Bible Dictionary
Treasury
The temple treasury referred to the collection chests in the court of the women, commonly called trumpets because of their shape. Worshipers placed required and voluntary offerings there.
Definition
The temple treasury was the collection of offering chests in the temple, especially the thirteen brazen chests shaped like trumpets. Worshipers placed required payments and voluntary offerings into them.
Biblical Usage
Jesus observed people giving money into the treasury. The chests stood in the outer court of the women and received temple tribute, sacrifice payments, and freewill offerings.
Historical Background
There was apparently no separate building called the treasury. The name referred either to the chests themselves or, possibly, to the court containing them.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Matt. 27:6; Mark 12:41; John 8:20). It does not appear that there was a separate building so called. The name was given to the thirteen brazen chests, called “trumpets,” from the form of the opening into which the offerings of the temple worshippers were put. These stood in the outer “court of the women.” “Nine chests were for the appointed money-tribute and for the sacrifice-tribute, i.e., money-gifts instead of the sacrifices; four chests for freewill-offerings for wood, incense, temple decoration, and burnt-offerings” (Lightfoot’s Hor. Heb.).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1) a name given by the rabbins to thirteen chests in the temple, called trumpets from their shape. They stood in the court of the women. It would seem probable that this court was sometimes itself called “the treasury” because it contained these repositories.