The Moneychangers in the Temple

The business of the moneychangers was also very sophisticated. They would sit at little tables and exchange the money which each pilgrim brought to pay for the sacrifices. They paid the moneychangers in Roman coins, who would change it for clean Jewish Temple tokens, since the Jews were not permitted to mint their own silver coins, they could only give out tokens. There was actually a fee to exchange this money for clean Temple tokens. Since the Jews despised the Romans, they used coins from the city of Tyre to pay the half-shekel Temple tax. The moneychanger would sell the half-shekel Tyrian coin for a fee to the person coming to make a sacrifice, not caring about the image of a Phoenician god on the coin. Jesus noticed all the corruption and that the Temple had become a "den of thieves."

"My house shall be called the house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves." Mark 11:17

Illustration of the Temple in Jerusalem
 
Notice the Court of the Gentiles in the Illustration
 

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Psalm 100:1-2

Also see the "moneychangers" doing business

 
Jesus Cleanses the Temple, Jesus Comes to Jerusalem, Jesus Comes to the Temple, Jesus Found Those Doing Business, Sellers of Oxen Sheep and Doves, Jesus Observes the Moneychangers, Jesus Made a Whip of Cords, The Jewish Leaders Arrive, Destroy this Temple,The Prophecy of Malachi, Many Believed on Him