Ancient units of weight and currency used in the Middle East, particularly among Hebrew and other Semitic peoples. In modern usage, it refers to Israeli currency or colloquially to money in general.
From Hebrew 'sheqel', derived from the root 'shaqal' meaning 'to weigh'. The word reflects the ancient practice of weighing precious metals to determine value before standardized coinage, dating back to around 3000 BCE.
The shekel was one of humanity's first standardized units of measurement, appearing in cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia! Interestingly, the phrase 'shekels' as slang for money has crossed into many languages and cultures, even among people who've never used actual shekel currency.
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