thirty pieces of silver

Cultural  

1. The money Judas Iscariot received for betraying Jesus to the authorities. He later threw the money into the Temple of Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem), and the chief priests bought the “potter's field” with it, to be used as a cemetery for foreigners.

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“Thirty pieces of silver” is also used proverbially to refer to anything paid or given for a treacherous act.

This money is referred to as “blood money” — money received for the life of another human being.

Example Sentences

“Although I am rather hungry, and you have, after all, just sold a memento of my childhood for thirty pieces of silver, so to speak.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

A secret voice, which she could not silence, told her: Helen will not sell her soul for thirty pieces of silver, nor for so many millions, nor for anything in the world.

From Problematic Characters A Novel by Spielhagen, Friedrich

But when they crucified "the Master" on Golgotha, he repented him of what he had done and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the Priests.

From Tales From J?kai by J?kai, M?r

And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver!

From An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by Greenleaf, Simon

So they weighed as my wages thirty pieces of silver.

From Studies in Zechariah by Gaebelein, Arno C.