- and I will pay:
- Heb. and I will weigh, "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}; Here Haman is obliged to acknowledge that there would be a loss to the revenue, which he was willing to make up out of his own property. Ten thousand talents of silver, counted by the Babylonish talent, amount to 2,119,000£.; but reckoned by the Jewish talent, they amount to double that sum. In those days, silver and gold were more plentiful than at present; and we have many instances of individuals possessing almost incredible riches. Herodotus relates, that when Xerxes went into Greece, Pythius the Lydian had 2,000 talents of silver, and 4,000,000 of gold darics, which unitedly amount to nearly 5,500,000£. Plutarch tells us, that after Crassus had dedicated the tenth of all he had to Hercules, he entertained the Roman people at 10,000 tables, and distributed to every citizen as much corn as was sufficient for three months; and, after all these expenses, he had 7,100; Roman talents left, which amount to more than 1,500,000£. Lentulus the augur is said to have possessed no less than 3,333,333£. 6s. 8d. Apicius was worth more than 916,671£ 13s. 4d.; and, after having spent in his kitchen 833,333£ 6s. 8d. he considered the remainder too little for his support, and poisoned himself!
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