Measurements in the Bible

When I read the Bible, and come across measurements, I'm always curious about them.

I find it helpful to learn about them, that way when I read the Bible, I can imagine the size of what I'm reading about.

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For example, when the Bible tells about the manna the Israelites picked up by the omer-full, if you imagine taking a 2 quart pitcher outside and picking up little seeds, you can get a feel of what they went through. I think it would have taken quite a bit of time to pick up that much manna.










Here are a few of the most commonly used measurements mentioned in the Bible and their approximate equivalents:

shekel - .4 ounces - was also used as money
talent - 3,000 shekels - 75 pounds

handbreadth - 3 inches
span - 3 handbreadths - 9 inches
cubit - 18 inches

omer - 2 quarts
ephah - 10 omers - 20 quarts

hin - 1 gallon -
bath - 1 ephah - about 6 gallons


Here are a few websites if you want to learn more about the measurements in the Bible:

Weights and Measures
Bible Weights and Measures
Online Bible Dictionary Measurements