Before the Exile the Jews had no regularly stamped money. They made use of uncoined shekels or talents of silver, which they weighed out ( Genesis 23:16 ; Exodus 38:24 ; 2 Samuel 18:12 ). Probably the silver ingots used in the time of Abraham may have been of a fixed weight, which was in some way indicated on them. The "pieces of silver" paid by Abimelech to Abraham ( Genesis 20:16 ), and those also for which Joseph was sold (37:28), were proably in the form of rings. The shekel was the common standard of weight and value among the Hebrews down to the time of the Captivity. Only once is a shekel of gold mentioned ( 1 Chronicles 21:25 ). The "six thousand of gold" mentioned in the transaction between Naaman and Gehazi ( 2 Kings 5:5 ) were probably so many shekels of gold. The "piece of money" mentioned in Job 42:11 ; Genesis 33:19 (marg., "lambs") was the Hebrew Kesitah , Probably an uncoined piece of silver of a certain weight in the form of a sheep or lamb, or perhaps having on it such an impression. The same Hebrew word is used in Joshua 24:32 , which is rendered by Wickliffe "an hundred yonge scheep."
Source
- part_of
source-manifest/easton— Easton's Bible Dictionary (PD)