TAKE A LOOK!

Did you know? The money changers of Jesus’ time served two purposes. First they exchanged Antiochian Tetradrachms for the local currency (shekels), exacting a fee between 4% and 8% for their services. Second, they functioned as bankers and lenders. In the well-known Gospel story, Jesus overturned their tables because he didn’t feel the gates of the Temple were the right place to be conducting that business. In fact, such moneychangers set up shop there as a service, to deal with people who came to pay their half-shekel Temple tax. The Rabbis insisted it be paid in silver didrachms of Tyre, which nobody carried.

Did you know? Throughout history, pawnbrokers have been helping people. The Bible offers references to pawnbroking, and in Deuteronomy 24:6-13 it states: "No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge, for he taketh a man’s life to pledge." What this means is: you should not take as a pledge anything a man needs to make a living. The same chapter also says: "Thou shalt not go into his house to fetch the pledge. Thou shalt stand abroad and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring the pledge...unto thee." Interestingly, often the debtor’s children could be used as a pledge (2 Kings, 4:1-7). Also in Deuteronomy 23:21 the people were told not to take interest from their own countrymen – only fromforeigners.