shekel etymology

Etymology:

The word "shekel" is derived from the Hebrew word "sheqel," which means "weight." It was originally a unit of weight used in ancient Mesopotamia and later adopted by the Israelites.

Meaning and Origin:

In ancient Mesopotamia, the shekel was a unit of weight used to measure precious metals. It was equal to approximately 11 grams of silver. The Israelites adopted the shekel as their unit of currency around the 11th century BCE.

The shekel initially had two different values:

  • Heavy shekel: Used for commercial transactions and weighed approximately 18 grams of silver.
  • Light shekel: Used for religious offerings and weighed approximately 11 grams of silver.

Over time, the heavy shekel became the standard unit of currency in Israel. It was divided into smaller denominations, such as the gerah (1/20 shekel) and the prutah (1/4 gerah).

The shekel remained the main currency of Israel until the Roman conquest in the 1st century CE. It was later revived as the official currency of the modern state of Israel in 1980.

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