Yes, there was definitely money before Christ. In fact, money predates Christianity by a significant amount of time.
Here's a brief timeline:
* Barter System (Before 6000 BC): Before money, people used a barter system, exchanging goods and services directly.
* Commodity Money (Around 6000 BC): Over time, certain commodities became widely accepted as a medium of exchange. These included things like livestock, grains, and salt.
* Metal Money (Around 5000 BC): Metals like copper, bronze, silver, and gold began to be used as money due to their durability, portability, and divisibility.
* Standardized Coins (Around 600 BC): The first standardized coins were created in Lydia (modern-day Turkey). These coins had a fixed weight and were stamped with a symbol to guarantee their value.
Money in the Ancient World:
Many ancient civilizations used money long before the birth of Christ, including:
* Mesopotamia: Used silver as a medium of exchange.
* Egypt: Used grain and metal (copper, silver, and gold).
* Greece: Developed its own coinage system.
* Rome: Used bronze, silver, and gold coins extensively. Their currency influenced trade and economics throughout the Roman Empire.
Since Jesus Christ is generally considered to have been born around 4 BC to 6 BC, the concept of money was already well established for thousands of years.