During the times of Jesus, as was customary, large numbers of foreign Jews and converts returned every year to visit Jerusalem, their spiritual home. The Jewish historian Josephus declared, "there is not a people in the world which does not contain a portion of our race." A partial list of countries where Jews lived is listed in chapter 2 of the book of Acts The foreign money they brought with them was often unacceptable for offerings because of its pagan origin. To meet the pilgrims needs, money-changers had stalls throughout the city to exchange their currency into money acceptable for temple offerings. However, during the busiest times, like during the springtime period of 50 feast days called Pentecost (a Greek word meaning 50th), the money-changers were allowed to move to the area called The Temple Court of the Gentiles and set up tables. One can only imagine how the spirit of commercial competition sounded as the money-changers shouted out their exchange rates. It must have been this noisy disrespectful atmosphere that prompted Jesus to overturn the tables. It was during this time that we read, "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers..." Matthew 21:12. Jesus make his feelings very evident when He stated, "...My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Part of the money given by the Jewish pilgrims was called the Temple tax. This tax was not tithe but was considered a religious duty. A mention of this national religious tax is found in Matthew 17:24 where it reads, "...they that received tribute money came to Peter..." the literal translation reads, "they that received the double drachma." The Greek didrachmon or "double drachma" was a coin acceptable for paying the annual temple tax. This is a silver coin about the diameter of a dime but probably three times as thick. One of these coins is presently on display at the library. The value of this coin would be roughly equivalent to two days work for a day laborer.
The origin of the yearly temple tax is: "Every one...from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel..." Exodus 30:14,15

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

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Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

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