⚖️ Weights, Measures & Money

Convert the cubits, ephahs, shekels, and talents of Scripture into modern units — and see what a day's wage actually bought. Figures are scholarly approximations; ancient units varied by era and region.

Most biblical lengths derive from the cubit - the distance from the elbow to the fingertip, about 18 inches. Larger distances used the reed, the stadion (furlong), and the Roman mile.

Amount

Unit

45.7 cm

1.50 ft

1 Cubit (ammah) equals

24.05Finger (etzba)1/24 of a cubit

6.01Handbreadth (tefah)1/6 of a cubit - the rim of the showbread table

2Span (zeret)1/2 cubit - the breastplate was a span square

1Cubit (ammah)elbow to fingertip - the basic unit of the ark, temple, and tabernacle

0.25Fathom (orguia)Paul's ship sounded 20 then 15 fathoms

0.17Reed (qaneh)6 cubits - Ezekiel's measuring reed

0Sabbath day's journey~2,000 cubits, the lawful distance to travel on the Sabbath

0Furlong (stadion)Emmaus was 60 furlongs from Jerusalem

0Mile (Roman milion)“whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile”

Money & wages

Coins are about value, not a tidy conversion. Everything is anchored to the denarius — one full day's wage for a labourer.

Mite (lepton)≈ 1/128 of a day's wage

The smallest coin. The widow gave two - “all her living.”

Farthing (quadrans)≈ 1/64 of a day's wage

Two sparrows were sold for a farthing.

Penny (denarius)1 day's wage

The standard daily wage of a labourer or soldier.

Tribute penny1 denarius

“Render unto Caesar” - the coin bore Caesar's image.

Shekel / stater≈ 4 denarii

The coin found in the fish's mouth paid the temple tax for two.

Thirty pieces of silver≈ 120 denarii

The price of a slave - and of Judas' betrayal.

Pound (mina)≈ 100 denarii

Each servant in the parable was entrusted with one pound.

Talent (money)≈ 6,000 denarii

~20 years of wages - the scale of the unforgiving servant's debt was 10,000 of these.