for the feast (in the way of sacrifices and their adjuncts), or for purification, and it would

be better to get the right money from the authorised changers, than have disputes with the

dealers. We can picture to ourselves the scene around the table of an Eastern money-

changer - the weighing of the coins, deductions for loss of weight, arguing, disputing,

bargaining - and we can realise the terrible truthfulness of our Lord's charge that they had

made the Father's House a mart and place of traffic. But even so, the business of the

Temple money-changers would not be exhausted. Through their hands would pass the

immense votive offerings of foreign Jews, or of proselytes, to the Temple; indeed, they

probably transacted all business matters connected with the Sanctuary. It is difficult to

realise the vast accumulation of wealth in the Temple -treasury. But some idea of it may

be formed from the circumstance that, despite many previo us spoliations, the value of the

gold and silver which Crassus  22 carried from the Temple-treasury amounted to the

enormous sum of about two and a half millions sterling. Whether or not these Temple

money-changers may have transacted other banking business, given drafts, or cashed

those from correspondents, received and lent money at interest - all which was common

at the time - must remain undetermined.

Readers of the New Testament know, that the noisy and incongruous business of an

Eastern money-lender was not the only one carried on within the sacred Temple -

enclosure. It was a great accommodation, that a person bringing a sacrifice might not

only learn, but actually obtain, in the Temple from its officials what was required for the

meat, and drink-offering. The prices were fixed by tariff every month, and on payment of

the stated amount the offerer received one of four counterfoils, which respectively

indicated, and, on handing it to the proper official, procured the prescribed complement

of his sacrifice.23 The Priests and Levites in charge of this made up their accounts every

evening, and these (though necessary) transactions must have left a considerable margin

of profit to the treasury. This would soon lead to another kind of traffic. Offerers might,

of course, bring their sacrificial animals with them, and we know that on the Mount of

Olives there were four shops, specially for the sale of pigeons and other things requisite

for sacrificial purposes.24 25 But then, when an animal was brought, it had to be examined

as to its Levitical fitness by persons regularly qualified and appointed. Disputes might

here arise, due to the ignorance of the purchaser, or the greed of the examiner. A

regularly qualified examiner was called mumcheh (one approved), and how much labour

was given to the acquisition of the requisite knowledge appears from the circumstance,

that a certain teacher is said to have spent eighteen months with a farmer, to learn what

faults in an animal were temporary, and which permanent.26 Now, as we are informed

that a certain mumcheh of firstlings had been authorised to charge for his inspection from

four to six Isar (1¼d. to about 2d.), according to the animal inspected,27 it is but

reasonable to suppose that a similar fee may have been exacted for examining the

ordinary sacrificial animals. But all trouble and difficulty would be avoided by a regular

market within the Temple-enclosure, where sacrificial animals could be purchased,

having presumably been duly inspected, and all fees paid before being offered for sale.28

It needs no comment to show how utterly the Temple would be profaned by such traffic,

and to what scenes it might lead. From Jewish writings we know, that most improper