This book, Coins of the Bible by Arthur Friedberg is readily available in different editions. The particular edition I purchased caught my eye because there are six replica coins embedded in the front cover of the book.  Since then I have also seen this book offered with a different style cover. I was able to get a used copy for $9.00.

Even though the title of the book is “Coins of the Bible” it really focuses on the New Testament era.  There is some mention of the money used before that time but primarily the text explores the coinage just before the time of Jesus, during his lifetime and then during the time the New Testament is being written.  There are plenty of photographs of coins to help the reader understand what is being explained in each section. 

What I found helpful from this book was the overview information about the various taxes that existed during this era.  I was familiar with the Temple Tax and the Tribute tax to Caesar but this I find was only the tip of the iceberg.  The overview given on this topic encouraged me to explore further this issue of taxation and all that the peasants had to face in their daily life.

Another issue that the book notes is that the Jewish Procurator coins do not use Roman denomination standards but rather the size and weight standards of coins minted in Judea. There is noted in the text one exception to this. The author calls the coins of the procurator Porcius Festus “quadrans” which is a Roman denomination. I have not found this particular reference to Festus’s coins as “quadrans” in any other book, but if it is true that these are truly “quadrans,” and not “prutahs,” then there was a significant shift in Roman policy in Judea at that time. I will keep an eye out for more information about this!