202 ADDRESS TO THE [lect. 



distinct allusion to coined money in the books of the 

 Old Testament, before the return from Babylon. Shekels, 

 of course, are often mentioned, but the word, like our 

 pound, denotes a weight as well as a coin, and in the 

 older Scriptures it appears to have been used in the 

 former sense. The earliest distinct mention of coins in 

 the Bible is supposed to. refer to Persian money, the 

 word " drachm," which appears in our version, being a 

 mistake for " daric." These " darics " have on the 

 obverse the king kneeling, holding a bow and arrow. 

 The reverse shows a rude incuse. They were probably 

 struck in the fifth century b.c. (Fig. III., Plate I.). At 

 a much earlier date, indeed, we read that Abimelech 

 gave Abraham " a thousand pieces of silver " in expiation 

 of his treatment of Sarah ; and, again, that Joseph was 

 sold to the Ishmaelites for "twenty pieces of silver." 

 But in both these cases it will be observed that the word 

 " pieces " is in italics, and there is much doubt about the 

 word : in the Septuagint it is " shekels." Considering 

 the zeal and success with which the Jewish race subse- 

 quently devoted themselves to commerce and finance, it 

 is remarkable how small a part these professions play in 

 the early history of the race. One ingenious writer in- 

 deed has attempted to account for the turbulence and 

 frowardness of the Jews in ancient times by suggesting 

 that they were fretted, being driven by circumstances 

 into pastoral and agricultural pursuits against all their 

 instinctive and natural tendencies, being, in fact, " des 

 banquiers comprimSs." One type of the ancient shekels 

 (Fig. VII. , Plate II.) has on the obverse, in Hebrew, 

 "Shekel of Israel, year A," above a chalice. On the 

 reverse, " Jerusalem, the Holy," and a triple lily. Some 



