-486 BC), and the silver siglos (or shekel) were the main denominations. An archer, representing the Persian king, appeared on the obverse (front) of the coin. The reverse consisted of a rectangular punch. These coins were minted in the western part of the Achaemenid Empire." - from the British Museum

The silver shekel of Tyre displays the head of Melqart, the main god of Tyre, equivalent to the false god Baal in the Old Testament, on the obverse (front) and an eagle on the reverse.

This silver coin is a shekel denomination. In the Bible, Jewish men were commanded to contribute half a shekel apiece every year to maintain the Temple in Jerusalem.

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This photo is of a real silver shekel of Tyre.

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The yearly collection for the Jewish Temple began each year on the first day of the month Adar and ended on the first day of the month Nissan. Money changers were available in the temple, John 2:14, during the collection period.

The silver shekel of Tyre is believed to be the most likely coin Judas received for betraying Jesus for "thirty pieces of silver," Matthew 26:14-16.

The silver shekel of Tyre was also the only coin Jewish leaders would accept in payment of the annual Temple tax for Jewish men.

These silver shekels of Tyre were minted from approximately 126 B.C. until 70 A.D.

In Matthew 17:27, a single shekel like the one in the above photo was used to pay both Jesus’ and Peter’s half-shekel temple tax.

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