"This passage tells of a generous offering to God by a poor widow. Although the amount that she gave was far less than what others gave, Jesus counted her offering as the greatest because she gave all that she had.

"At the time that this occurred, two types of coins were in circulation in Judea: Those minted by the Jews and those minted by the Romans. The Jewish coins in circulation were old coins, minted during the reign of the Hasmonean kings. These coins featured Jewish symbols such as lilies, pomegranates, stars, and barley ears. The Roman coins in circulation were newly minted and featured Roman deities and rulers.

"Although many Jewish people used the Roman coins, those who wished to live a holy lifestyle avoided the use of such coins bearing graven images of false gods. This is likely the reason that the old Hasmonean coins remained in circulation for such a long time.

The two coins which the poor widow placed into the treasury are commonly understood to have been bronze lepta of Alexander Jannaeus, one of the Hasmonean kings. These coins represented the smallest denomination available, and were equivalent to 1/64 of a denarius, which equaled a day’s wages. They featured an anchor on the obverse and a star on the revere.

"The widow was a woman who obeyed God and acted in great faith. She kept the Mosaic law by using coins that did not feature pagan gods. She went to the temple, presumably to worship God, and she gave an offering despite the fact that she had very little to give, entrusting her two little coins to God’s keeping. She trusted God fully to provide for her daily needs. This woman’s offering is a lasting tribute to her faith and an example for other to follow.

"This passage also tells us how God views offerings. Jesus saw people giving large amounts of money, but he was not impressed. What caught his attention was the poor widow giving all that she had. This teaches us that God knows the heart of the giver and knows exactly how generous that person is, regardless of the amount of money given."

(This information provided by Zak Mishriky of Zak's Antiquities in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. For more information or to browse jewelry for sale check out the website below.)