SHELL, Bierman .LALon, 1791-1851; b. Waterford, Ireland; graduated at Trinity college, Dublin; studied law and was called to the bar in 1814. For eight years he occupied himself chiefly in writing several successful dramas, of which The iIuguenot was the best and the least popular. In 1822 was printed the first of his Sketches of the Irish Bac, a keen and witty picture of the life and manners of the time, published collectively in 1855. The same year he joined the " Catholic association," and, in 1825 was sent to oppose its suppression as joint advocate with Daniel O'Connell before parlia, meat. lie soon became known as a political agitator and brilliant orator; was elected to parliament in 1829; aided O'Connell in the repeal agitation, but, changing his posi tion, took office under the Melbourne ministry, and in 1850 was sent to the Tuscan court as British ambassador.
SHEKEL (.•ii•Zos, from ihakci, to weigh) originally a certain standard weight in use among the ancient Hebrews, by which the value of metals, metal vessels, and other things was fixed. Gradually it became a normal piece of money, both in gold and silver, marked in some way or other as a coin, although not stamped. The gifts to the sanctu ary, the fines, the taxes, the prices of merchandise, are all reckoned in the Old Testa ment by the shekel, not counted lint weighed. Three different kinds of mold. silver, and copper shekels are mentioned: the common shekel, the shekel of the sanctuary (probably of double value), and the shekel of royal weight. Besides these, there was a 'half-shekel
(beka), and a fourth shekel. The sacred shekel was equal to 20 gems (beans), and 3,000 sacred shekels made a talent. The gold shekel is reckoned approxunatively to contain 161 Troy grains, the silver shekel 275. During the Babylonian exile, the Persian money was used by the captives; nor do they seem to have afterward used any but dm coin of their foreign rulers. It was first under the Maccabteans that national money began to be struck, adorned with sacred emblems, and with inscriptions in the native language and characters. De Smiley alone assumes, without much show of reason, Jewish coins to have existed from the time of Alexander the great. Simon, the "prince and high-priest," received, according to 1 Mace. xv. 16. the permission from Antwelms VII. to strike coin in 138 BC. The emblems are sacred branches, sheaves, flowers, vases, etc., and the legend (in a pecnliarly archaic ["Samaritan"] alphabet) contains the date, the name of the. Jewish rider, and the inscriptions " Shekel of Israel." " Jerusalem the Holy," "Redemption of Israel." The latest coins with Hebrew inscriptions date from the revolution of Bar Cochba under Hadrian. The of the silver shekel is oned to lie something over two shillings.