Bible Encyclopedia: Coins

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

COINS

koinz: There were no coins in use in Palestine until after the Captivity. It is not quite certain whether gold and silver were before that time divided into pieces of a certain weight for use as money or not, but there can be no question of coinage proper until the Persian period. Darius I is credited with introducing a coinage system into his empire, and his were the first coins that came into use among the Jews, though it seems probable that coins were struck in Lydia in the time of Croesus, the contemporary of Cyrus the Great, and these coins were doubtless the model upon which Darius based his system, and they may have circulated to some extent in Babylonia before the return of the Jews. The only coins mentioned in the Old Testament are the Darics (see DARIC), and these only in the Revised Version (British and American), the word "dram" being used in the King James Version (Ezra 2:69; Ezra 8:27 Nehemiah 7:70-72). The Jews had no native coins until the time of the Maccabees, who struck coins after gaining their independence about 143-141 B.C. These kings struck silver and copper, or the latter, at least (see MONEY), in denominations of shekels and fractions of the shekel, until the dynasty was overthrown by the Romans. Other coins were certainly in circulation during the same period, especially those of Alexander and his successors the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria, both of whom bore sway over Palestine before the rise of the Maccabees. Besides these coins there were the issues of some of the Phoenician towns, which were allowed to strike coins by the Persians and the Seleucids. The coins of Tyre and Sidon, both silver and copper, must have circulated largely in Palestine on account of the intimate commercial relations between the Jews and Phoenicians (for examples, see under MONEY). After the advent of the Romans the local coinage was restricted chiefly to the series of copper coins, such as the mites mentioned in the New Testament, the silver denarii being struck mostly at Rome, but circulating wherever the Romans went. The coins of the Herods and the Procurators are abundant, but all of copper, since the Romans did not allow the Jewish rulers to strike either silver or gold coins. At the time of the first revolt (66-70 A.D.) the Jewish leader, Simon, struck shekels again, or, as some numismatists think, he was the first to do so. But this series was a brief one, lasting between 3 and 4 years only, as Jerusalem was taken by Titus in 70 A.D., and this put an end to the existence of the Jewish state. There was another short period of Jewish coinage during the second revolt, in the reign of Hadrian, when Simon Barcochba struck coins with Hebrew legends which indicate his independence of Roman rule. They were of both silver and copper, and constitute the last series of strictly Jewish coins (see MONEY). After this the coins struck in Judea were Roman, as Jerusalem was made a Roman colony.

H. Porter

Greek

1406. drachme -- as much as one can hold in the hand, a drachma (a ...
... drachma (a Gr. coin made of silver) NASB Word Usage coin (2), coins (1),
silver coins (1). piece of silver, drachma. From drassomai ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1406.htm - 6k

2773. kermatistes -- a moneychanger
... kermatistes Phonetic Spelling: (ker-mat-is-tace') Short Definition: a money-changer
Definition: properly: a changer of large into smaller coins, a money-changer ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2773.htm - 6k

1384. dokimos -- tested, approved
... 1383 (). 1384 () was used for the proving (testing) of coins, ie confirming
they were (not counterfeit, corrupted).]. Word Origin ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1384.htm - 7k

2644. katallasso -- to reconcile
... [2644 () was originally used for the exchange of coins; "properly, (especially
of money); hence, of persons, from enmity to friendship, " (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2644.htm - 8k

2772. kerma -- a slice, hence a small coin
... Word Origin from keiro Definition a slice, hence a small coin NASB Word Usage coins
(1). money. From keiro; a clipping (bit), ie (specially) a coin -- money. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2772.htm - 6k

3016. leptos -- peeled, fine, thin, small, light
... Word Origin from the same as lepis Definition peeled, fine, thin, small, light
NASB Word Usage cent (1), small copper coins (2). mite. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3016.htm - 6k

Library

How Constantine is Represented on Coins in the Act of Ascending to ...
... Book IV. Chapter LXXIII."How Constantine is represented on Coins in the
Act of ascending to Heaven. A coinage was also struck ...
/.../the life of constantine/chapter lxxiii how constantine is represented.htm

Appendix iii. Rabbinic views as to the Lawfulness of Images ...
... APPENDIX III. RABBINIC VIEWS AS TO THE LAWFULNESS OF IMAGES, PICTORIAL
REPRESENTATIONS ON COINS, ETC. (See vol. ip89, note 3.) On ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iii rabbinic views as.htm

He Causes Himself to be Represented on his Coins, and in his ...
... Book IV. Chapter XV."He causes himself to be represented on his Coins, and
in his Portraits, in the Attitude of Prayer. How deeply ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xv he causes himself to.htm

