Israeli Lira

The Israeli lira (Israeli pound) became the state's currency in 1952, divided into 1,000 prutot. In 1960 it was re-divided into 100 agorot, a decimal simplification that retired the tiny pruta. The Academy of the Hebrew Language chose the word agora from 1 Samuel 2:36, where the descendants of the priest Eli will come begging "for a piece of silver" (agorat kesef), continuing the practice of reviving biblical money words for modern use.

The lira itself kept a foreign name, from the Latin libra, and a later law ordered it replaced with the Hebrew sheqel. The agora survived every later reform: the sheqel of 1980 was divided into 100 new agorot, and the new Israeli sheqel of 1985 still uses agorot today.