In Zechariah 11 this phrase is used to mean the value of a slave and is based on Jewish Law. Why Walmart Can Recession Proof Your Portfolio, Where is My Stimulus Check? Other precious metals and alternative financial instruments that Id like to review on this blog in the future include: Diamond Prices from the Debeers Corporation, Investing in Algorithmic Trading Software. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. The phrase he used, 30 pieces of silver, is a throwback to a reference in the book of Zechariah. Although many scholars see Jeremiah's name as included in error,[21] Jeremiah's purchase of a field in Jeremiah 32 may indicate that both prophets are in mind. Judas betrays his Lord for a tithe. At this price, a talent (33 kg) would be worth about $1,400,116.57. In some cases, for example a rare emperor or rare reverse can have a high value, around 1000 $ or even higher. It is almost a certainty that the "30 pieces of silver" paid to Judas were shekels of Tyre, which were the only coins accepted by the priests of the Temple to pay the poll tax and for sacrifices. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 5. three hundred pencebetween nine and ten pounds sterling. There are other elements in his ministry, but for the sake of space and specifics of your question, I won't elaborate unless requested. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Judas was the disciple in charge of the money; however, the Gospel of John tells us that Judas would often take money out of the money bag to keep for Himself (John 12:4-6). It is almost a certainty that the "30 pieces of silver" paid to Judas were shekels of Tyre, which were the only coins accepted by the priests of the Temple to pay the poll tax and for sacrifices. Is John 12:3 an allusion to Song of Solomon 1:12? 3 shekels plural, informal : money . Its name became the basis of the word . In the Book of Revelation, during the Third Seal: Black Horse, a choinix (quart) of wheat and three quarts of barley were each valued at one denarius. The slave's death was compensated by the thirty pieces of silver. rev2023.3.1.43269. In the late republic / early empire, a single denarius would account for a single unskilled workers daily pay. The coins themselves, being ancient and historical, would of course be priceless, but at the time they were just regular silver coins used as instruments of commerce. Rather than denounce Judas as Jesuss betrayer, the author of the Gospel of Judas glorified him as Jesuss most favored disciple. Mary's expensive perfume was worth how many pieces of silver? Matthew 27:4 records Judas encounter with the Jewish leaders as he says, I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood. What is that to us? they replied. That gives us a value of gold/silver of around 12. The heavy common talent, used in New Testament times, was 58.9 kg (129 lb 14 oz). How will my actions be remembered in future days when generations yet to come tell the story of the Gospel spreading the world over? vegan) just to try it, does this inconvenience the caterers and staff? So, if the average US salary is $170 per day and thirty pieces of silver are work 120 days' salary, then the purchasing power of the coins was the equivalent of $20,400! The Jewish leaders were jealous of Him, and they wanted to kill Him out of jealousy, anger, and hate. Judas betrays Jesusfor money. The Lord has given us each inherited self-worth and as believers, we need to place a high emphasis on Jesus worth because He is God and He died for our sins. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! The answer is: The change of 1 sheqel ( shekel ) unit of a gold amount equals = to 11.34 g ( gram ) as the equivalent measure for the same gold type. During Roman times, there was a period when a denarius was worth about a day's wages. One of the steps involves a dowry for the bride. Burns on the traitor's brain; Portraits of important people appear on local currency all around the world. By Jesus fulfilling these prophecies in the Old Testament as well as many others, it verifies that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. As briefly mentioned, the significance of the 30 pieces of silver is that they fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Therefore, 30 pieces of silver was about one and a half month's pay for a Roman soldier. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. By today's numbers, the quotient of silver contained in a denarius is worth about $3.62. A denarius was a silver coin weighing 60 grains. Today's spot price for silver is $.63 per gram. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. The phrase is used in literature and common speech to refer to people "selling out", compromising a trust, friendship, or loyalty for personal gain. Apple Stock Review, Is the Tech Giant Worth Buying? Hyperinflation has led to a difference in values. Judas owed (as it were) a tithe to his God. Denarius (Coin) Portraying Julius Caesar. Jesus is completely worthy of our praise and worship. That $197.40 is a value out of time, however. They wanted to keep the money and place it in the treasury for their own use, but since it was blood money, they couldnt do this. [19](p74) In Exodus21:32, 30pieces of silver was the price of a slave, so while Zechariah calls the amount a "handsome price" (Zechariah 11:13), this could be sarcasm. What is the folklore story of George Washington crossing the Delaware? We also know the aureus contained about 8 grammes of gold (before emperors started to devalue it) and the denarius contained about 3.8 grammes of silver. Second, the 30 pieces of silver also symbolize how low the Jewish leaders ascribed Jesus worth. The coins are said to be the silver pieces given to Judas Iscariot in exchange for his betrayal of Jesus. In the medieval period some religious institutions displayed ancient Greek coins of the island of Rhodes as specimens of the Thirty Pieces of Silver. