THE SIXTH BOOK OF MISCELLANEOUS RITES. (continued 2)

‎‏שקל‏‎ Shekel, Siclus, a shekel: it was twofold; Siclus regius, the Kings shekel, of common use in buying and selling, it valued 1 s. 3 d. And Siclus Sanctuarii; the shekel of the Sanctuary, it valued 2 s. 6 d.

The shekels of the Sanctuary were of two stamps. The one was always in use among the Jews: the thirty pieces of silver which Judas received, are thought to be 30 shekels of the Sanctuary. It had stampt on the one side, the pot of Manna, or as others think, Aarons censer or Incense-cup: the inscription on this side was ‎‏שקל ישראל‏‎ Shekel Israel, The shekel of Israel: on the reverse side was stampt Aarons Rod budding, with this inscription about the Coyn ‎‏ירושלים הקדושה‏‎ Jeruschalaiim hakeduscha. After the coming of our Saviour, the Jews which were converted to the Christian Faith, changed their shekel,[792] and on the first side stampt the Image of Christ, with ‎‏יש‏‎ at the mouth of the Image, and ‎‏ו‏‎ in the pole, which three letters made his name Jesu. On the reverse side there was no picture, but the whole rundle was filled with this inscription, ‎‏משיח מלך בא בשלום ואור מאדם עשוי חי‏‎ (i.) Messias rex venit cum pace, & lux de homine facta est vita. In some Coyns, for the latter clause of that inscription is read ‎‏אדם עשוי אלהים‏‎ (i.) Deus homo est factus.

The King’s shekel, in David and Solomon’s time, had stampt on the one side, a kind of a Tower standing between ‎‏ירו‏‎ and ‎‏שלם‏‎, and underneath was ‎‏עיר הקדש‏‎. The whole inscription was, Jerusalem urbs sanctitatis: On the reverse side, the rundle was filled with this Hebrew, ‎‏דוד המלך ובנו שלמה המלך‏‎ (i.) David rex, & filius ejus Solomon rex.

The shekel again was divided into lesser Coyns, which had their denomination from the parts thereof. Thus we read of the half shekels, Exod. 30. 13. The third part of a shekel, Nehem. 10. 32. The quarter of a shekel, 1 Sam. 9. 8.

Their Gold Coyns.

‎‏זהב‏‎ Zahab. The English reads it, a piece of gold, 2 Kin. 5. 5. By it is meant, that which elsewhere is called Siclus auri, a shekel of gold, 1 Chron. 21. 25. Hence the one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold mentioned, Judg. 8. 26. the Greek renders 1700, shekels of gold.[793] The weight of this Coyn was two attick drams,[794] the value 15 s.

‎‏אדרכון‏‎ Adarcon, of this we read, Esra 8. 27. It was also called ‎‏דרכמון‏‎ Drachmon, of which we read Esra 2. 69. Both these names seem to denote the same coyn; if not, yet both were of the same weight. The Greek interprets them both by δραχμὴ, and our English accordingly renders both, a dram, which must be understood of the drams in use among the Hebrews, weighing two Attick drams. From the Greek δραχμὴ, Drachmon seemeth to have had its name. He conjectureth not amiss, who thinketh[795] that Adarcon was so called, quasi Daricon, which was a certain coyn of gold in use among the Persians and from King Darius (whose Image one side thereof bore) was named Daricon, and ‎‏א‏‎ amongst the Chaldæans, is often prefixed before a word, as ‎‏ה‏‎ is amongst the Hebrews. The value of this Coyn was of ours 15 s.

Their sums.

