Bible Dictionaries
Didrachma
Holman Bible Dictionary
A Greek coin worth two drachmas or a Jewish half shekel, the amount of the Temple tax paid by every male Jew above age 19 (Matthew 17:24 ). After the Temple's destruction in A.D. 70, the Roman government apparently continued to collect the Temple tax, possibly to support a Roman temple. The first readers of Matthew's Gospel would have understood the Temple tax in the Roman context.
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Didrachma'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/d/didrachma.html. 1991.