Phoenicia Tyre Shekel Ancient Greek Coin NGC VF Melqart / Owl 4th Century BC

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Phoenicia Tyre Shekel Ancient Greek Coin NGC VF Melqart / Owl 4th Century BC:
$689.88

You are offerding on: Ancient Silver Coin NGC VF **Phoenicia Tyre**

c. 4th Century BC

AR (Azemilkos) 4th Century BC. AR Shekel/Didrachm. Greece Mint. Obverse: Melqart astride hippocamp right, holding bow in extended left hand and reigns in right; below, waves above dolphin right. Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing; crook and flail behind.Authentic Ancient Coin of:

Greek city ofTyreinPhoenicia
Authentic \"Jewish / Christian Biblical Coin\" of Historical Importance
Silver \'Shekel\' Tetradrachm. Struck at Tyre, year 4th Century B.C.
Reference: Sear 5918 var.; HGC 10, 357
Certification:NGC AncientsVF
In the centuries following the Macedonian conquest, Tyre was subject first to the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, then at the end of the 3rd century, to the Seleucids of Syria. In 126/5 the city regained its autonomy and commenced a remarkable issue of silver and bronze coins extending well into the Roman Imperial period.

The famous silver tetradrachms (\'shekels\') of this series have achieved notoriety as the most likely coinage with which Judas was paid his \'thirty pieces of silver\' for the betrayal of Christ. This type of coin would also have been the type of coin that the \"money changers\" at their tables in the Temple courtyard would have for exchange for the Great Temple tax that would be paid. The silver content of these coin types was uniform throughout their history of being minted, and because of the absence of living human rulers on it, it was allowed to be used in the Great Temple. The tax was 1/2 shekel coin per Jewish person per year. This coin would be good for a tax for one person to contribute during their visit. Very important, historically-significant coin to both of the Jewish and Christian faiths.

TheSecond Templewas an importantJewishHoly Temple(Hebrew: בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי‎‎,Beit HaMikdash HaSheni) which stood on theTemple MountinJerusalemduring theSecond Temple period, between 516 BCE and70 CE. According to Judeo-Christian tradition, it replacedSolomon\'s Temple(the First Temple), which was destroyed by theNeo-Babylonian Empirein 586 BCE, when Jerusalem was conquered and a portion of the population of theKingdom of Judahwas taken intoexile in Babylon.Jewish eschatologyincludes a belief that the Second Temple will be replaced by a futureThird Temple.

TheTemple taxwas a tax which went towards the upkeep of theJewish Temple, as reported in theMishnaandNew Testament, and based on an interpretation ofExodus 30:13.

In later centuries, the half-shekel was adopted as the amount of the Temple Tax, although inNehemiah 10:33-34the tax is given as a third of a shekel.

Exodus 30:13 This is what each one who is registered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.NRSV

After the return under Nehemiah, Jews in the Diaspora continued to pay the Temple tax.Josephusreports that at the end of the 30s CE \"many tens of thousands\" of Babylonian Jews guarded the convoy taking the tax to Jerusalem (Ant. 18.313).

Tyrian shekels,tetradrachms, ortetradrachmaswere coins ofTyre, which in theRoman Empiretook on an unusual role as the medium of payment for theTemple taxin Jerusalem, and subsequently gained notoriety as a likely mode ofpaymentforJudas Iscariot. The coins were the size of a modern Israeli half-shekel and were issued by Tyre, in that form, between 126 BC and 67 AD. Earlier Tyrian coins with the value of a tetradrachm, bearing various inscriptions and images, had been issued beginning in the latter half of the fifth century B.C. The money changers referenced in the New Testament Gospels (Matt. 21:12 and parallels) exchanged Tyrian shekels for common Roman currency.

Thecoin in the fish\'s mouth, orSt. Peter\'s Fish,is one of themiracles of Jesus, told in the Gospel ofMatthew 17:24-27.

