SHEKEL

A shekel or sheqel (Akkadian: 𒅆𒅗𒇻, romanized: šiqlu, siqlu; Ugaritic: 𐎘𐎖𐎍, romanized: ṯiql, Hebrew: שקל, romanized: šeqel, plural Hebrew: שקלים, romanized: šəqālim, Phoenician: 𐤔𐤒𐤋) is an ancient Mesopotamian coin, usually of silver. A shekel was first a unit of weight of a value that varied over time and by issuing authority. It was also used in ancient Tyre, Carthage, Philistia and Hasmonean Judea.