Easter Blessings for Holy Week: The Importance of the Meager Roman Coins

Roman Coins are Very Cool Reminders for Daily Living

 
Recently found a gorgeous jewelry line that compelled me to stop and reflect on how to live life more like Jesus asked us to. The Roman coin jewelry collection has a lot of antiquity and may be one of the few pieces of history that can be owned for a reasonable price that was used during the time of Jesus. The jewelry line features bronze Roman coins found in a treasure from the Sea of Galilee.

There was a long drought which brought on the discovery of a boat. There’s something special about this line… it makes my heart beat with joy and excitement to think of having an opportunity to actually procure a piece of history that was touched by people who knew of Jesus in His time and perhaps even saw him.
 

Roman Coins Brought a New Level of Appreciation for the Living Jesus

Can’t think of a better way to remember the vitality of Jesus’ life; from the parables to the deeds to the miracles. Almost love this more than the cross. Of course, the cross is a remembrance that someone loved me and you enough to die for our sins. Yet, the Roman coins elicit thoughts of how Jesus lived and the choices he made that inspires me to be more cognizant of my thoughts, words and deeds. The Roman coin jewelry somehow brings to mind the loving, breathing person in Jesus. It’s exciting.
 

Although it is common to view in museums, it is a rare opportunity to actually hold an object of this age and importance in your hands. These coins typically circulated for very long periods and most specimens became worn smooth. It is because of the discovery of an ancient hoard that a limited number of coins of this superb level of presentation are available.
 

The jewelry pieces that hold the Roman coins are simple, yet elegant. The 925 sterling silver settings for the coins are hand-designed and hand-crafted allowing for the coin to take center stage. The designer who makes the bronze Roman Widow’s Mite coin jewelry finds the perfect Prutah to fit into the bezel. It is their mission is to help inspire and share the beauty and history of ancient coins with other art and history enthusiasts. Each coin is different and has survived hundreds to thousands of years from the time it was minted. The coins we used are all authentic and certified. The coins are carefully cleaned, taking care of their preservation and allowing the quality and uniqueness of each coin to be the centerpiece of the jewelry.
 

Preview of a Few of the Roman Coin Jewelry Collection

 



 
Part of the inspiration these antique coins bring and how they became known world wide is found in Luke 21:3-21:4:
 
Jesus sat down opposite the place where offerings were made and watched as people put their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts, but a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny.
 
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow put more into the treasury than all the others. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
 
This excerpt from Wikipedia explains it well: In the passage immediately prior to Jesus taking a seat opposite the Temple treasury, he is portrayed as condemning religious leaders who feign piety, accept honor from people, and steal from widows. “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”[5]
 

The same religious leaders who would reduce widows to poverty also encourage them to make pious donations beyond their means. In Wright’s opinion, rather than commending the widow’s generosity, Jesus is condemning both the social system that renders her poor, and “… the value system that motivates her action, and he condemns the people who conditioned her to do it.”[4]
 

Palm Sunday and Holy Week leading up to Easter finds many reflecting on the life of Jesus, how he lived and how to emulate the actions of Jesus in their daily lives. There are so many well written articles with deeper views of the story of the Widow’s Mite coins. The website ‘Got Questions, Your Questions, Biblical Answers‘ in an article entitled What does Jesus want us to learn from what He said about the widow’s mite?
 

The article shares three points about what we learn from the small Leptons (Roman coins aka Widow’s Mites), which were such of a small denomination it is said each was about six minutes pay for labor. The article ends with this provocative paragraph: It is interesting that, just before Jesus commented on the widow’s mite, He commented on the scribes “who devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40). The religious officials of the day, instead of helping the widows in need, were perfectly content to rob them of their livelihood and inheritance. The system was corrupt, and the darkness of the scribes’ greed makes the widow’s sacrifice shine even more brightly.
 
Jesus fought back about this inequity. He was vocal regarding the corrupt and greedy. Loving with the kind, the downtrodden and put his beliefs into actions. See how powerful the Roman coin jewelry is? It truly brings the ambiance of a vital man and his ability to see something so small as being so large. Hence, these small hand-minted coins, handed down from history allow us to bond with a spiritual deepening in ourselves. What a wonderful surprise and blessing.

What Led to Finding the Roman Coins?

This is an awesome article detailing the boat that was found during the long drought. It is entitled, Galilee Yields Ancient Treasure: 2000-Year-Old Craft Matches Description of Peter’s Boat A first century boat was found that matches the measurements of the boat Jesus, Peter, James and John were on. The boat’s historical significance is incredible; hope one day to see it. In the mean time, however am thrilled with the bronze Roman coin jewelry; it is such of a wonderful connection to Jesus.

Tagged bronze roman coin, Jesus, Jesus at the temple, leptons, prutah, roman coins, sea of galilee, widows mite