Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-20
Coins of the Now Testament.
BY JANIS ROSS eNownoN, DIRECTOR OF THE U.
MINT, PHILADELPHIA.

by Jhnts Huhb eNUWDpNI DNhCTOH OF THE U. B.
MINT, PHILADELPHIA
"And when he had agreed with the laborers for PEN
ny day. he sent them into his vineyard. Matt.
A penny day seems small compensation
for a labOrer; the coin in question was not q
penny of the present day, but was dendrius, q
silver coin, the intrinsic value of which was IF.
teen cents. This gives one better idea of the
value of the labor at that time. And it shows
that the good Samaritan was more liberal and
generous than the usual reading of the text
would indicate. Luke K. 35. He gave the
poor man that fell among thieves two silver
coins of the value Of thirty cents. We have
reason to believe that silver was at that period
ten times as valuable asit Is at present.; in 9TH
er words, thirty cents would buy as much as
three dollars would now. liz thus appears that
the Samaritan, besides the other valuable things,
wine and oil, which he bestowed upon the in.
jured man, gave the Ghost" money enough to
pay the board of his guest some time, perhaps
for several weeks, because this interesting event
happened in the bill country of Judea, between
Jerusalem and Jericho, where the charges of
the inn were probably quite moderate. Thus q
liberal provision was made for the intervening
time which would elapse before,the benevolent
man would return from Jerusalem. And in
case he should be delayed on his return, he
said to the inn keeper, "Take care of this man,
and whatsoever thou spendest more, when 1
come again, will repay thee" This generous
and neighborly conduct of the good Samaritan
our Lord commenda, with the Injunction, " Go
thou and do likewise."-v. 81.
The ointment with which Mary anointed our
Savior is said to have been "very COSTLY"
John xii. 3, and "very precous," Mark xiv. g.
"Some had indignation with themselves, and
murmured against her, because her ointment
might have been sold for more than three
hundred pence and the money given to the
poor," Mark xiv. 4, g. The propriety of say
ing that it was very costly, and very precious,
appears very clearly when we ascertain that
the price at which it is said IL might have been
sold, was equal to forty-ive dollars OF our own
money. Msry's offering was therefore valu-
able one intrinsically; but much more 30 as she
wrought "good work, which is spoken of
throug bout the whole world ae a memoriap' of
her love aud devotion to the Savior ~. 9.
Again, when the five Thousand persons were
mira culously fed, we are told that the disciples
asked, "shall we go and buy two hundred pen.
nyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"--
Mark vi. 81. The present vaiue Of penny ID
about two cents. IL would seem to be very un.
reasonable to talk OF feeding such multitude
with four hundred cents worth OF bread. But
when we know that two hundred pence were
equal to thirty dollars Of our money, we can
readily understand how, with that sum, bread
enough might have been purchased not only to
enable "every one of them to take o little''-
John vi. 7--but If tho proportionate value Il
considered, the money would have bought Q
loaf of bread for each one of the great multi
tule that were assembled. The great Master
of the feast, however, preferred 10 feed them
by His creative power, and thus the FIVE barley
loaves and the two small fishes were miracu
lously increased; sand they did all eat and
were filed; and they took up twelve baskets o
fragments s.'-Mark vi. AZ, 43. sie-so1