Amen Sela!
Amen Sela! Shabbat 65 By Ruth Lieberman One of the most famous coins in Talmudic times appears on our daf, Shabbat 65. The 'Sela' coin was based on the Roman system, similar to the Tyre tetradrachm, and was worth twice the value of the famed 'Shekel' coin - always minted in silver. Half shekel of the Temple Tax Hoard of the minting year 4-5 CE. At the time of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, the Tyrian mint stopped issuing silver shekels, yet they were still needed by the Jewish population of the time, for their annual temple tax of a half-shekel. The Jewish authorities of the time decided to mint their own version, a thicker one shekel, half and quarter shekel coins. We have examples of these, from years One through Five of the Great Revolt, leading up to the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. You'll notice the beautiful and very 'Jewish' symbols: a rimmed chalice on one side and three pomegranates on the other. Ancient