various coins, which Jewish residents at home or settlers abroad might bring, into the

ancient money of Israel. For custom had it that nothing but the regular half-shekel of the

sanctuary could be received at the treasury. On the 25th of Adar business was only

transacted within the precincts of Jerusalem and of the Temple, and after that date those

who had refused to pay the impost could be proceeded against at law, and their goods

distrained, the only exception being in favour of priests, and that 'for the sake of peace,'

that is, lest their office should come in disrepute. From heathens or Samaritans no tribute

money was to be received, the general rule in reference to all their offerings being this:

'A votive and a free-will offering they receive at their hands; but whatever is not either a

votive or a free-will offering (does not come under either category) is not received at

their hands.' In support, Ezra 4:3 was quoted. The law also fixed the rate of discount

which the money-changers were allowed to charge those who procured from them the

Temple coin, perhaps to obviate suspicion of, or temptation to usury --a sin regarded as

one of the most heinous civil offences.

The total sum derived annually from the Temple tribute has been computed at about

76,000 pounds. As the bankers were allowed to charge a silver meah, or about one-

fourth of a denar (2d.) on every half-shekel, their profits must have amounted to nearly

9,500 pounds, or, deducting a small sum for exceptional cases, in which the meah was

not to be charged, say about 9,000 pounds--a very large sum, considering the value of

money in a country where a labourer received a denar (8d.) for a day's work (Matt 20:2),

and the 'good Samaritan' left only two denars (1s. 4d.) in the inn for the keep of the sick

man (Luke 10:35). It must therefore have been a very powerful interest which Jesus

attacked, when in the Court of the Temple He 'poured out the changers' money, and

overthrew the tables' (John 2:15), while at the same time He placed Himself in direct

antagonism to the sanctioned arrangements of the Sanhedrim, whom He virtually

charged with profanity.

It had only been a century before, during the reign of Salome - Alexandra (about 78 B.C.),

that the Pharisaical party, being then in power, had carried an enactment by which the

Temple tribute was to be enforced at law. It need scarcely be said that for this there was

not the slightest Scriptural warrant. Indeed, the Old Testament nowhere provided legal

means for enforcing any payment for religious purposes. The law stated what was due,

but left its observance to the piety of the people, so that alike the provision for the

Temple and for the priesthood must have varied with the religious state of the nation

(Mal 3:8-10). But, irrespective of this, it is matter of doubt whether the half-shekel had

ever been intended as an annual payment. Its first enactment was under exceptional

circumstances (Exo 30:12), and the mode in which, as we are informed, a similar

collection was made during the reign of Joash, suggest the question whether the

original institution by Moses was not treated rather as affording a precedent than as

laying down a binding rule (2 Chron 24:6-11). At the time of Nehemiah (Neh 10:32-34) we

read only of a self-imposed 'ordinance,' and at the rate of a third, not a half-shekel. But

long before the coming of Christ very different views prevailed. 'The dispersed abroad'

regarded the Temple as the one bond of their national as well as their religious life.

Patriotism and religion swelled their gifts, which far exceeded the legal dues. Gradually

they came to regard the Temple tribute as, in the literal sense of the words, 'a ransom for

their souls' (Exo 30:12). So many were the givers and so large their gifts that they were

always first brought to certain central places, whence the most honourable of their

number carried them as 'sacred ambassadors' to Jerusalem. The richest contributions

came from those crowded Jewish settlements in Mesopotamia and Babylon, to which

'the dispersed' had originally been transported. Here special treasuries for their reception