In the Gospel account, inCapernaumthe collectors of the two-drachmatemple tax askPeterwhether Jesus pays the tax, and he replies that he does. When Peter returns to where they are staying, Jesus speaks of the matter, asking his opinion: \"From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their own children or from others?\" Peter answers, \"from others,\" and Jesus replies: \"Then the children are exempt. But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find afour-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.\"

The story ends at this point, without stating that Peter caught the fish as Jesus predicted.

The four-drachma (or shekel) coin would be exactly enough to pay thetemple tax(two-drachma coin) for two people. It is usually thought to be aTyrian shekel.

The coin in the fish\'s mouth is generally seen as a symbolic act or sign, but there is little agreement concerning what it signifies.

The Bible does not specify the species of the fish caught by Peter, butTilapiais sometimes referred to as \"St. Peter\'s fish\".

Apostle Peterpaying the temple tax with coin from the fish\'s mouth by Augustin Tünger, 1486.

Thecleansing of the Templenarrative tells ofJesusexpelling the merchants and themoney changersfrom theTemple, and occurs in all fourcanonical gospelsof theNew Testament.

In thisaccount, Jesus and hisdisciplestravel toJerusalemforPassover, where Jesus expels the merchants and money changers from theTemple, accusing them of turning the Temple into \"a den of thieves\" through their commercial activities. In theGospel of JohnJesus refers to the Temple as \"my Father\'s house\", thus, making a claim to being theSon of God.

The narrative occurs near the end of theSynoptic Gospels(atMatthew 21:12-17,Mark 11:15-19, andLuke 19:45-48) and near the start in the Gospel of John (atJohn 2:13-16). Some scholars believe that these refer to two separate incidents, given that the Gospel of John also includes more than one Passover.

Tyrewas founded around2750 BCaccording toHerodotusand it appears on monuments as early as1300 BC.Philo of Byblos(inEusebius) quotes the antiquarian authoritySanchuniathonas stating that it was first occupied by one Hypsuranius. Sanchuniathon\'s work is said to be dedicated to \"Abibalus king of Berytus\" -- possibly the Abibaal who was king of Tyre.

There are tenAmarna lettersdated1350 BCfrom the mayor,Abi-Milku, written toAkenaten. The subject is often water, wood, and theHabiruovertaking the countryside, of the mainland, and how it affected the island-city.

Early history

The commerce of the ancient world was gathered into the warehouses of Tyre. \"Tyrian merchants were the first who ventured to navigate the Mediterranean waters; and they founded theircolonieson the coasts and neighbouring islands of theAegean Sea, inGreece, on thenorthern coast of Africa, atCarthageand other places, inSicilyandCorsica, inSpainatTartessus, and even beyond thepillars of Herculesat Gadeira (Cádiz)\" In the time ofKing David(c. 1000 BC), a friendly alliance was entered into between the Kingdoms ofIsraeland Tyre, which was ruled byHiram I. The city of Tyre was particularly known for the production of a rare and extraordinarily expensive sort ofpurpledye, produced from themurexshellfish, known asTyrian purple. This color was, in many cultures of ancient times,reservedfor the use of royalty, or at least nobility.

It was often attacked by Egypt, besieged byShalmaneser V, who was assisted by thePhoeniciansof the mainland, for five years, and byNebuchadnezzar(586–573 BC) for thirteen years, without success, although a compromise peace was made in which Tyre paidtributeto theBabylonians. It later fell under the power of thePersians.

In332 BC, the city was conquered byAlexander the Great, aftera siegeof seven months in which he built thecausewayfrom the mainland to the island, but it continued to maintain much of its commercial importance until the Christian era. The presence of the causeway affected water currents nearby, causing sediment to build up, making the connection permanent.

In315 BC, Alexander\'s former generalAntigonusbegan his own siege of Tyre, taking the city a year later.

In126 BC, Tyre regained its independence (from theSeleucids) and was allowed to keep much of its independence when the area became a Roman province in 64 BC.

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