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A tax or tribute (q.v.) of half a shekel was annually paid by every adult Jew for the temple. It had to be paid in Jewish coin (Matthew 22:17-19; Mark 12:14, 15). Money-changers (q.v.) were necessary, to enable the Jews who came up to Jerusalem at the feasts to exchange their foreign coin for Jewish money; but as it was forbidden by the law to carry on such a traffic for emolument (Deuteronomy 23:19, 20), our Lord drove them from the temple (Matthew 21:12: Mark 11:15).

•CUTHAH one of the Babylonian cities or districts from which Shalmaneser transplanted certain colonists to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Some have conjectured that the “Cutheans” were identical with the “Cossaeans” who inhabited the hill-country to the north of the river Choaspes. Cuthah is now identified with Tell Ibrahim, 15 miles north-east of Babylon.

•CUTTING the flesh in various ways was an idolatrous practice, a part of idol-worship (Deuteronomy 14:1; 1 Kings 18:28). The Israelites were commanded not to imitate this practice (Leviticus 19:28; 21:5; Deuteronomy 14:1). The tearing of the flesh from grief and anguish of spirit in mourning for the dead was regarded as a mark of affection (Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; 48:37).

Allusions are made in Revelation (13:16; 17:5; 19:20) to the practice of printing marks on the body, to indicate allegiance to a deity. We find also references to it, through in a different direction, by Paul (Galatians 6; 7) and by Ezekiel (9:4). (See HAIR.)

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