Their sums were two ‎‏מנה‏‎ Maneh, μνᾶ Mina, a Pound. In gold it weighed one hundred shekels. This appeareth by comparing these Texts, 1 Kin. 10. 17. Tres ‎‏מנים‏‎ Manim three pound of gold went to one shield. Now we read, 2 Chron. 9. 16. Three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. The name shekels is not expressed in the Original, but necessarily understood, as appeareth in that which was spoken of Zahab. For it is a received rule, that in Scripture, Aurum being put with a numeral signifieth so many shekels of gold; and so Argentum in like manner. The weight thereof then being 100 shekels, it followeth, that the value was 75 l. In silver, their Maneh weighed 60 shekels, Ezek. 45. 12. so that it valued 7 l. 10 s. Note, that Sheindler[796] was deceived, in saying, that the price or value of the Maneh was changed in Ezekiels time, because it then valued 60 shekels: for the difference is not between the sacred & profane Maneh, as Sheindler conceives, but between the Maneh of gold, which was valued at 100 shekels always, and the Maneh of silver, which weighed 60 shekels, according to the forequoted place in Ezekiel.

The second sum was ‎‏ככר‏‎ Cicar, Talentum, A Talent. This, if it were of silver, it contained in weight 3000 shekels. For, those two verses being compared together, Exod. 38. 25, 26. sheweth, that six hundred thousand men paying every man half a shekel, the whole sum amounted to an hundred talents; whence it followeth, that a talent of silver amongst the Hebrews was 375 l. But a talent of gold (the proportion of gold to silver being observed) was twelve times as much, so that it valued of ours 4500 l.

In this tract of their Coyns we are to know three things. First, that as the Romans, in the former ages, used Æs grave, Bullion money, unstampt, which in the Mass or Billot they weighed out in their payments, and afterward Æs signatum, coyned metals: so the Hebrews though at last they used, coyned money, yet at first they weighed their mony uncoyned; Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, Gen. 23. 6. Hence the shekel had its name from ‎‏שקל‏‎ Shakal, ponderare, librare, to weigh, or put in the ballance. Secondly, as the coyned shekel was twofold, one for the use of the Sanctuary; the other for the use of the Commonwealth; and that of the Sanctuary was double the price of the other; so the weight of the shekel to be distinguisht after the same manner; the shekel of the Sanctuary weighed half an ounce Troy weight; the common shekel weighed a quarter of an ounce. For example, Goliahs spears head weighed 600 shekels of the Sanctuary 1 Sam. 17. 7. that is, twenty five pound weight: Absalom’s hair weighed two hundred shekels after the Kings weight, 2 Sam. 14. 26. that is, four pound weight and two ounces. Yea, the sums which I have reckoned only according to the Sanctuary, in common use, according to the King’s weight, they abate half their value.

3. The lesser coyns were in general termed κέρματα or in the singular number κέρμα, Joh. 2. 15. The word signifieth properly a small quantity or little piece of metal, such as may be clipt off from coyns. Upon the first of the mon. Adar, Procla. was made throughout Israel, that the people shold provide their half shekels, w^ch were yearly paid toward the service of the Temple, according to the commandment of God, Ex. 30. 13.[797] On the 25. of Adar,[798] then they brought tables into the Temple (that is, into the outward Court where the people stood) on these tables lay these κέρματα, or lesser coyns, to furnish those who wanted half shekels for their offrings, or that wanted lesser pieces of mony in their payment for oxen, sheep, or doves, which likewise stood there in a readiness in the same court to be sold for sacrifices: but this supply of lesser coynes was not without an exchange for other mony or other things in lieu of mony, and that upon advantage. Hence those that sat at these tables, as chief bankers or masters of the exchange, they were termed Κερματισταὶ, in respect of the lesser coyns which they exchanged: in respect of the exchange it self, they were termed Κολλυβισταὶ, for Κόλλυβος signifieth the same in Greek as Cambium in Latine,[799] whence those Letters of exchange, which the Latines call Literas Cambii, the Greek call σύμβολα κολλυβιστικὰ, Tickets of exchange: in respect of the Tables at which they sate, they are termed by the Talmudists ‎‏שולחנים‏‎, Schulcanim from ‎‏שולחן‏‎ Schulchan Mensa; for the same reason they are sometimes termed by the Greeks τραπεζίται, and by the Latines Mensarii. These are those changers of money which our Saviour drove out of the Temple.

FINIS.

.‎‏תהלה לאל חי‏‎