Editing Shekel (section)

{{Short description|Ancient unit of currency}}
{{about|the ancient currency|the present currency of the State of Israel|Israeli new shekel|the Talmudic tractate| Shekalim (Tractate)}}

[[File:Carthage EL shekel 2250013.jpg|thumb|300px|An [[electrum]] [[Carthaginian coinage|Carthaginian shekel]], c. 310–290 BC, bearing the image of [[Tanit]], consort of [[Baal Hammon]]]]
A '''shekel''' or '''sheqel''' ({{langx|akk|𒅆𒅗𒇻|šiqlu, siqlu}}; {{langx|uga|𐎘𐎖𐎍|ṯiql}}, {{langx|he|שקל|šeqel}}, plural {{langx|he|שקלים|šəqālim|link=no}}, {{langx|phn|𐤔𐤒𐤋}}) is an [[Ancient Mesopotamian units of measurement|ancient Mesopotamian coin]], usually of [[silver]]. A shekel was first a unit of weight—very roughly 11 grams (0.35 [[Troy weight|ozt]])—and became currency in [[Tyre, Lebanon|ancient Tyre]], [[Carthage]] and [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean Judea]].