shekel
n. the basic monetary unit of Israel, a silver coin weighing approximately 11 grams
A half shekel = two-daysā wages, the temple tax, two silver Greek drachmas, a penny, or two silver Roman denarii.
3,000 shekels is a talent of silver. 75 shekels is a yearās wages.
30 shekels buys a slave. Or a potterās field.
Then Jesus said to them, āGive back to Caesar what is Caesarās and to God what is Godās.ā
My initial confidence was short-lived. Jehu, dark-skinned, clean shaven and turbaned, bowed before me that first horrible day as Talmaiās group wound its way out of Bethany and down the canyon. āIt is an honor to serve the family of Lazarus ben Shimon,ā heād said, waiting for his first command.Ā
I stood there, trying hard to keep the dignity I knew Papa expected of me. Jehu had been my fatherās slave, and his fatherās before him. The creases in his face were part wisdom, part sorrow, and part mysterious past. When the servants began coming to me that morning with questions of urgency, he stood beside me and helped me answer them.
Life doesnāt stop just because someone dies. Itās a terrible truth.