Authentic Bible coins and Antiquities from Bible times for education and sale.
The Tyre shekel or 30 Pieces of Silver is most remarkable in that . . .
it was minted and dated throughout the lifetime of Jesus so that we have an ancient artifact that accurately corresponds through the milestones of His life:
- Conception; Birth; the Magi (Slaying of the Innocents, Flight to Egypt, return at the death of Herod);
- Millennium year (1 BC/AD1 the calendar date which centers around the Birth of Christ);
- Jesus teaching in the Temple at age 12;
- the 3 Ministry years (Matthew as a Tax Collector, Judas as a thief in charge of the money box, the Shekel in the fish’s mouth, Jesus over-turning the money changer’s tables, the actual year of betrayal and crucifixion as well as the traditional year associated with Christ’s death and resurrection).
Why "Thirty" pieces of Silver?
The Pharisees were sticklers when it came to the law -yet it was ok for them to bend the rules (offer a bribe to Judas, hold a secretive Capital case trial at night while the city slept before a Sabbath or holy day, arrange false witnesses when the mock trial was not going well) yet they did not want to overlook the value of a man. The lowest value that could be placed for a person was a slave accidentally gored by an ox (Exodus 21:30) and this is what they decided to pay Judas.
Who killed Jesus?
So many were implicit in the killing of Jesus that it is remarkable that such a diverse group came together for a common goal.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Him; the chief priests, Pharisees, scribes and elders sought His death; the high priest Caiaphas stated “it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”; the Jewish Sanhedrin oversaw an illegal trial; Herod Antipas and his men mocked and sent Jesus in a majestic robe back to Pilate; the Jewish crowd cried, “Crucify Him!” ; Pilate knowing Jesus’ innocence passed the death sentence; Roman soldiers crucified Him; even Satan had his part in possessing Judas after he had made his decision to betray.
Before all this, Adam and Eve caused sin to enter our world requiring inescapable judgement except through God’s plan of redemption. And before this -God had slain the Lamb (Jesus Christ) “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Yet, Jesus said, “I lay down My life that I may take it again” (John 10:17) and Isaiah 53:10 says “it pleased the LORD to bruise Him.” In once sense “God killed God.” This by no means exonerates the guilty -but shows the Holiness of God requires justice for sins. At the same time we see God entering our world, experiencing all the pain and suffering humanity has to offer, yet being a willing sacrifice so that we might have eternal life.
DECODING the TYRE SHEKEL or 30 Pieces of Silver
The Greek text reads:
Tyre
Holy and Inviolable
PKE denotes the year of issue (1-3 characters -sometimes very difficult to discern and often missing on smaller half shekels).
Club references to Herakles olive wood club.
Bet or the letter Aleph served an unknown administrative purpose -perhaps branch within mint.
KP quality monogram began when Herod required massive coinage for his Temple rebuild.
Palm -
The collection of a lifetime...
In 2013 a remarkable collection of Tyre shekels came up for auction.
At this time, it was the only collection in the known coin world that featured a consecutive run of 38 Silver shekels spanning the lifetime of Jesus Christ, circa 5 BC - AD 33/34. This was an amazing feat since only 1-2 coins were known to exist for certain years. Dubbed ‘The Collection of a Lifetime’ -numismatic scholar and author Frank Kovacs completed his project in 25 years.
Years later, when I was presented a group of 30 shekels -I turned down most as they were not within the lifetime of Jesus. It sparked a challenge to see if I could the same.
The collection below spans 2 extra years covering an earlier conception/birth of Christ.
At present about 3 coins are missing to complete a consecutive collection.
These large shekels circulated heavily in Judaea, Samaria, Galilee and the Decapolis where Jesus, the disciples and other figures in the Gospels lived or travelled so it is fascinating to consider who may have held or carried them.
Tyre Shekels Lifetime of Jesus Christ Gallery 7/6 BC - AD 33/34
