TABLESOFTHE WEIGHTS, MEASURES, AND MONEY,MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.

JEWISH WEIGHTS, REDUCED TO ENGLISH TROY WEIGHT.

According to the bishop of Peterborough’s calculations, the Gerah is nearly equal to 11 grains Troy; the Bekah, to about 4¾ pennyweights; and the Shekel, to about 9⅛ pennyweights.

TABLES OF SCRIPTURE MEASURES OF LENGTH, REDUCED TOENGLISH MEASURE.

TABLES OF SCRIPTURE MEASURES OF LENGTH, REDUCED TO

ENGLISH MEASURE.

SHORT MEASURES.

LONG MEASURES.

TABLES OF SCRIPTURE MEASURES OF CAPACITY.MEASURES FOR LIQUIDS, REDUCED TO ENGLISH WINE MEASURE.

TABLES OF SCRIPTURE MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

MEASURES FOR LIQUIDS, REDUCED TO ENGLISH WINE MEASURE.

The Omer was one-tenth of an Epha, and contained 6 pints; the Metretes of Syria, translated in John ii, 6, “firkins,” 7⅛ pints; and the eastern Cotyla, half a pint. This Cotyla, says the bishop of Peterborough, contains just 10 ounces Averdupois of rain water; the Omer, 100 ounces; the Epha, 1000; and the Chomer, 10,000 ounces. So by these weights all these measures of capacity may be expeditiously recovered to a near exactness.

MEASURES FOR THINGS DRY, REDUCED TO ENGLISH CORN MEASURE.

TABLES OF MONEY.JEWISH MONEY, REDUCED TO THE ENGLISH STANDARD.

TABLES OF MONEY.

JEWISH MONEY, REDUCED TO THE ENGLISH STANDARD.

The bishop of Peterborough makes the Mina Hebraica to contain 60 Shekels, and to weigh 27 oz. 7½ dwts.; which, at 5s.per ounce, will amount to 6l.16s.10½d.; and the Talent of Silver to contain 50 Minæ, which, at 5s., will equal the amount in this table, 342l.3s.9d.

ROMAN MONEY, MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, REDUCED TO THEENGLISH STANDARD.

ROMAN MONEY, MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, REDUCED TO THE

ENGLISH STANDARD.

According to the bishop of Peterborough, the Roman Mite is one-third of our farthing; Quadrans, three-fourths of a farthing; the Assarium, a farthing and a half; and the Assis three farthings.

⁂In the preceding Tables, Silver is valued at 5s., and Gold at £4. per ounce.

Sincethe publication, in 1727, of Dr. Arbuthnot’s “Tables of Ancient Coins, Weights, and Measures,” that celebrated work has been regarded by the best divines as the general standard on these difficult subjects. More recently the bishop of Peterborough has rendered good service to this part of Biblical antiquity by entering into several nice and extensive calculations on the weights and measures mentioned in the Bible, which have, with very few exceptions, confirmed the previous investigations of Dr. Arbuthnot: and as the axiom, “What is new in theology is false,” holds good only in regard to thedoctrinesof Scripture, and not to itsstaticsandnumismatics, no hesitation has been felt in presenting the reader, under each of the preceding Tables, with some of the most important of the results which the bishop has thus obtained.

In the abstruse department of mensuration of superficies, the same learned prelate has also ably demonstrated, thatthe altar of incense, described in Exodus xxx, 2, as consisting of a cubit in length, and a cubit in breadth, and yet “four-square,” contained exactly one square cubit, that is, three English square feet, and about forty-seven square inches;--thatthe table ofshew bread, described in Exodus xxv, 23, as being two cubits long and one broad, and rectangular, contained above six English square feet;--thatthe boards of the tabernacle, described in Exodus xxvi, 16, as ten cubits in length and a cubit and a half in breadth, and rectangular, contained nearly fifty square feet of English measure;--thatthe mercy seat, which Moses is directed to make “two cubits and a half the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof,” Exodus xxv, 17, contained twelve and a half square feet;--thatthe altar of incense, which was directed to be “a cubit the length thereof and a cubit the breadth thereof, and four square,” Exodus xxx, 2, contained upward of three square feet;--thatthe court of the tabernacle, the orders concerning which were, “The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where,” Exodus xxvii, 18, comprised upward of sixteen thousand six hundred and thirty-four square feet, or in English land measure one rood, twenty-one perches, and twenty-seven and a half feet;--and thatthe Levites’ glebe, which is thus described in Numbers xxxv, 3–5: “The cities they shall have to dwell in: and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits,” &c; “and the city shall be in the midst;” contained three hundred and five acres, two roods, and one perch, which was, for each of the four sides, seventy-six acres, one rood, twenty perches, and eighty square feet.

