New Evidence for Ancient Temple Tax

Unlike the 16,000+ page, 20 volume U.S. Federal Tax Code, the ancient Israelites instituted a simple, easy to understand and unimposing “fair tax” to support the Temple ministry more than 3000 years ago. Exodus 30:13-15 indicates that the Israelites were required to bring a half-shekel to the sanctuary as an offering of atonement. By the time of Christ, this had developed into an annual offering, payable only in silver shekels minted at Tyre – hence the money changers in Mt 21:12. Archaeological evidence of the “Temple Tax” was recently discovered in Jerusalem in the form of two silver coins. One of the coins was discovered in a drainage channel near the Siloam Pool, south of the Temple Mount, and is a genuine Tyrian shekel like the one Jesus used to pay this tax for himself and Peter (cf. Mt 17:24-27). The other coin, recovered during the Temple Mount Sifting Project, is a rare example of the Jewish-minted half-shekel coins in circulation during the First Revolt against Rome, ca. AD 66/67. This latter coin is unique in that it originated on the Temple Mount and it bears evidence of fire-damage, possibly from the Roman destruction of the Temple in AD 70, an event predicted by Jesus some 40 years earlier (cf. Mt 24:1-2 ff.).

For more on Tyrian shekels and half-shekels used in the Temple Tax see:
Gordon Franz, “The Tyrian Shekel and the Temple of Jerusalem”
Marcia Ciccone, “The Shekel of Israel: A Commemoration in Silver”