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The Wealth Of Solomon
Background Information
Ancient Weights, Measures, Prices & Wages
1 silver talent = 3000 silver shekels = 660 000 grains, or 220 grains/shekel.
1 gold talent = 10000 gold shekels = 1 320 000 grains, or 132 grains/shekel.
(See Weights Entry: Smith’s Bible Dictionary, by William Smith, Thomas Nelson Publishing 1986.)
1 silver shekel = 220 grains 1 drachma = 1 denarius
1 gold daric = 129 grains
1 Roman stater = 1 Jewish stater (shekel) = 4 drachmae = 4 denarii
(Money Entry: Smith’s Bible Dictionary.)
As Mr. Smith points out, the Jewish gold shekel of 132 grains was later reduced to match the more international gold daric of 129 grains. On the other hand, the silver shekel, from Old Testament times remained at 220 grains (since God frowned on the debasing or tampering of the common currency).
1 cor = 10 ephah = 220 litres = 6 bushels
1 bath = 1 ephah = 22 litres = ½ bushel
1 mina = 1/60 talent = 50 shekels
(1 quart = 1.136 litres)
(Weights & Measures, Smith’s Bible Dictionary.)
| Wages & cost In Ancient Athens** |
| acropolis labourer | 1 drachma/day | Athens’s Walls | 17,000,000 drachma |
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architect | 2 drachma/day | goat | 10 drachma |
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potter | 1 drachma/day | house | 2000 drachma |
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hoplite at siege | 2 drachma/day | 1 litre olive oil | 3 obols |
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housemaid | 2 obols/day | trireme | 6,000 drachma |
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seasonal labourer | 2 obols/day | 5 litres wine | 1drachma |
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mud carrier | 3 obols/day | cow | 50 drachma |
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slave miner (+food) | 1 obol/day | horse | 1,200 drachma |
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temple builder | 2.5 drachma/day | 25 kg wheat | 3 drachma |
3 obols = 1 drachma
(Ancient Coin Collecting II, by Wayne G. Sayles, Krause Publications 1997 Iola Wisconsin)
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