Chronology.
... fit in better with an early period of the Captivity than with a later age, when
Simon Maccabeus is said to have had the title nsy' on his coins; and Mattathias ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/chronology.htm

Plus Ultra Vs. Ne Plus Ultra.
... Consequently the early coins of that country, in order to give prominence to this
idea, were indented with a picture of the pillars of Hercules, the two great ...
/.../iii plus ultra vs ne plus.htm

Exposition Continued: the King and the Servants.
... But he is about to make a reckoning with them in order that it may be manifested
how each has employed the tried money of the householder and his rational coins ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/7 exposition continued the king.htm

Introductory Notice to Memoirs of Edessa and Other Syriac ...
... say the least, is cast by the statement that Abgar Bar Manu, who reigned between
the years 160 and 170 ad, is the first king of Edessa on whose coins the usual ...
/.../unknown/the decretals/introductory notice to memoirs of.htm

As Regards Our Reverend Friend Epiphanius, this is Strange ...
... Thus runs the letter which your golden coins extracted from the chamber of our brother
Eusebius, so that you might calumniate the translator of it, and might ...
/.../23 as regards our reverend.htm

Knox in the War of the Congregation: the Regent Attacked: Her ...
... The gold worker, whose name is variously spelled in the French record, says that
the device for the coins which the Congregation meant to issue and ordered him ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xii knox in the.htm

Fourth Five Years.
... [3029] In honor of this victory coins were struck (Eckhel, Doct. Num. ... Licinius would
not let the Sarmatian coins pass current and had them melted down (Anon. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 6 fourth five years.htm

Thesaurus

Coins (13 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia COINS. koinz: There were no coins in use
in Palestine until after the Captivity. It is not quite ...
/c/coins.htm - 13k

Banking
... however, are found in operation in the Greek cities; "moneychangers," sitting at
their tables (trapezai) in the market place, both changed coins and took money ...
/b/banking.htm - 13k

Pamphylia (6 Occurrences)
... settled there, but the Greek language which was spoken in some of its cities soon
became corrupt; the Greek inscriptions, appearing upon the coins of that age ...
/p/pamphylia.htm - 12k

Coin (9 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To make of a definite fineness, and convert into coins, as a mass of metal;
to mint; to manufacture; as, to coin silver dollars; to coin a medal. ...
/c/coin.htm - 11k

Bank (28 Occurrences)
... however, are found in operation in the Greek cities; "moneychangers," sitting at
their tables (trapezai) in the market place, both changed coins and took money ...
/b/bank.htm - 26k

Copper (55 Occurrences)
... This is true also of coins as chalkos, in Matthew 10:9. Our modern English word
"copper" is derived from an old name pertaining to the island of Cyprus. ...
/c/copper.htm - 27k

Money (284 Occurrences)
... quarter-shekels. But these were not properly coins, which are pieces of
metal authoritatively issued, and bearing a stamp. Of the ...
/m/money.htm - 69k

Buying (12 Occurrences)
... The term rendered "darics of gold," 'adharkonim, stands for Persian coins, which
were similar to the Greek "darics." The Persians are said to have got the idea ...
/b/buying.htm - 23k

Derbe (4 Occurrences)
... It was one of those Lycaonian cities honored with the title "Claudian" by the emperor
Claudius; its coins bear the legend "Claudio-Derbe." This implied ...
/d/derbe.htm - 15k

Money-changers (5 Occurrences)
... Since the Jews, coming up to the feasts, would need to exchange the various coins
in common circulation for this Jewish piece, there were money-changers who ...
/m/money-changers.htm - 9k

Bible Concordance

Coins (13 Occurrences)

Matthew 17:24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the didrachma?"
(WEB)

Matthew 26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.
(See NIV)

Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
(See NIV)

Matthew 27:6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, "It's not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood."
(See NIV)

Matthew 27:9 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set, whom some of the children of Israel priced,
(See NIV)

Mark 12:42 A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 10:35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him,'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.'
(See NIV)

Luke 12:6 "Aren't five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
(WEB)

Luke 15:8 Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
(WEB WEY NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 19:13 He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them,'Conduct business until I come.'
(WEB)

Luke 21:2 He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

John 2:15 and having made a whip of small cords, he put all forth out of the temple, also the sheep, and the oxen; and of the money-changers he poured out the coins, and the tables he overthrew,
(YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 19:19 and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins.
(WEY)

Subtopics

Coins

Related Terms

Banking

Pamphylia (6 Occurrences)

Coin (9 Occurrences)

Bank (28 Occurrences)

Copper (55 Occurrences)

Money (284 Occurrences)

Buying (12 Occurrences)

Derbe (4 Occurrences)

Money-changers (5 Occurrences)