Tax Time
Posted by Kushana Torumekia at 3/24/2008 3:53 PM 
Categories: Ancient Coins, Half-Shekel, Josephus, Judaism, Christianity, Roman Emperors, Didrachma, Archaeology
Categories: Ancient Coins, Half-Shekel, Josephus, Judaism, Christianity, Roman Emperors, Didrachma, Archaeology
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I have an entry that I've written-and re-written every few days: I cannot boil it down into one post I like.So, for today, archaeology news:
http://tinyurl.com/2lr4eb
(Original link: www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420740611&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull )
This is the tax mention in Matthew 17:
[24]When they came to Caper'na-um, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?"
[25] He said, "Yes." And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?"
[26] And when he said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.
[27] However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.
(Revised Standard Version from http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=4563978 )
(The Greek actually says "Didrachma" but it had to be paid in this specific coin (scroll down to the last coin on the page, the one found at the dig.)) Think about this, you're required to pay a tax in currency that is not in general circulation. That's what the money changers were doing at the Temple, they were a currency exchange. (For deep background, see footnote 16, here, from an article by Dr. Manfred R. Lehmann.)
Who was Vespasian? He is the Emperor who makes Josephus' histories so difficult, as historical sources — always ask "Who is writing this account?" "What interest(s) do they have in it?" and "Who is paying?"
-Kushana
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