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Topic: A different kind of coin probability (Read 341 times) |
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Prutoh
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A different kind of coin probability
« on: May 27th, 2004, 12:06pm » |
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I have an unusual question, and I thought you guys seem to be just the sort who could actually figure it out.
I have an ancient coin, minted in Judea around the time Christ was born. Coins stayed in circulation until they were completely worn out, so let's say it was still in use at the time he died. What is the probability that it passed through his hands at some time in his life, or the hands of one of his 12 disciples?
Think of it like one of those Microsoft questions where if you don't all the necessary information you'll just have to make some educated guesses. Your job depends on this. What's your answer?
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towr
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #1 on: May 27th, 2004, 1:34pm » |
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If it's a roman coin, there's a decent chance they would never have touched it (because the jews of that time weren't exactly fond of the romans, nor their money.)
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evergreena3
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #2 on: May 27th, 2004, 1:52pm » |
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"Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's, but give unto the Lord what is the Lord's." - Matthew 22:21.
Besides...Judas was VERY much into the coinage, as he was the treasurer. If any of the Apostles had handeled a coin, it would have been Judas.
Also, methinks that if a coin was minted in Judea, it would be a Jewish coin, used as a tribute at the temple. Each of the Apostles would have paid the tribute, as they were all good Jews (including Jesus).
I'll stop there.
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Icarus
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #3 on: May 27th, 2004, 7:26pm » |
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It would help to know what type of coin it is. Denarii were the most common coin, I think. They bible also mentions the drachma and the stater (the latter being worth 4 drachma). The only other coin mentioned directly in the new testament (to my knowledge) is the "cent" the poor woman placed in the treasury. What the actual denomination of this coin was, I am too lazy to look up.
But without this information, I can say this: the disciples were never rich. Given the local nature of the ministry of Jesus, and the fact that Christianity was a small minority religion during the life spans of the Apostles, we can expect that the total amount of money directly handled by the Apostles or Jesus was modest in nature (considerably more would have passed through the churches, but the Apostles themselves left the distribution of monies to others). Since most wealth was hoarded in coinage and other precious items in those days, a large amount of coinage saw little circulation.
I.e., I would guess that the probability of your coin having been physically touched by any of these 13 men to be highly unlikely, though certainly not impossible.
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #4 on: May 27th, 2004, 9:01pm » |
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What about talents. Didn't somebody hide their talents under a basket?
But, if the coin was minted in Judea around the time of Christ's birth, and has survived and found its way into your possesion, that's a miracle!!! So, maybe it picked up its miraculous properties because it was handled by Jesus himself. Now, with this coin, what good works can you continue?
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Prutoh
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #5 on: May 27th, 2004, 10:51pm » |
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The coin is a prutoh, a very small denomination coin minted by Herod the Great, and much more common than the silver denarius.
Please note that I wasn't actually thinking that it was once held by Jesus, just wondering about the probabilities.
For instance, suppose you figure a typical coin changed hands once a week. In 30 years it would pass through 1500 hands. Of course, he probably didn't handle much money as a child, and some of those 1500 hands were repeats. That could bring it down to 500 people out of a population of, I have no idea, let's say 1 million. So make it 1 out of 2000. If we include the disciples, 1 out of 200 roughly?
How would your own thought processes take the question? Different figures? Estimate the number of coins an average person handled in his lifetime and the total number of coins likely in circulation?
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Prutoh
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #6 on: May 27th, 2004, 10:55pm » |
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Oh, and the widow's mite or widow's cent was a lepton, which might be another name for the prutoh, or at least very similar in value.
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Prutoh
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Re: A different kind of coin probability
« Reply #7 on: May 27th, 2004, 10:59pm » |
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Hmm, my memory slipped up, It's a prutah or plural prototh. I was close.
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