The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

tribute (except priests) were liable to distraint of
their goods. The ^money-changers' made a
statutory fixed charge of a Maah, or from IJd. to
2d.' (or, according to others, of half a maah) on
every half-shekel. This was called qolbon. But if a
person tendered a Sela (a four-denar piece, in
value two half-shekels of the Sanctuary, or two
Galilean shekels), he had to pay double qolbon;
one for his half-shekel of tribute-money, the other
for his change. Although not only priests, but all
other non-obligatory offerers, and those who paid
for their poorer brethren, were exempted from the
charge of qolbony it must have brought in an
immense revenue, since not only many native
Palestinians might come without the statutory coin,
but a vast number of foreign Jews presented
themselves on such occasions in the Temple.
Indeed, if we compute the annual Temple-tribute at
about 75,0001,, the bankers' profits may have
amounted to frK)m 8,0002. to 9,000{., an immense
sum in the circumstances of the country.^
But even this does not represent all the facts of the