[Two Illustrations]
The following very curious notice respecting the money (coin
and value) for which Judas Iscariot betrayed our Redeemer, (and
afterwards, with it, purchased "the Potter's Field, to bury strangers
in,") is extracted from _The Sovereign Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem_, by ANDREW FAVINE, 1620, and will no doubt prove acceptable
to the reader:--
"In this citty of Rhodes they did beate and stamp money of silver,
in bignesse somewhat neare to an half teston of France, but yet much
thicker, and the figures thereon more embossed than ours are. These
pieces of silver are like to the halfe sickle of the Jews, or the
diobrachma of the Romaines, but they be more worth. There is a
tradition, that the thirtie pence, for which the Saviour of the world
was sold and delivered to the Jews, by the traitor, Judas, were of
this kinde. And in very deede, in the Church of the Holy Crosse of
Jerusalem, at Rome, is to be seene one of those thirtie pence, which
is wholly like to that in the Church of the Temple, in the citty of
Paris. It is enchased in a shrine, and is to be seene but thorow a
christall glasse, and on the side which may be noated, appeareth
nothing but a head.
"The learned Gulielmus Budeus, the honour of our Citty of Paris, and
of all France, in the remarkable tract which he wrote, _De Asse_,
affirmeth that he had scene the pennie of silver, in the Temple at
Paris, and that on it was represented a head, as in truth there
is. But, concerning the other side, neither the learned Cardinall
Baronius, nor Budeus, doe speake anything else; then of the weight of
those silver pence, which the Evangelists tearme Argenteos. One of
those silver pence of Rhodes I have, and both the sides thereof, in
this manner I shew to you (_vide Engraving_).
"I have confronted and compared it with the sight of that pennie at
Rome, and the other in the Temple at Paris, and they are all three
alike, both in the visage and in the circumference. Mine is in weight
two groates, a halfe pennie less of silver, which commeth to twelve
sols and one liard. On the other (_one?_) side, it hath the visage of
the sunne, like to the fashion of a young man's face, without a beard,
with long locks of hayre, as here it is figured, and as poets have
feigned. On the other side is a blowne rose, higher and greater than
ours are;[13] which commeth somewhat neare in resemblance to the rose
which we tearme of Jericho, and which are brought from the Holy Land.
Upon this pennie the rose hath, on eache side, a button, (bud) the one
whereof beginneth to blome, but not the other. Above the rose, on
the ring of the piece, is formed in capitall Greeke letters, [Greek:
RODION], (Rhodian,) which signifieth, and would say (if it could)
_a rose_. At the foote whereof is this sillable, EY. (Favine then
mentions the arms of Rhodes, which, as well as we are able to
translate the old French, left untranslated, appears to be Field
_d'Argent_, a rose _proper_, with buds; _gules_, stalk, _de synople_.)
So," he continues, "that thirtie pence of this money amounteth not
but altogether to the summe of eighteen poundes seaven shillings and
sixe-pence of our money, and seemeth a very small summe for buying
a piece of ground, or land, which the Evangelists call Ackeldemach,
(Alcedaema), 'The Potter's Field,' so neere to Jerusalem peopled with
more than a million of men, solde for an offence, and with condition
that it should never be redeemed, in regard it was destined for the
Burial-place of Pilgrims, which came to Jerusalem at the solemn Feasts
there held; and every one well knoweth, that (amongst the Jews)
inheritances were sold, more or less, according as the conditions were
made, either neere, or further off, from the yeare of jubilee, which
they feasted from fifty yeares, to fifty yeares; a feast, so solemnly
observed among them, that the sellers did then re-enter into their
sold inheritances, which they possessed again freely, and without any
charge, or paying any arrerages, according as it was ordained by their
law, in the five-and-twentieth chapter of Leviticus. But it may be,
this Potter's Field was (in parte) bought with those thirtie pence,
and the other parte might be the almes and giftes of the proprietaries
or owners, both in the Temple of Jerusalem and publickly, for so good
a subject as the buriall of pilgrims, and poore strangers. For ever,
and beside the offerings and Tribute-money, which the Jews offered and
paid to the treasurers in the Temple, for maintaining the Tribe of
Levi, (the deserving ministers thereof) who, at the distribution and
division of the Land of Promise to the Jewish people, had not any lot
or partage (but were assigned to the Jews devotion,) inheritances
might be legacied to them, which falling into mortmaine, could not
be redeemed by any custome of kindred, whatsoever jubilee might
be alledged, or selling, or alienating, as it is written in the
seaven-and-twentieth of Leviticus. And such an inheritance was called
_Ager Anathematis_--a field wholly dedicated and consecrated to God;
and which from thenceforward, might fall no more into any secular, or
prophane hand."
[13] Amongst other interpretations of "_Under the Rose_," why may
we not conjecture that it may have something to do with _bribes to
silence?_ with _hush-money?_ the _Rose_, in many countries, being
not an unusual stamp on their coins.
After this erudite disquisition, which endeavours to account for the
_smallness_ of the sum for which our blessed Lord was betrayed, and
for which Alcedama was purchased, how would honest Andrew Favine
stare, could he learn that modern commentators have, _without
comment_, assigned something less than _one-fifth_ of 18_l_. 7_s_.
6_d_. as the "price of innocent blood." We transcribe in proof,
the annotation on Mat. 26 c. 15 v. from D'Oyly and Mant's
Bible:--"'_Thirty pieces of silver_.' Thirty shekels, about 3_l_.
10_s_. 8_d_. of our money. It appears from Exod. 21 c. 32 v., that
this was the price to be paid for a slave or servant, when killed by a
beast. So vilely was HE esteemed, who shed his precious blood for man;
and so true it is, that _Christ_ took upon him the form of a servant."
Now, the Jewish _shekel_ being valued at 2_s_. 4-1/4_d_. and the coin
of the _next_ superior denomination, (the _maneh_) being set down
in our Bible money-tables, at 7_l_. 1_s_. 5_d_. it is clear that
_several_ of _intermediate value_ must have existed, for exchange,
which might reconcile this difference. M.L.B.
* * * * *