In the temple precincts, money-changers provided an essential service: exchanging various currencies into the Tyrian silver required for the temple tax and converting large coins into smaller denominations suitable for purchasing sacrificial animals. However, this legitimate function had become corrupted, with money-changers apparently charging excessive rates and turning the Court of the Gentiles into a marketplace rather than a house of prayer. Jesus' dramatic action of overturning the money-changers' tables (Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15, John 2:15) challenged both the economic exploitation and the displacement of Gentile worship space.