Shekel (Also Spelled "Sheqel")

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SHEKEL (also spelled "sheqel")

Anciently, a Hebrew word designating the donation that was due to the Temple, and also a unit of weight corresponding to less than half an ounce. Currently it is the name of the national money of the State of Israel, the New Israel Shekel (NIS), which was introduced in 1985. This replaced the "old" shekel, which in 1980 had replaced the Israeli pound, at a rate of one NIS per thousand. As of September 2004, the exchange rate was about 4.48 NIS per U.S. dollar and 5.51 NIS per Euro.