The most common of these types were struck during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, one of the last Jewish kings before the Roman annexation of Judaea. These tiny bronze coins were the smallest and lowest denominations that circulated throughout the Holy Land during the lifetime of Jesus Christ. The “widow’s mites” mentioned in the Scriptures are thought to have be either leptons or perhaps similar, slightly larger variations called prutahs. Mite is the 1611 King James translation for the Greek λεπτον, or lepton. As Jesus remarks in Matthew 19:24, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The parable, repeated in Luke 21:1-4, is understood to both extol the virtues of charity and impugn the vices of avarice. He observes that “this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:41-44). Then he watches a woman, a certain widow, deposit two “mites” into the till. Jesus watches rich men in flowing gowns put pieces of silver into the treasury-generous offerings to the Temple. On the Temple grounds, goods are bought and sold, money is changed, and taxes are paid. Jesus is preaching in the Temple, which represents both the city’s religious center and its business district. Once arrived in J erusalem, the hub of Jewish life and the capital of the Roman province of Palestine, there will be no turning back.
Twice in the Gospels, in Luke and Mark, we hear the Parable of the Widow’s Mites - a tale of charity and humility told by Jesus in the last days of His life.Īfter three years of itinerant preaching in the lesser cities of Galilee and Judea, Jesus has brought His Ministry to the City of David. It is because of the discovery of an ancient hoard that a limited number of coins of this superb level of preservation are available. These coins typically circulated for very long periods and most specimens became worn smooth. These coins are an actual part of the historical record- a unique, ancient artifact that was handled and used in market stalls by villagers, desert traders, holy men, and Roman soldiers alike in every day transactions.Īlthough it is common to view in museums, it is a rare opportunity to actually hold an object of this age and importance in your hands. These coins have been known to collectors for hundreds of years as “Widow’s Mites” The coin enclosed is identical to the type of coin she would have had. What makes these coins of great historical and religious importance is that twice in the Bible, Jesus is quoted as telling the story of the poor widow who gave all that she had which was just two mites. This coin is an actual bronze coin, certified genuine, minted in the Holy Land over 2000 years ago during the reign of King Alexander Jannaeus in the century preceding the birth of Jesus. Hats, Glasses, Belts, Buckles, ClothingĪs we say "Own a piece of history.Give a piece of history™".The jewelry will attract the attention of other people so you will be presented with many chances to share the story of Jesus. They are designed to showcase the widow’s mite coin and the Bible story it tells.Īs you wear it, you can meditate on the example of the poor widow and her willingness to give. These pieces of jewelry are works of art, in and of themselves. You can choose a single coin, or if you prefer, you can choose a coin that is set into a ring or necklace. At Zak’s Jerusalem Gifts, you can purchase one of these examples of Bible history for yourself. These humble coins are frequent finds in archeological digs in the land of the Bible. Scholars believe that the lepton may have been the lowest denomination coin struck in history! A denarius was the average daily wage for a worker during that time. The Gospel of Mark gives us the information that the two leptons were worth the same as a quadrans, which was the smallest Roman coin.Īt the time of Mark’s writing, a lepton was worth 1/64 of a denarius. These coins were struck during the time of the Hasmonean ruler of ancient Israel, Alexander Jannaeus.Īccording to the Mishna, the collection of Jewish learning and commentary on the Bible, the lepton was the smallest Jewish coin. In the original Greek, the word translated as mites is lepton. In Mark 12:42, Jesus watched with His disciples as a poor widow cast two mites into the treasury.
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