How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars?

A shekel is a unit of weight, roughly equal to 10.5 grams. In 2010 a gram of silver was worth just under 50 cents. This would make a shekel worth about five dollars.

However, some sources suggest that silver was a much more valuable metal in the ancient Middle East than it is today. A shekel of silver may have been much more valuable - perhaps worth as much as 80 dollars for one shekel of silver.