The reverse of the silver shekel included the image of an Egyptian-style eagle on a ship's prow (referring to Tyre's port), a club (referring to Hercules), and the inscription in Greek "Tyre the Holy and Inviolable." Shekels such as these were used for a particular purpose during the period of the Qumran occupation: according to law, every male over the age of 20 had to pay an obligatory Temple tax of one-half shekel each year. This custom is mentioned in a few of the scrolls from Cave 4.
Similar hoards of silver shekels are known from sites dated to the first century BCE, such as Isfiya, and scholars are divided as to whether this hoard is a collection for the Temple tax or simply a hoard of the community's shared wealth.
Similar hoards of silver shekels are known from sites dated to the first century BCE, such as Isfiya, and scholars are divided as to whether this hoard is a collection for the Temple tax or simply a hoard of the community's shared wealth.
Primary Source
- Jodi Magness, 2002. The Archaeology of the Dead Sea Scrolls. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For More Information
- Archaeology of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- Pacific Science Center Exhibition: The Dead Sea Scrolls
- The Israeli Antiquities Authority
- Early Greek Coins, the Handbook of Bible Numismatics.
