This brief study of the coins mentioned in the Gospel has helped us better understand Jesus’ teachings. Knowing the value of each one allows us greater objectivity in grasping the message the Lord conveys in those passages. That’s why we’ve titled it “A Treasure to Delve Deeper.”
What meaning and value did the talent, the mina, the denarius, the stater, the as (small coin), the drachma, the didrachma, the tetra drachma, the two coins of the poor widow, and Judas’ 30 coins have back then, and what might they hold today? That’s what we aim to explore in four different articles throughout the year.
I. A few brief lines about the circulation of coins in Palestine.
It is well known that Palestine was invaded and dominated on many occasions. Alexander the Great did so in 332 B.C. Following this invasion, Greek coins began circulating in the region. Later, some Jewish rulers started minting their own coins. John Hyrcanus I (134–104 B.C.) was the first to strike his own coin around 110 B.C. His successor, Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 B.C.), followed suit, inscribing “Jonathan the King” on them—he was the first monarch in Israel’s history whose name appeared on a coin.
In 63 B.C., when Rome (Pompey) conquered Palestine, Roman coins were introduced, mingling with Greek and local ones. Syrian and Egyptian coins, which imitated the local ones, also circulated. This situation persisted into Jesus’ time, when three main types of coins were in use: Roman (imperial), Greek (provincial), and Jewish (local).
Coin of John Hyrcanus.
Prutah of Alexander Jannaeus.
II. Commentary on the coins mentioned in the Gospels.
- The Talent.
In antiquity, a talent was a unit of weight that varied by region but was generally considered equivalent to the value of 20 to 30 kg of silver. In Greece, for instance, the highest weight unit was the silver talent of 25.5 kg, divided into 60 minas of 425 g each, with the hundredth part of a mina being the drachma of 4.25 g of silver. It was widely used before Christ in Mesopotamia. When one spoke of a talent, it meant a huge sum of money. It was comparable to an amount that could support a family for several years.
To get an idea of the enormous sum of ten thousand talents, consider that all the gold used in the ancient sanctuary was worth about twenty-nine talents (cf. Ex 38:24) — (see Julio de la Vega-Hazas: “Las Parábolas de Jesús de Nazaret” p. 131).
The talent came in various shapes corresponding to different eras:
Pear-shaped: before 3000 B.C.
Date-shaped: 3000–2600 B.C.
Star-shaped: 2600–2300 B.C.
Duck-shaped: from 2300 B.C. onward.
Talent Museum of Montserrat.
One of the few preserved in the world, it can be seen at the Biblical Museum of Montserrat. Made of black diorite, it weighs 30 kg.[1]
Quotes from scripture:
Matthew 18:23–35: The Lord speaks of a king who forgives a debt of ten thousand talents.
Matthew 25:14–29: The Lord tells of a man who entrusts five, two, and one talent to his servants to trade with in his absence”.
Also, in Revelation 16,21: “Great hailstones, the size of a talent, fell from the sky upon people”.
Jesus speaks to us of a merciful God who forgives an immense amount and expects mercy from us as well. The vast disproportion between God’s mercy and ours is reflected in the huge sum He forgives (ten thousand talents) compared to the tiny amount (a hundred denarii) the wicked servant demands from his fellow servant.
In the second passage, Jesus presents a God who is just, ultimately rewarding the good, punishing evil, or the omissions in one’s life.
The Talent represents not just a sum of money but also the gifts, abilities, and opportunities each person has. The parable invites us to reflect on how we’re using those talents in our daily lives and in serving others and God.
- The Mina
A unit of weight from ancient Babylon, it was also used in Greece. Its accounting value varied across the ancient Near East and over time—in Babylon, it was equivalente to about 500 g of silver, but in Greece, it equaled 100 drachmas: 425 g of silver. The British Museum holds minas weighing between 423 and 570 g, with the Babylonian mina not exceeding 505 g. The Montserrat Museum also preserves several minas in different shapes.
Minas at the Museum of Montserrat originating from Babylon.
The Babylonians used the sexagesimal system for many things. The Mina was subdivided into 60 shekels, and 60 minas made up a talent. It was used to weigh precios metals, particularly gold and silver. The Shekel is the origin of the Hebrew unit of weight, which later gave its name to their currency, the “Shekel.”
Quote from the Gospel:
Luke, 19,13-25. A nobleman goes to a distant land and calls ten servants, giving them ten minas with the instruction to trade with them in his absence.
In this parable, similar to that of the talents, Jesus shows a God who generously rewards the good we do (for each mina earned—equivalent to a hundred denarii—he grants them authority over an entire city) and condemns laziness and sloth. It symbolizes each person’s duty to use their gifts to serve God and others.
By Josep M.Vilar from his book “Les Monedes del Evangeli” and Maria Vilar Vinyeta (Experience Campus – UIC Barcelona).
[1] Josep Maria Vilar: “Les Monedes de l’Evangeli”, pp. 8-9.