Judas Thirty Pieces of Silver

About Judas Thirty Pieces of Silver

According to the New Testament, Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The coins are typically identified as Tyrian shekels, which were the standard temple tax coin. Tyrian shekels featured the image of Melqart, the Phoenician equivalent of Heracles, on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. The Tyrian shekel was 94 percent silver, making it acceptable for temple payments. Thirty shekels was the compensation for a slave under Mosaic law.