- two hundred shekels:
- If the shekel be allowed to mean the common shekel, the amount will be utterly incredible; for Josephus says that "two hundred shekels make five mine" and the mina, he says, "weighs two pounds and a half;" which calculation makes Absalom's hair weigh twelve pounds and a half! But it is probable that the king's shekel was that which Epiphanius and Hesychius say was the fourth part of an ounce, half a stater, or two drachmas. The whole amount, therefore, of the 200 shekels is about 50 ounces, which make 4 lb. 2 oz. troy weight, or 3 lb. 2 oz. avoirdupois. This need not be accounted incredible, especially as abundance of oil and ointment was used by the ancients in dressing their heads. Josephus informs us, that the Jews also put gold dust in their hair. "And Abrahamª hearkenedª° unto¹ Ephron;ª and Abrahamª weighedª° to Ephronª¹ the silver,ª which¹ he had namedª° in the audienceª of the sonsª of Heth,ª fourª hundredª shekelsª of silver,ª currentª° [money] with the merchant.ª°" {Gen 23:16} + "Justª balances,ª justª weights,ª a justª ephah,ª and a justª hin,ª shall ye have:¹ I¹ [am] the LORDª your God,ª which¹ brought you outª°¹ of the landª¹ of Egypt.ª" {Lev 19:36} + "Thus¹ saithª° the Lordª GOD;ª Let it sufficeª you, O princesª of Israel:ª removeª° violenceª and spoil,ª and executeª° judgmentª and justice,ª take awayª° your exactionsª from¹¹ my people,ª saithª° the Lordª GOD.ª ... Concerning the ordinanceª of oil,ª the bathª of oil,ª [ye shall offer] the tenth partª of a bathª out of¹ the cor,ª [which is] an homerª of tenª baths;ª for¹ tenª bathsª [are] an homer:ª" {Ezk 45:9-14}
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