Respecting the Egyptianaroura, which is sometimes mistranslated “acre,” the bishop remarks, “Reflecting upon Moses’ measure by cubits, and,” in the case ofthe court of the tabernacle, “finding them to be precisely five thousand square cubits, I observed that they were just half ten thousand, which I had observed from Herodotus to be the area of the Egyptianaroura, by which their land was as generally measured as ours is by acres and roods. I called also to mind a passage in Manetho, an Egyptian priest, cited by Josephus, in his first book against Apion, where he affirms, that Manetho, in his history of the reign, wars, and expulsion of the Pastors, (whom Africanus affirms to be Phenicians or Canaanites, and Josephus vainly believed to be Jews,) wrote out of the public records of Egypt, that these Pastors made at Abaris a very large and strong encampment, that encompassed ten thousandarouræ, sufficient to contain two hundred and forty thousand men, and long to maintain their cattle. Hence it appears, that not only the Egyptians, but also the Phenicians or Canaanites, that had dwelt among them, and had reigned there during the time of six kings successively, used this measure of land calledaroura. Now this was long before the time of Moses; for the beginning of Amosis or Tethmosis, who expelled them out of Egypt, was very near the time of Abraham’s death. Wherefore I believe that Moses, who was skilled in all Egyptian learning, especially in surveying, did of choice makethe court of the tabernacleto be just half anaroura, which was a known measure to him and his people, and that divine authority directed him so to do.” In another part of his work he reduces the Egyptianarourainto English measure, and finds it to be three roods, two perches, and fifty-five and a quarter square feet.

THE END.

