▁a ▁discussion ▁between ▁Jesus ▁and ▁Peter ▁about ▁payment ▁of ▁the ▁tax es ▁lev ied ▁by ▁the ▁" k ings ▁of ▁the ▁earth ", ▁and ▁the ▁mi racle ▁according ▁to ▁which ▁Peter ▁finds ▁a ▁stat er ▁( ), ▁in ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁a ▁fish , ▁which ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁tax ▁due ▁for ▁both ▁of ▁them . ▁The ▁stat er ▁" was ▁reck oned ▁as ▁equal ▁to ▁four ▁dra ch m æ , ▁and ▁would ▁therefore ▁pay ▁the ▁did rach ma ▁both ▁for ▁Peter ▁and ▁his ▁Master ". ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁" tem ple " ▁does ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁this ▁text ▁and ▁the ▁illustr ation ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁passage ▁refers ▁to ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁royal ▁and ▁not ▁religious ▁tax ation , ▁prompt ing ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁temple ▁tax ▁or ▁a ▁national ▁tax . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Roman ▁attempt ▁to ▁halt ▁pay ments ▁of ▁the ▁tax ▁was ▁made ▁long ▁before ▁the ▁Jewish ▁War ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁custom s ▁controls . ▁The ▁Senate ▁had ▁forb idden ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁gold ▁and ▁silver , ▁but ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁Italy ▁continued ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁Temple ▁tax . ▁In ▁ 6 2 ▁B CE ▁L . ▁Val er ius ▁F la cc us , ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Asia , ▁issued ▁an ▁ed ict ▁forb idd ing ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁his ▁province ▁from ▁sending ▁the ▁tax ▁to ▁Jerusalem . ▁After ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem ▁in ▁ 7 0 ▁AD , ▁a ▁new ▁Roman