Acts 19:17-19 - When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
First, an addendum to yesterday's post. Priscilla and Aquilla are still living in Ephesus when Apollos visits them at their home. It would seem that they settled down there for a while.
I wonder why they (other Ephesians) calculated the value of the stuff they were throwing into a fire. Was it for a tax write-off? Was it just because, as the scrolls kept coming in, someone realized that this was going to be a lot of valuable stuff (money-wise) and decided to see just how much it was worth out of curiosity?
Note that a drachma was about a day's wages. That means that the given value of the trash was about the same as 1 man's wages for 137 years. Or 10 men's wages for almost 14 years.
The point is that the things they once considered valuable now meant nothing and could be tossed into the flames.
I'm curious. Could you please tell me what brought you to this page by mentioning it in a comment? I won't publish the comment, if you ask me not to.
We're studying Acts in our Adult Sunday School class, and I wanted the definition to "50,000 drachmas", which brought me to your page.
ReplyDeleteJust curious about the present-day value of 50K drachmas - the value of occult books that Ephesian believers burned - as a result of a simple beginning with 12 genuine disciples who fully accepted the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION - MUCH APPRECIATED.
That value is apparently difficult to calculate in today's terms. Rather than copy everything here, I'll just refer you to this discussion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_drachma#Value
ReplyDeletein my opinion it doesnt matter how much money that is worth today its what it was worth back in the day what counts
ReplyDeletealmost like what a penny was worth 30 years ago for a gallon of gas ,n now its worthless
thanx for the good info =)
Sounds like you don’t understand how the calculations work. Yes of course pennies are worthless now. That’s why they do these calculations so people can relate easier. $1 thirty years ago is about $3.50 today. That way you know about what it was worth (what it could get you) back then. It’s impossible to relate to old prices if you don’t know what it’s worth today.
DeleteI was just doing my own personal study and was wondering how much 50,000 drachmas was. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found what you were looking for, Mary. Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteIn my daily reading and study, my thoughts wondered... how they calculated the cost, knowing the cost makes it more serious and important to them. Intersting... We can say this about ministries and callings God asks of us.
ReplyDeleteAh, Kristine, a kindred wondering soul! :) Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletei just was looking to see how much "50,000 drachmas" was amounted to for a drachma in acts 19:19 and it had this page up fist on google to look at
ReplyDeleteLike you - I worked out that 50,000 was about 137 years worth of wages. In 2011 average UK yearly wage is £26,000 - therefore - relatively speaking the sum burnt in relative comparison would be like chucking £3.5 million on the bonfire - now that's a seriously level of repentance!
ReplyDeleteAH! I love God! And Jesus! And stuff!!! And the early church!!!! :) HA!! Ok. So, I'm speaking on demons, doing research and at the last second threw in the story about the 7 sons and... I wanted to know exactly how amazing it really was to burn that much... And this might really drive it home to people how REAL this was to people back then... It just might spark a lovely spiritual fire. Thank you!!! (oh- a google search on how much is 50k drachmas)
ReplyDeleteIt is several million dollars wooooo and they burned it. Evil money anyway
ReplyDelete$7.25 (minimum wage in US as of 2013)
ReplyDeletex 8 hours
= $58 (1 day's wages)
x 50,000 (drachmas being roughly a day's wages)
=
$2.9 million
Sorry, Mc, but I don't think that math works.
ReplyDelete$58 = 50,000 drachmas, rather than multiplying it.
I believe one drachma is approximately one days wages:
ReplyDelete"...in the heyday of ancient Greece (the fifth and fourth centuries) the daily wage for a skilled worker or a hoplite[8] was one drachma, and for a heliast (juror) half a drachma since 425 BC"
Found at http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_drachma
My mistake! It's been so long since I wrote about this...I should have reread the whole post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments!
Hi. I was writing a sermon on Acts 19 and googled "fifty thousand drachmas in todays wages"
ReplyDeleteThanks
Very interesting. I am currently looking into the #3 recurring throughout the scriptures. I was trying to figure if the #3 worked its way somehow into the 50, 000.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm looking into the value of the Drachma, if the Bible gives the number...it's for a reason. Like you said, to show us that what was once valuable to those that were throwing it into the fire realized the true value of salvation. A relationship with Christ, there is nothing as valuable as that.
ReplyDeleteI'm preaching on Ac 19 this Sunday. A Google search for the value of 50,000 drachmas led me here. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI'm putting together a children's Bible lesson on Acts 19 for a children's worship class at church. A google search for the value of the 50,000 drachmas led me to your site. Sometimes following Jesus costs us monetary things, but the spiritual things we gain are of far greater value!
ReplyDeleteI used to be heavily involved in the occult and practiced sorcery and read tarot cards and was considered psychic, and when I got saved I got rid of EVERYTHING that had remote connection to occultism. I'm sure the value was several thousand dollars but I wanted no ties to that world any longer. The man who led me to the Lord was amazed at how much I had, but I'd spent 23 years collecting and using stuff for use. So, I think they got rid of all of the scrolls and amassed the worth for themselves to show their commitment to the Lord. It was an incredibly freeing experience.
ReplyDeleteI too read Acts 19 and wanted to know the value. I write Christian books for a living now and do extensive research and wanted to know the answer in case someone asked me or I needed the information.
Thanks!
Leslie Montgomery
I'm studying the book of Acts and wanted to know how much 50,000 drachmas in in American dollars, thanku, for sharing that info on line
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a bible study "The Armor of God" and Acts19 lead me to the same question others are asking. The value of the 50,000 drachmas in current time. I believe I received the answer I needed! Thank you and also I want to thank all the ones who replied as I have found my answer there also.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward currency conversion as this verse was mentioned at church today and.i wondered how much money that would have equated to.
ReplyDeleteJust curiosity. I came from the Bible Hub app
ReplyDeleteThank you for the scope of your info. Reading Acts as part of annual bible read-through. Given the current toxic climate of shaming via social and news media those who don’t hold “correct” beliefs or opinions as well as confrontations that cause physical harm and/or property damage,I was impressed with what wasn’ in the scripture. No mention of shaming or physical attacks. They burned only their OWN property. The info on wages earned in that time and place and your comment on the believers changed perspective of value were appreciated. I would like permission to quote and link back to your blog if I restart my retirementdaze.com blog.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else your post is the first to show when googling the value of the coins.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph: The point is that the things they once considered valuable now meant nothing and could be tossed into the flames."
I just think it should be reiterated that they valued their new relationship with Christ which deemed their old ways null and void enough to toss into the fire.
I got sent an article about an ex-witch demonstrating how Harry Potter books " are an orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment" and she asked what the Bible says about books like these. She then used the following verse of Acts 19:18-20 and I wanted to see how much these books of the time were valued.
ReplyDeleteI am having my own Bible study and I want to know the worth of 50,000 drachma today
ReplyDeleteWas studying Revelation and the Church of Ephesus and came to Acts 19 verse about 50000 drachmas. Much appreciate the info!!
ReplyDelete