Judaean Prutot /Widow Mites

The Biblical Widow’s Mite is among the most familiar, yet most mysterious, coins of antiquity. Truth be told, we don’t know exactly what it was since there are many issues of the Judaean Prutah. There were many issues which even included those of Pontius Pilate.

Coponius (A.D. 6 to 9)
Marcus Ambibulus (A.D. 9 to 12)
Annius Rufus (A.D. 12 to 15)
Valerius Gratus (A.D. 15 to 26)
Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26 to 36)
Marullus (A.D. 37 to 41)
Cuspius Dadus (A.D. 44 to 46)
Tiberius Alexander (A.D. 46 to 48)
Ventidius Cumanus (A.D. 48 to 54)
Antonius Felix (A.D. 52 to 60)
Porcius Festus (A.D. 60 to 62)
Albinus (A.D. 62 to 64)
Gessius Florus (A.D. 64 to 66)

The New Testament is where the widow’s offering is described in the Gospels of Mark (12:41-44) and Luke (21:1-4).

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a farthing. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

In these memorable passages, the coins are described only as small and copper, with no further details as to their identification. This is not a surprise given the variety of issues of the Prutah. Many assume they may have been issues of the Judaean King Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BC) simply because they are the most common. Certainly, they might have even been those as lat as Pontius Pilate.