What are Shekels?

Shekels are the Israeli unit of currency which are decorated with images of plants and nonhuman likenesses in keeping with Jewish law which forbids graven images. Shekels are the only form of money accepted in the Temple for paying annual taxes and purchasing animals for ritual sacrifice, but the exchange rates are unfair. Jesus first enters the public sphere when he chides the money changes for defiling his father’s house and overturns their tables.