Transcriber’s NoteMinor lapses in punctuation, including missing full stops and end-of-line hyphens, have been corrected with no further notice. In a work this large, it is inevitable that some inconsistencies in format will occur, which have been set right.There are some variants of spelling which have, in general, been retained, given the wide range of sources employed by the author. The use of the diaeresis in words like ‘coöperate’ or ‘reëstablishment’ was not followed where the prefix appeared hyphenated on a line break (e.g. ‘re-establishment’). These have been rendered here using the diaeresis.A passage from Chardin, cited on p. 250, has an un-opened quotation, the beginning of which has been placed as noted below, based on other commentaries citing Chardin on Psalms 90.4.Most internal references refer to the main topics, which are typically in UPPERCASE characters, but on occasion refer to subtopics in mixedSMALLCAPfont, or, rarely, to keywords in paragraphs (e.g.,allegory).The main entry forMOABwas printed in a normal font, and so could be easily missed. That has been corrected here to follow the conventional printing.The Alphabetical Table of Proper Names, at the end of the text, also contains a number of internal references. These refer to other entries in that table.Corrections appear in the text as links to the matching entries in the table below.Corrections appear in the text as underlined text. The original text is displayed when the mouse is placed on thehighlightedword or phrase. Each correction can be accessed using the linked columns in the table below.In the article for CRANE, the Hebrewשיש(marble) is given for ‘crane’, from Jer. viii, 7. The wordסיס, or ‘swift’ would seem to have been meant. In the alphabetical index of names, a reference to ‘Siloah’ has no obvious referent.The article for REED directs the reader to an article for CANE, which is not in the text.The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions. The references in the first column are to the page, column, and line in the original text.7.2.39who gave Golia[t]h’s swordAdded.47.1.58Καὶ ἐν τῷ μέσω ἀυτου ὡς ὅρασις ἠλεκτρȣ ἐν μέσῳ [το͂ν/τοῦ] ϖυρὸςReplaced.90.2.69has been much misrepresented[.]Added.93.2.29it is necessary, in order [] to his salvationsic: obtain?94.2.47as it does [ ] this daysic: to?101.1.9are undoub[t]edly mentionedAdded.111.1.52in the habit of refer[r]ing with approbationAdded.113.2.20the arguments of St. A[u]gustineAdded.116.2observed[,] some remains of these enclosuresRemoved.137.2.60the Prophet says[./,] ‘Of the oaks of BashanReplaced.139.1.20[the rendering of an equivalent:][)]'>Parenthesis added.140.2.32The following observations[./,] fromReplaced.143.1.42exposed in the amp[h]itheatre to fightAdded.171.2.16The word[,] is formed from the GothicRemoved.160.1.25the truth of the princ[i]pal factsAdded.185.1.8“the Memphian” or Egyptian [“]boat is madeRemoved.188.1.37eso[r/t]etic, or concealed doctrineReplaced.201.2.32became permanently settled at the diet of Au[g]sburgAdded.202.1.48and those who are not, accepted.[’]Probable.207.1.59is directed again[s]t CanaanAdded.207.2.9in his de[s]cendantsAdded.214.1.31with hair standing [a/o]n end on itReplaced.217.2.23for their perusal.[”]Removed.224.1.20like that of the pine.[”]Added.236.1.7who holds her balance[,/.]Replaced.236.2.12more substantial world[l]y benefitsAdded.236.2.48Here the Christ[ai/ia]nTransposed.241.2.4which was to be pe[r]formedAdded.244.1.13which have no s[pu/up]port from the magistracyTransposed.250.1.36that [“]as the people of the east have no clocksAdded.259.2.54as it occurs in the [T/N]ew TestamentReplaced.268.2.9whether they were gold or brass.[”]Added.274.2.54two birds are mentioned, the [שיש/סיס>]Replaced.278.2.38increases the p[io/oi] of the sufferingTransposed.285.1.19Who call thee by thy name, amthe God of Israel.[”]>Added.303.2.32‘all sick people,[’] that were taken with divers diseasesRemoved.307.2.54which occurs under the word, [סמפחת/מספחת], Lev. xiii, 6–8, 29.מס transposed.318.2.47“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof[”], Psalm xxiv, 1;Added.325.1.20in his “Instit[ut]utes,” he confirmedRemoved.331.1.16Volney’s account is suffic[i]ently descriptiveAdded.333.2.25placed by the Egy[p]tian task-mastersAdded.336.1.24as consisting in outward wor[l]dly institutionsAdded.337.2.12all visible ack[n]owledgment of themAdded.343.2.31reckon the dog a filt[h]y creatureAdded.348.2.24I am with you alway[s]Added.350.2.29They have eleven dioces[s]esRemoved.352.1.58and they were pun[n]ished for their presumptionRemoved.356.2.31answers to the artific[i]al conceptionAdded.372.1.15can consisten[t]ly refuse to admitAdded.373.2.46while the bride[./-]groom is with them?Replaced.382.2.38If, then, such was [s/t]he superstitious homageReplaced.382.2.45“is Arabic, and signifiesthe flyin general.[”]Added.394.1.17in the amp[h]itheatre at TiberiasAdded.394.1.30“They gave meראשto eat[”];Added.415.1.50the Egyptians, Prussians, Lithu[a]nians, Samogitians, &c.Added.416.1.38to kill his b[r]other JacobAdded.424.2.31not a bunch of grapes left [of/for] those who came to glean.Replaced/438.2.31church of the[-first / first-]bornTransposed.438.2.55to make a t[py/yp]ical atonementTransposed.442.2.23the gifts of the Holy [C/G]hostReplaced.445.2.1Hebron is now called El [H/K]halil;Replaced.450.2.3[Σ/Ἐ]ν τῶ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίωνReplaced.452.2.39the only su[r]viving maleAdded.462.2.41[B/b]y the ‘testimony of the Spirit,’ I mean,Replaced.469.2.25A spacious bowl th[e]’ admiring patriarch fillsRemoved.474.1.47“counterfeit,” signif[i]es also a profane wicked manAdded.481.1.47according to their origin[i]al institutionRemoved.487.2.46are built upon the foundati[a/o]n of the ApostlesReplaced.493.2.65was buried with Abraham by his sons Esau and Jacob, Gen. xxxv,[ 29.]Missing, provided.498.1.40when [“]the Edomites revoltedAdded.501.1.56admitted till after the fourth[,] centuryRemoved.524.1.42simply as a p[r]ediction prior to the eventAdded.531.1.19who occasion[al]ly sent officersAdded.538.1.35the total absence of eve[ry/n] the slightest allusionReplaced.539.2.33but inferior to the second.[”]Added.547.1.24to visit the tomb of Thomas-a[ /-]BecketReplaced.567.2.7when the pu[u/n]ishment of their iniquity shall be accomplishedInverted.577.1.38LEAD,עפרת, Exod. xv, 10;sic:עופרת584.2.61if any animalcule of this sort were concealed in their garments.[”]Added.593.2.36LUCIAN, a philosop[h]er and witAdded.594.1.65they are [t/j]oined by Isaiah, lxvi, 19, with PulReplaced.691.2.15Thus, it was infallib[l]y certainAdded.630.1.9the fancy far more viv[e/i]d, in the dreamingReplaced.637.1.13utte[r]ly> averse to oathsAdded.660.2.14[Moab/MOAB] was the son of LotReplaced.684.2.24bore the character of remarkable simplic[i]tyAdded.672.1.29so that he “heark[e]ned> not unto them, as the Lord had said,”Added.692.1.1they acc[c]omplished the great designs of HeavenRemoved.697.2.67to impugn his doct[r]ineAdded.743.2.1popular sect among the [Jews the/Jews. The] time whenReplaced.751.2.67means literally [“]branches of oilyorgummy plants.”Added.788.1.45the opin[i]ons of all sober personsAdded.789.1.30or [גכר/נכר], also denotes a strangerReplaced.791.1.50differ, in this re[s]pect, from their ancestorsAdded.796.2.69and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, [‘]The Spirit of JehovahAdded.827.2.61“The orientals hold,[”] says D’Herbelot,Added.843.2.56there should be one hundred [s/a]nd twenty inhabitantsReplaced.844.2.18power and malice are rest[r]ainedAdded.844.2.51that can dignif[i]y human natureRemoved.845.1.4and with which the ancients were enraptured.[”]Added.845.2.46will [b/h]e offer him a scorpion?Replaced.858.1.13that the s[k/h]ekel> was worth twenty gerahsReplaced.865.2.51Unto him that blasphemeth again[s]t the Holy GhostAdded.866.2.52has three tops of a ma[r]vellous heightAdded.872.1.60appearing to his di[s]ciplesAdded.872.2.59of all subsequent marty[r]s>Added.882.1.21that of Alexan[an]driaRemoved.905.1.27that sacred [o/e]dificeReplaced.907.1.69theteraphimwere hum[na/an] headsTransposed.925.2.39against the doct[r]ine itselfAdded.936.2.1like the horn of a reem,[’] Psalm xcii, 10.Added.945.2.58as they were then nearer the times [e/o]f the ApostlesReplaced.946.2.36among the Protest[t]antsRemoved.959.2.61more palatable and frag[r]ant with aromaticsAdded.973.1.47for purposes of secre[s/c]yReplaced.977.2.31[οτε/hότε] ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼReplaced.

