Tribute penny
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The tribute penny was the
Render unto Caesar..." The phrase comes from the King James Version of the gospel account: Jesus is asked, "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" (Mark 12:14) and he replies, "bring me a penny, that I may see it" (Mark 12:15
).
Biblical account
One interpretation of the relevant passages is that the
unbalanced opinion?
]
The Greek text uses the word dēnarion,Pax.[3]
However, it has been suggested by some scholars that denarii were not in common circulation in Judaea during Jesus' lifetime and that the coin was more probably an Antiochan tetradrachm bearing the head of Tiberius, with Augustus on the reverse.[4] Another suggestion often made is the denarius of Augustus with Gaius and Lucius on the reverse, while coins of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Germanicus are all considered possibilities.[5]
Gospel of Thomas
A similar episode occurs in the Gospel of Thomas (verse 100), but there the coin in question is gold.
See also
References
- ^ Thayer's Lexicon: δηνάριον
- ^ Akerman, John Y. (1855). The Numismatic Chronicle. Vol. 17. Royal Numismatic Society. p. 52.
- ^ Smith, Douglas. "Tiberius, Tribute Penny". Ancients. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ISBN 1-86254-562-6.
- ^ Michael E. Marotta (2001). "Six Caesars Of The Tribute Penny". Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 7 Sep 2011.
External links
- Render Unto Caesar, vodcast by Professor Kevin Butcher of the University of Warwick