095 Scripture Weights, Measures and Coins
Scripture Weights, Measures and Coins vWEIGHTS. A Shekel weighed about ½ ounce, avoirdupois. A Maneh weighed about 3 pounds 2 ounces, avoirdupois. A Talent weighed about 93 pounds 12 ounces, avoirdupois. A Gerah weighed about 11 grains. A Bekah weighed about 110 grains.
[These must only be regarded as an approximation to current weights. Authorities are not at all agreed.]
Amongst the most ancient forms of commerce was that practiced by Abraham, who bought the field of Ephron, containing the cave of Machpelah, for a burying-place for himself and family, for four hundred shekels of silver, estimated according to weight; not necessarily of one size. Buying and selling by weight, and not by current money, is still extensively practiced in certain parts of the world. vMEASURES OF LENGTHS. A Cubit (common) about 18 inches; holy cubit, about 21 inches. A Span, about 10 inches. A Hand-breadth, about 3½ inches. A Fathom, about 6½ feet. A Measuring Reed, about 11 feet. A Measuring Line, about 146 feet. A Stadium or Furlong, about 1/8th of a mile. A Sabbath day’s journey, considerably less than a mile. An ordinary day’s journey, about 33 miles. An Eastern Mile, about 400 paces (a pace about 5 feet) more than our mile. vMEASURES OF LIQUIDS. The Log, nearly 1 pint. The Hin, nearly 10 pints. The Bath, nearly 7½ gallons, or 60 pints. The Homer or Cor, about 75 gallons, or 600 pints. The Firkin, nearly 7½, gallons. vMEASURES OF DRY GOODS. The Cab, about 2 pints. The Omer, about 6 pints. The Seah or Measure, about 20 pints. The Ephah, about 60 pints. The Homer, about 8 bushels. The Tenth-deal was the tenth part of an Ephah. The Chenixa was the daily allowance for a Roman slave. In Rev.
6: 6, it implies great scarcity, if not a time of positive want and famine. v COINS
Coin | English money about |
A Shekel of Gold A Shekel of Silver A Talent of Gold A Talent of Silver A Daric of Gold A Bekah, or Half-a-Shekel A Gerah, A Maneh, or Mina, A Pound, A Piece of Silver The Dram, or Drachm (Silver), Tribute Money, A Penny, or Denarius A Farthing, or Assarium A Farthing, or Quadrans A Mite, two of these make one Roman Farthing, | £1 0 5464 341 1 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 16 2 5 10 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 | 0 3 6 6 0 1 1/2 1 1/4 0 6 5 7 3/4 3 1/2 7 1/2 1 1/2 0 3/4 0 3/4 |
We would repeat the warning already given not to place implicit confidence in these tables; the whole subject is one of confessed difficulty to Biblical authorities on these matters.