Paying the Temple Tax
March 18, 2008The IAA has a report today (thanks to Joseph Lauer for pointing it out) about the discovery of a silver coin used to pay the Temple Tax.
In an archaeological excavation that is being conducted in the main drainage channel of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple, in the City of David, in the Walls around Jerusalem National Park, an ancient rare silver coin was recently discovered. This coin is a shekel denomination that was customarily used to pay a half shekel head-tax in the Second Temple period. The excavations, directed by Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, are being conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Nature and Parks Authority and the ‘Ir David Foundation.
Just out of curiosity, are there any coins recovered from this period without images?
I seem to remember several that only had images of e.g. plants, which would not be problematic. But I’m no expert.