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Jan 14, 2024 · The shekel was an ancient unit of weight and currency used throughout the Middle East, including in ancient Israel. If you’re looking for a quick answer, the value of a biblical shekel is difficult to pin down exactly, but estimates range from around 10-16 grams of silver.
Shekel. weight, the common standard both of weight and value among the Hebrews. It is estimated at 220 English grains, or a little more than half an ounce avoirdupois. The "shekel of the sanctuary" ( Exodus 30:13; Numbers 3:47) was equal to twenty gerahs ( Ezekiel 45:12).
The major weight of metal mentioned in the Bible is the shekel, as its name, which means simply "weight," testifies. Since the shekel was the definite weight, an expression such as "1,000 silver" ( Genesis 20:16 ) can be explained as 1,000 shekels of silver, and the name of the weight is omitted since it is self-explanatory.
- History of The Shekel
- The Shekel Coin
- Shekel Metals
- Sources
Hebrew weights were never a precise system of measurement. Weights were used on a balance scale to weigh out silver, gold, and other goods. These weights varied from region to region and often according to the type of goods for sale. Before BC 700, the system of weights in ancient Judea was based on the Egyptian system. Sometime around BC 700, the ...
Eventually, the shekel became a coined piece of money. According to the later Jewish system, six gold shekels were equal in value to 50 silver ones. In Jesus’ day, the mina and the talent were considered huge sums of money. According to New Nave's Topical Bible, one who possessed five talents of gold or silver was a multimillionaire by today's stan...
The Biblementions shekels of various metals: 1. In 1 Chronicles 21:25, shekels of gold: “So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site” (ESV). 2. In 1 Samuel9:8, a silver shekel: “The servant answered Saul again, ‘Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way’ ” (ESV)....
“The Enigma of the Shekel Weights of the Judean Kingdom.” Biblical Archaeologist: Volume 59 1-4, (p. 85).“Weights and Measures.” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 1665).“Weights and Measures.” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Dictionary (Vol. 2, p. 2137).Manners and Customs of the Bible (p. 162).Jan 4, 2022 · Answer. Exodus 30:13 speaks of a shekel of the sanctuary, stating, “Each one who crosses over to those already counted [in the census] is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.”
Shekel came into the English language via the Hebrew Bible, where it is first used in Genesis 23. The term "shekel" has been used for a unit of weight, around 9.6 or 9.8 grams (0.31 or 0.32 ozt), used in Bronze Age Europe for balance weights and fragments of bronze that may have served as money.
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Aug 28, 2024 · The shekel is modern Israeli currency, but did you know its roots are in the land & language of the Bible? Learn more about the shekel here.