As Li carefully examined the ancient, mottled bronze coin, the ruins before his eyes seemed to come back to life. A scene from the heyday of the Roman empire played out before him: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's," was the wise reply of Jesus to a questioner wondering if the devout should pay taxes.
李念祖拿起那一枚古老斑駁的青銅幣細細端詳，眼前的遺址似乎瞬間復活了起來，當年羅馬帝國盛極一時的景象在他眼前重現，「讓上帝的歸上帝，凱撒的歸凱撒」，這句耶穌面對質疑「教徒要不要納稅？」時的睿智回答，彷彿又從古老錢幣鈐文中浮現出來。