TABLES OF TIME, MEASURES, WEIGHTS,
ETC.
SACRED
YEAR. |
|
CIVIL
YEAR. |
Names
and Order of the Hebrew Months. |
|
Names
and Order of the Hebrew Months. |
1. Nisan |
March-April |
|
7.-1. Tizri |
September-October |
2. Zif or Jiar |
April-May |
|
8.-2. Marchesvan |
October-November |
3. Sivan |
May-June |
|
9.-3. Chisleu |
November-December |
4. Thamuz |
June-July |
|
10.-4. Tebeth |
December-January |
5. Ab |
July-August |
|
11.-5. Shebat |
January-February |
6. Elul |
August-September |
|
12.-6. Adar |
February-March |
7. Ethanim or Tizri |
September-October |
|
1.-7. Nisan |
March-April |
8. Marchesvan or Bul |
October-November |
|
2.-8. Zif or Jiar |
April-May |
9. Chisleu |
November-December |
|
3.-9. Sivan |
May-June |
10. Tebeth |
December-January |
|
4.-10. Thamuz |
June-July |
11. Shebat |
January-February |
|
5.-11. Ab |
July-August |
12. Adar |
February-March |
|
6.-12. Elul |
August-September |
13. Ve-Adar or Second Adar |
|
|
|
|
The
Jews reckoned their months according to the moon; and every third year they
added a month, which they called Ve-Adar, in the same way we add a day in every
fourth or leap year.
They
began their civil year in the month of Tizri, or September, according to which
they computed and settled all temporal affairs. But after coming out of Egypt
they began their ecclesiastical year in the month of Nisan, or March, from which
they computed all their great festivals.
Their day was twofold: the natural, consisting of twenty-four hours,
which commenced at sunset; and the natural, beginning at sunrising and
ending at sunset, which was divided into twelve equal parts or hours. See
Joh 11:9.
Their night was divided into four parts or watches, each consisting of three
hours. The first began at sunset; the second at nine o'clock; the third at
midnight; the fourth at three in the morning, and continued until sunrise. These
were sometimes otherwise expressed; viz., even, midnight, cock-crowing,
and the dawn. See Mr 13:35.
The
artificial day was divided into four equal parts. The first began at sunrise,
and continued until nine o'clock; the second began at nine, and continued till
noon; the third began at noon, and ended at three in the afternoon (which is
sometimes termed the ninth hour); the fourth began at three, and continued till
sunset.
A TABLE OF MEASURES.
A
Cubit, somewhat more than one foot nine inches English.
A Span, half a cubit, or nearly eleven inches.
A Hand-breadth, sixth part of a cubit, or a
little more than three inches and a half.
A Fathom, four cubits, about seven feet and three
inches and a half.
A Measuring Reed, six cubits and a hand-breadth,
or nearly eleven feet. The was used in measuring buildings.
A Measuring Line, fourscore cubits, about one
hundred and forty-five feet eleven inches. This was used to measure
grounds; hence the lines are taken figuratively for the inheritance
itself (Ps 16:6). [14]
A Stadium, or Furlong, nearly 146 paces [about
730 feet].
A Sabbath Day's Journey, about 729 paces [about
seven-tenths of a mile].
An Eastern Mile, one mile and 403 paces, English
measure [about one and one third miles].
A Day's Journey, upwards of thirty-three miles
and a half.
NOTE.--A
pace is equal to five feet.
There were different kinds of cubits. The common
cubit, called the cubit of a man, was about eighteen inches (De 3:11).
The king's cubit was three inches longer than the common one. The holy cubit was
a yard, or two common ones.
A TABLE OF WEIGHTS.
A
Shekel, nearly half an ounce, Troy weight.
A Maneh, sixty shekels, about two pounds and a
quarter.
A Talent, three thousand shekels, or 113 pounds,
and upwards of ten ounces.
A TABLE OF MONEY.
A Shekel of Gold,
about |
$8.75 |
A Golden Daric, about |
5.24 |
A Talent of Gold,
about |
26,280.00 |
A Shekel of Silver,
about |
.55 |
A Bekah, half a
shekel, about |
.28 |
A Gerah, twentieth
part of a shekel |
.25 |
A Maneh, or Mina,
fifty shekels |
27.32 |
A Talent of Silver,
3000 shekels, about |
1,639.30 |
A Silver Drachma,
about |
.16 |
Tribute Money, two
drachmas |
.31 |
A Piece of Silver (Stater) |
.62 |
A Pound (Mornai),
100 drachmas |
15.50 |
A Roman Penny (Denarius) |
.16 |
A Farthing (Assarium),
about |
.03 |
Another Farthing (Quadrans),
half the former |
|
A Mite, the half of
this latter |
|
MEASURES OF LIQUIDS.
The
Cor, or Chomer, seventy-five gallons and somewhat above five pints.
The Bath, the tenth of the chomer, or seven
gallons and four pints and and a half.
The Hin, sixtieth of a chomer, about a gallon and
a quart.
The Log, about three-fourths of a pint.
The Firkin (Metretes), somewhat more than
seven pints.
MEASURES OF DRY
THINGS.
The
Cab, somewhat above two pints.
The Omer, above five pints.
The Seah, one peck and about half a pint.
The Ephah, three pecks and about three pints.
The Letech, about four bushels.
The Homer, about eight bushels.
The Choenix (Re 6:6) was the daily
allowance to maintain a slave. It contained about a quart, some say only a pint
and a half. When this measure was sold for a denarius, or Roman penny, corn must
have been above twenty shillings an English bushel, which indicates a scarcity
next to famine. [15]
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