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? 200 sestertii (or 50 denarii) was a subsistence wage per year for adults. Today, the sages teach that 5 shekels to redeem a first born son is about 96 grams, conservatively 100 grams of silver. 200 sestertii (or 50 denarii) was a subsistence wage per year for adults. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. BaronBatty. Other such calculations could set the value of 1 sestertius as the equivalent of as much as $1.50. 42 BCE, issued by L. Mussidius Longus. Sometimes a money bag is used in depictions; otherwise a hand holding the coins, or two hands, showing the counting-out. Multiplied by 30 tetradrachms = 120 day's wages. Donald Wiseman suggests two possibilities. 3 Things Christians Should Know about Holy Week, 1st American St. Patrick's Day Celebration. [13] Because Roman coinage was only 80% silver, the purer (94% or more) Tyrian shekels were required to pay the temple tax in Jerusalem. In exchange for handing over Jesus to them, the Jewish leaders pay Judas 30 pieces of silver. Shouldnt the stark contrast between Judas and this woman raise questions in our minds? So, I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.. The phrase he used, 30 pieces of silver, is a throwback to a reference in the book of Zechariah. That $197.40 is a value out of time, however. The priests decided that, as blood money, it could not be added to the temple treasury, so they bought, The word the gospel writer Matthew used in Matthew 26:15 was. or as in the poem Matthew XXVII:9 by Jorge Luis Borges: The coin fell on my hollow hand. Mark 14:3-11 is stunning. Judas took to himself what rightly belonged to God. 2. Another part of Jewish tradition is a gift of perfume is often used to anoint the bridal bed prior to consummation, which some traditions say that is how Mary came to possess the perfume. [30], A Syracusan decadrachm held at the Hunt Museum, Limerick is one such coin claimed to be one of the thirty: inscribed on the mount is Quia precium sanguinis est (Latin: "This is the price of blood").[31]. And Why I Do Not Recommend Buying One, Walgreens Rite Aid Merger News, a $17 Billion Acquisition Deal Gone Sour. wage for a day's labour. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox ( Exodus 21:32 ). Todays spot price for silver is $.63 per gram. It was not a huge amount of money, but it was respectable for an average Jew. It is more probable that the thirty pieces of silver were tetradrachms than that they were denarii (80 cents). The chief priests decided that they could not put it into the temple treasury as it was considered blood money,[6] and so with it they bought the Potter's Field. Its the equivalent of giving $6,000 to someone who is working part time at Starbucks.its definitely a lot of money for someone in that level of income. He couldn't have done it for the money. They showed how low the Jewish leaders ascribed Jesus worth, instead of His worth as the Savior and Messiah. In June, 2018, the international price of gold was about US $41,155.69 per kilogram. It was first named nummus aureus (gold money), or denarius aureus, and was equal to 25 silver denarii; a denarius equaled 10 bronze asses. Regardless of the small worth, the Jewish leaders placed on Christ, He places a large worth upon each of us. And historical evidence shows that a denarius would also buy three kilos (100 fluid ounces . Depending on which of the coins was used, in modern values of silver, these known coins would bring the sum to be between $250 and $300. My Review. That $264.60 is a value out of time, however. [40], In 2022, a video surfaced online of a Ukrainian Border Guard reportedly paying 30 pieces of silver to the departing Belarusian ambassador, due to the complicit behavior of Belarus in allowing Russia to stage assaults into Ukraine via the Ukraine-Belarus Border. Thirty Pieces of Silver 2020 1 h 34 m YOUR RATING Rate Action Drama Detective Shola (Nse Ikpe-Etim) knows it will be a career-high to finally pin down the ruthless Chief Boga (Jide Kosoko), a drug lord with a history of evading arrest and a reputation for killing his nemesis. This email address is being protected from spambots. Old coins make history come alive! A Mind at Rest in Jesus (Colossians 3:1-4). (1) See Denariusand James Swanson,A Dictionary ofBiblical Languages: Greek New Testament, #1324. The Jewish leaders were just as wicked as Judas. What was a talent worth in biblical times? Have you ever wondered what those 30 pieces of silver were exactly - or how much they were worth? How much was 30 pieces of silver worth in Bible times? The dietary staples were bread, wine and olive oil, but also included legumes, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, fish and meat. To try to downplay or undermine Jesus worth is a great sin and a huge problem. Judas was a betrayer, liar, and thief.