Ancient Unit Converter

This applet allows you to convert ancient biblical units to their modern equivalents with ease.

The calculations are based on the equivalence tables developed by Peter Schmidt in Biblical Measures and their Translation: Notes on Translating Biblical Units of Length, Area, Capacity, Weight, Money and Time (SIL Electronic Working Papers 112, 2014).

All the equivalences are reconstructed and therefore approximate. Bear in mind that often when translating biblical texts it makes sense to leave the original units or provide roughly equivalent modern customary units for stylistic or narratological reasons.

Check out this applet's code on GitHub. Made by Norman Simón Rodríguez.

Unit Equivalences

Testament Unit type Period Unit name (+ identifiers) Formula English Spanish
OLD Length אמה 0.45 × metres Cubit Codo
OLD Length אצבע אמה / 24 Finger Dedo
OLD Length טפח אמה / 6 Handbreadth Palmo menor
OLD Length זרת אמה / 2 Span Palmo
OLD Length אמה_ארוך 7 × טפח Long cubit Codo largo
OLD Length קנה אמה_ארוך × 6 Reed Caña
OLD Length גמד אמה Cubit (alternative name) Codo (nombre alternativo)
NEW Length πηχυς אמה_ארוך New Testament cubit Codo del Nuevo Testamento
NEW Length οργυια 1.8 × metres Fathom Braza
NEW Length σταδιος 185 × metres Stade Estadio
NEW Length οδοσ_σαββατου 200 × πηχυς Shabbath’s day walk Camino de un día de reposo
NEW Length μιλιον 1497 × metres Roman mile Milla romana
OLD Capacity Pre-exilic איפה_א litres × 10 Ephah Efa
OLD Capacity Pre-exilic בת_א litres × 22 Bath Bato
OLD Capacity Post-exilic איפה_ב litres × 39 Ephah Efa
OLD Capacity לג בת_א / 72 Log Log
OLD Capacity קב איפה_א / 18 Kav Kav
OLD Capacity עומר איפה_א / 10 Omer Omer
OLD Capacity עשרון עומר Issaron Isaron
OLD Capacity Pre-exilic הין_א בת_א / 6 Hin Hin
OLD Capacity Post-exilic בת_ב איפה_ב Bath Bato
OLD Capacity Post-exilic הין_ב בת_ב / 6 Hin Hin
OLD Capacity Pre-exilic סאה_א איפה_א / 3 Seah Seah
OLD Capacity Post-exilic סאה_ב איפה_ב / 3 Seah Seah
OLD Capacity בת_בת litres × 39 Double bath Doble bato
OLD Capacity (dry) Pre-exilic חמר_א_א 10 × איפה_א Homer Homer
OLD Capacity (liquid) Pre-exilic חמר_א_ב 10 × בת_א Homer Homer
OLD Capacity Post-exilic חמר_ב 10 × איפה_ב Homer Homer
OLD Capacity (dry) Pre-exilic כר_א_א חמר_א_א Kor Coro
OLD Capacity (liquid) Pre-exilic כר_א_ב חמר_א_ב Kor Coro
OLD Capacity Post-exilic כר_ב חמר_ב Kor Coro
OLD Capacity לתך חמר_א_א / 2 Letek Letek
NEW Capacity σατον סאה_ב New Testament seah Seah del Nuevo Testamento
NEW Capacity βατος בת_ב New Testament bath Bato del Nuevo Testamento
NEW Capacity κορος כר_ב New Testament kor Coro del Nuevo Testamento
NEW Capacity χοινιξ litres × 1 Choinix Choinix
NEW Capacity μετρητης βατος Metritis Metritis
BOTH Weight Kilograms in one litre (grain) litres × (2/3)
OLD Weight שקל grams × 12 Shekel Siclo
OLD Weight גרה שקל / 20 Gerah Gera
OLD Weight בקע שקל / 2 Beka Beka
OLD Weight מנה שקל × 50 Mina Mina
OLD Weight ככר שקל × 3000 Talent Talento
OLD Weight פים שקל × 0.66 Pim Pim
NEW Weight λιτρα grams × 327 Litra Litra
NEW Weight ταλαντιαιος grams × 40000 Revelation talent Talento del Apocalipsis