A whole series of denarii were struck during the reign of Augustus Caesar (27 B.C.–A.D. 14) with his image on the obverse. with an issue of silver denarii bearing the image of the wreathed head of Julius Caesar and the legend, 1 each successive Caesar customarily issued silver (and gold) denarii stamped with his own likeness, or the imperial mints issued such coins in the emperor’s honor. The denarius Jesus was shown was stamped with the image of Caesar. Jesus’ reply is well known: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. When he asked them to show him the money to pay the tax, they showed him a denarius, a large silver Roman coin, and identified the image and inscription it bore as belonging to Caesar. According to the accounts, Jesus was asked by the Herodians and the students or followers of the Pharisees, who intended to “entangle him in his talk,” if it was legal to pay the kensos (“census,” poll tax) to Caesar. Probably the most recognizable of all the coins is the one described when Jesus was challenged about paying taxes to Caesar (Matt. In addition, there are general references to money or sums of money, for example to argurion and talenton. Seven different types or denominations of coins are mentioned by name: denarius, drachma, didrachm, stater, assarion, kodrantes, and lepton. In addition to the monetary differences resulting from political changes in Judea, Jewish males from throughout the world brought foreign coins with them to pay the “temple tax” when they made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.įor these reasons, among others, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify with any certainty which coins are meant by the numerous references to them in the New Testament. Each change of leadership or power meant an accompanying change of coinage, from the gold and silver Philippi and Alexandreis of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great, to the Roman provincial coinage bearing the image of Caesar Augustus and his successor, Tiberius. ![]() Because of internal discord about 37 B.C., Rome became involved in the political and military affairs of the area, with the result that Judea became a Roman province in A.D. 6. Since the beginnings of coinage in the seventh or sixth centuries B.C., Judea had been under the control of the Persians Alexander the Great and his successors, the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Pergamum as well as “local” leaders such as the Hasmoneans. Such diversity generates some difficulty in identifying the coins mentioned in the New Testament. The coins found at Masada-Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Herodian, Roman, Jewish, Tyrian, Nabatean, etc.-testify not only of the changing fortunes of Judea, but also of the variety of coins circulating in that and neighboring countries during this time.
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