Money and measures

What the coins, weights and distances of the Bible were worth, in today’s units. The values are approximate: ancient standards varied from place to place and from age to age.

DenariusRoman silver coin · about 3.9 g of silver · a day’s wage
Talenta weight of about 30–36 kg · 3,000 shekels · in silver, about 20 years’ wages
Shekela weight of about 11.4 g · later a coin · Hebrew sheqel, from “to weigh”
The widow’s mite (lepton)the smallest bronze coin · about 1/128 of a denarius · Greek lepton, “thin, small”
Cubitelbow to fingertip · about 44.5 cm · the long cubit about 52 cm
Stadion and milestadion ≈ 185 m · Roman mile ≈ 1.48 km · a Sabbath day’s journey ≈ 1 km
Ephah and bathdry and liquid measures of the same size · about 22 liters by one view, 18–21 by another
Hours and watches12 hours of daylight · the third hour ≈ 9 a.m. · three, later four, night watches