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A poor box, alms box, offertory box, or mite box is a box that is used to collect coins for charitable purposes. They can be found in most Christian churches built before the 19th century and were the main source of funds for poor relief.

Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the Lenten season. The mite boxes are collected by the church, and the donations are given to the poor. Mite boxes are popular with children because they can fill them with small change, teaching them the principle of giving alms to the poor. The Mite box promotes the spirit of contributing based on the intent to help others, and not on the monetary amount.

History

The origin of the mite box is very old. In 2 Kings 12:9, the priest Jehoiada bored a hole in the lid of a chest and placed it near the first altar.^[1] However, this was to fund maintenance rather than alms.

Pope Innocent III, at the end of the twelfth century, allowed some mite boxes to be placed in churches so that the faithful people could at any time dispose their alms.^[1]

Many Catholic parish churches in Ireland have two collection boxes, one "for the church" and the other "for the poor". The Irish lower courts also have a court poor box, where a judge can direct a defendant to make a donation to a charity in lieu of a conviction.^[2]

Mite

The term mite, according to the dictionary^[which?], is defined as any of the following:

a very small contribution or amount of money, such as a widow's mite.
a very small object, creature, or particle.
a coin of very small value, especially an obsolete British coin worth half a farthing.

An alms box is a strong chest or box often fastened to the wall of a church to receive offerings for the poor.

The etymology of the word mite comes through Middle English and Middle Dutch from the Middle Low German mīte, a small Flemish coin or tiny animal. In biblical times, a mite or lepton was a small coin of almost no worth.

References

^ ^a ^b Vicenç Joaquín Bastús i Carrera (1828). Diccionario histórico enciclopédico. Imp. Roca. pp. 457–. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
^ "Court Poor Box". Citizens Information. Citizens Information Board. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.

[Carrera1828-1] Vicenç Joaquín Bastús i Carrera (1828). Diccionario histórico enciclopédico. Imp. Roca. pp. 457–. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

[2] "Court Poor Box". Citizens Information. Citizens Information Board. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.

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+{{Short description|Box used to collect coins for charitable purposes}}
 [[Image:Opferstock Ladenburg St Gallus-Kirche.JPG|thumb|250px|Mite box in the St.-Gallus-Kirche in [[Ladenburg]], Germany]]
-A '''poor box''', '''alms box''',  '''offertory box''', or '''mite box''' is a box that is used to collect coins for charitable purposes. They can be found in most churches built before the 19th century and were the main source of funds for [[poor relief]] before societies decided to organize the process and make the public authorities responsible for this.
+A '''poor box''', '''alms box''',  '''offertory box''', or '''mite box''' is a box that is used to collect coins for charitable purposes. They can be found in most [[Christian]] churches built before the 19th century and were the main source of funds for [[poor relief]].
-Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the [[Lenten]] season.  The mite boxes are collected by the church, and the donations are given to the poor.  Mite boxes are popular with children because they can fill them with small change, teaching them the principle of giving to the poor.  The Mite box giving promotes the spirit of contributing based on the intent to help others and not on the monetary amount.
+Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the [[Lenten]] season.  The mite boxes are collected by the church, and the donations are given to the poor. Mite boxes are popular with children because they can fill them with small change, teaching them the principle of [[Almsgiving|giving alms to the poor]]. The Mite box promotes the spirit of contributing based on the intent to help others, and not on the monetary amount.
 == History ==
-The origin of the ''mite box'' is very old. In 2 [[Books of Kings|Kings]] 12:9, the priest Jehoiada bored a hole in the lid of a [[Chest (furniture)|chest]] and placed it near the first [[altar]], <ref name="Carrera1828">{{cite book|author=Vicenç Joaquín Bastús i Carrera|title=Diccionario histórico enciclopédico|url=https://books.google.com/books?pg=PA457&dq=diccionario&id=3C4yKPt6Il0C&hl=es&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=6 April 2013|year=1828|publisher=Imp. Roca|pages=457–}}</ref> however this was to fund maintenance rather than alms.
+The origin of the ''mite box'' is very old. In 2 [[Books of Kings|Kings]] 12:9, the priest [[Jehoiada]] bored a hole in the lid of a [[Chest (furniture)|chest]] and placed it near the first [[altar]].<ref name="Carrera1828">{{cite book|author=Vicenç Joaquín Bastús i Carrera|title=Diccionario histórico enciclopédico|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3C4yKPt6Il0C&dq=diccionario&pg=PA457|accessdate=6 April 2013|year=1828|publisher=Imp. Roca|pages=457–}}</ref> However, this was to fund maintenance rather than alms.
-[[Pope Innocent III]], at the end of the twelfth century, allowed ''some'' '''mite boxes''' to be placed in churches so that the faithful people may at any time dispose their alms.<ref name="Carrera1828"/>
+[[Pope Innocent III]], at the end of the twelfth century, allowed some mite boxes to be placed in churches so that the faithful people could at any time dispose their alms.<ref name="Carrera1828"/>
+Many [[Roman Catholicism in Ireland|Catholic parish churches in Ireland]] have two collection boxes, one "for the church" and the other "for the poor". The Irish lower courts also have a ''court poor box'', where a judge can direct a defendant to make a donation to a charity in lieu of a conviction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/criminal-law/criminal-trial/court-poor-box/ |title=Court Poor Box |date=17 January 2022 |website=Citizens Information |publisher=Citizens Information Board |access-date=9 July 2023 }}</ref>
 ==Mite==
 [[Image:widowsmite.jpg|thumb|250px|A bronze [[Lesson of the widow's mite|Widow's Mite]] or [[Greek lepton|Lepton]], minted by Alexander Jannaeus, King of [[Judea|Judaea]], 103–76 B.C. obverse: anchor upside-down in circle, reverse: star of eight rays.]]
-The term ''mite,'' according to the dictionary{{which?|date=April 2017}}, is defined as any of the following:
+The term ''mite,'' according to the dictionary{{which|date=April 2017}}, is defined as any of the following:
 # a very small contribution or amount of money, such as a widow's mite.
 # a very small object, creature, or [[particle]].
-# a coin of very small value, especially an obsolete British coin worth half a [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]].
+# a coin of very small value, especially an obsolete [[British Empire|British]] coin worth half a [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]].
 An alms box is a strong chest or box often fastened to the wall of a church to receive offerings for the poor.
-The etymology of the word mite comes through [[Middle English]] and [[Middle Dutch]] from the [[Middle Low German]] ''mīte,'' a small [[Flanders|Flemish]] coin or tiny animal.  In [[biblical]] times a mite or [[Greek lepton|lepton]] was a small coin of almost no worth.
+The etymology of the word mite comes through [[Middle English]] and [[Middle Dutch]] from the [[Middle Low German]] ''mīte,'' a small [[Flanders|Flemish]] coin or tiny animal. In [[biblical]] times, a mite or [[Greek lepton|lepton]] was a small coin of almost no worth.
 == See also ==
-*[[Lutheran Women's Missionary League]]
-*[[Lesson of the widow's mite]]
 *[[Alexander Jannaeus#Coinage|Coinage of Alexander Jannaeus, King of Judea]]
+*[[Lesson of the widow's mite]]
+*[[Lutheran Women's Missionary League]]
+*[[Tzedakah box]]
 == References  ==
+{{Reflist}}
-<references />
+{{Authority control}}
-[[Category:Alms]]
+[[Category:Alms in Christianity]]
 [[Category:Containers]]
 [[de:Gotteskasten]]