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Bible Dictionaries
Tables of Measures Weights and Money in the Bible
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or These tables are based upon the latest and highest authorities, as Schrader, Brandis and F. W. Madden (Jewish Coinage and Money), Whitehouse and Bissell. Updates to the monetary values were added by Josh Bond on 3/28/2012.
I. MEASURE OF LENGTH
| ft. | in. | |
| Digit, or finger. Jeremiah 52:21,. | 79/100 | |
| 4 digits =1 palm. Exodus 26:25, | 3 17/100 | |
| 3 palms = 1 span. Exodus 28:16, | 9 52/100 | |
| 2 spans = 1 cubit. Genesis 6:15, | ||
| 4 cubits=1 fathom. Acts 27:28, | ||
| 6 cubits = 1 Teed. Ezekiel 40:3; Ezekiel 40:5, | ||
| 1 Roman foot, | 11 64/100 | |
| 5 Roman feet = 1 Roman pace, | 10 ¼ | |
| 6¼ Roman ft. = 6 Greek ft. = Greek fathom, | 81/100 | |
| 625 Roman ft. = 1 furlong (Greek stadium), . | 606 | |
| 1 Roman mile = about 9/10 of an English mile, | 4854 | |
| 15 furlongs = Sabbath day's journey. Compare John 11:18 with Acts 1:12. |
2. MEASURE OF CAPACITY (Dry)
| pks. | pts. | |
| 1 4/5 kab (cab) = 1 omer, | 5 | |
| 6 " 3⅓ omers = 1 seah, | ||
| 18 " 3 seah = 1 ephah, | ||
| 180 " 10 ephahs = 1 homer or kor |
3. MEASURE OF CAPACITY (Liquid)
| gals. | qts. | pts. |
| 1 log, Leviticus 14:10,.. about | 4/5 | |
| 4 logs = 1 cab (kab),.. " | 3⅓ | |
| 3 kabs == 1 hin. Exodus 30:24, " | ||
| 2 hins = 1 seah,... " | ||
| 3 seahs = 1 bath or ephah, 1 Kings 7:26,... " | ||
| 10 ephahs=1 kor or homer. Ezekiel 45:14,...." | 75 |
4. WEIGHT (Troy)
| lbs. | oz. | grs. | |||
| 1 gerah. | Exodus 30:13, | 12 65/100 | |||
| 10 gerahs | = 1 bekah. | Exodus 38:26, | 126 ½ |
| lbs. | oz. | grs. | |
| 2 bekahs = 1 shekel. Genesis 23:15. | ½ | ||
| 60 shekels = 1 maneh. Ezekiel 45:12 | 9, | 300 | |
| 60 manehs = Kikkar (Heb. Kikkar. Exodus 25:29); or king's talent, | 158 | 240 |
5. SILVER MONEY
(According to Bissell's Bib. Antiq.)
[An inflation calculator, using the US government's numbers, shows you should multiply each value below by 24 to see today's value. So $.03 in 1900 equals about $.72 today. That estimate is probably on the low side since the US government is not intelectually honest with inflation numbers.]
| cents. | |
| 1 gerah = | .03 65/100 |
| 10 gerahs = 1 bekah, | .36 ½ |
| 2 bekahs = 1 shekel, | .73 |
| 60 shekels = 1 maneh, | $43.80 |
| 50 manehs = 1 talent, | $2190.00 |
| (According to Madden and Whitehouse.—Old Testament period.) |
| 1 shekel (holy shekel), | .64 |
| 50 shekels = 1 maneh or mina, | $32.00 |
| 60 manehs or minas = 1 talent, | 1920.00 |
6. GOLD MONEY (Troy oz. = $19.47 6/10)
[NOTE: As of 3/28/2012, the price of gold is $1,650. $20 was a lot of money when this text was written, fairly comparable to today's $1,650 price of gold. You can multiply the prices below by 85 to arrive at today's values. An inflation calculator, using the US government's numbers, shows you should multiply each value below by 24 to see today's value. So $5.35 in 1900 equals about $128.13 today. That estimate is probably on the low side since the US government is not intelectually honest with inflation numbers]
According to Bissell.
| 1 shekel (gold), | $5.35 |
| 100 shekels = 1 maneh, | 535.00 |
| 100 manehs = 1 talent, | 53,500.00 |
| (According to Madden and Whitehouse.—Old Testament period?) |
| 1 shekel, | $9.60 |
| 50 shekels = 1 maneh or mina, | 480.60 |
| 60 manehs or minas = 1 talent, | 28,800.00 |
7. ROMAN COPPER MONEY
(New Testament period, coins were:)
| 1 lepton = 1 mite, | about 1/8 ct. |
| 2 leptons or mites = 1 quadrans, (the farthing of Matthew 5:26), | |
| 4 quadrans = 1 as, (the farthing of Matthew 10:29), | " 1 ct. |
(The "as" of N. T. times was much reduced from the earlier coin of that denomination.)
8. SILVER GREEK AND ROMAN MONEY
(According to Madden and Whitehouse.—New Testament Period.)
[An inflation calculator, using the US government's numbers, shows you should multiply each value below by 24 to see today's value. So $.03 in 1900 equals about $.72 today. That estimate is probably on the low side since the US government is not intelectually honest with inflation numbers.]
| 1 denarius = 1 "penny" (Matthew 22:16;) drachma or 16 ases, | cents. about .16 |
| 2 denarii or drachmas = didrachma, | " .32 |
| 4 drachmas = stater or shekel, | .64 |
| 30 shekels (Attic) = 1 mina or | $19.10 |
| 60 minas or shekels = 1 talent (Attic), | 1,146.00 |
| 1 denarius "penny " = 1 drachma | = .18 3/10 |
| 2 denarii = didrachma (½ shekel) | = .36 6/10 |
| 4 " = 2 didrachma (shekel) | = .73 8/10 |
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Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Tables of Measures Weights and Money in the Bible'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/t/tables-of-measures-weights-and-money-in-the-bible.html. 1893.
