The Importance of Clean Coins in the Temple

The scriptures required worshipers present animal sacrifices at the temple. But there was a second wrinkle in this: You couldn't use unclean coins. That is coins that would have an image on it though especially of a human, of a community of a human was worshiped as a God. So for almost all the people coming they would need to exchange the currency they brought to buy the animals to present into temple shekels and then with those purchase the animals that they would use in sacrifice. There was an industry that had grown up that was there around the temple itself. And that's what we see Jesus interacting with so vigorously in the last verses we looked at last week where he condemns