Transcriber’s Note

Minor lapses in punctuation, including missing full stops and end-of-line hyphens, have been corrected with no further notice. In a work this large, it is inevitable that some inconsistencies in format will occur, which have been set right.

There are some variants of spelling which have, in general, been retained, given the wide range of sources employed by the author. The use of the diaeresis in words like ‘coöperate’ or ‘reëstablishment’ was not followed where the prefix appeared hyphenated on a line break (e.g. ‘re-establishment’). These have been rendered here using the diaeresis.

A passage from Chardin, cited on p. 250, has an un-opened quotation, the beginning of which has been placed as noted below, based on other commentaries citing Chardin on Psalms 90.4.

Most internal references refer to the main topics, which are typically in UPPERCASE characters, but on occasion refer to subtopics in mixedSMALLCAPfont, or, rarely, to keywords in paragraphs (e.g.,allegory).

The main entry forMOABwas printed in a normal font, and so could be easily missed. That has been corrected here to follow the conventional printing.

The Alphabetical Table of Proper Names, at the end of the text, also contains a number of internal references. These refer to other entries in that table.

Corrections appear in the text as links to the matching entries in the table below.

Corrections appear in the text as underlined text. The original text is displayed when the mouse is placed on thehighlightedword or phrase. Each correction can be accessed using the linked columns in the table below.

In the article for CRANE, the Hebrewשיש(marble) is given for ‘crane’, from Jer. viii, 7. The wordסיס, or ‘swift’ would seem to have been meant. In the alphabetical index of names, a reference to ‘Siloah’ has no obvious referent.

The article for REED directs the reader to an article for CANE, which is not in the text.

The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions. The references in the first column are to the page, column, and line in the original text.

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