Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12
You’re reading novel Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12 online at LightNovelFree.com. Please use the follow button to get notification about the latest chapter next time when you visit LightNovelFree.com. Use F11 button to read novel in full-screen(PC only). Drop by anytime you want to read free – fast – latest novel. It’s great if you could leave a comment, share your opinion about the new chapters, new novel with others on the internet. We’ll do our best to bring you the finest, latest novel everyday. Enjoy!
In the preceding pages the equivalence of the _qa_ in modern English measures has been given in accordance with the calculations of Dr. Oppert.
Other scholars, however, would a.s.sign to it a different value, identifying it with the Hebrew _qab_ and making it equal to about two litres. This, indeed, seems to have been its value in the age of Abraham, but in the later days of Babylonian history a different system certainly prevailed.
WEIGHTS.
360 se ("grains") 1 shekel 60 shekels 1 maneh (_mana_) 60 manehs 1 talent
The silver maneh was equivalent to 9, the shekel being 3s., while the gold maneh was ten times its value. The maneh was originally a weight more than one kind of which was in use: (1) The heavy maneh of 990 grammes; (2) the light maneh of 495 grammes; (3) the gold maneh (for weighing gold) of 410 grammes; and (4) the silver maneh of 546 grammes. At Sippara, however, the heavy maneh weighed 787 grammes; the light maneh, 482 grammes; and the gold maneh, 392 grammes; while the standard maneh fixed by Dungi weighed 980 grammes. The maneh of Carchemis contained 561 grammes.
MEASURES OF CAPACITY.
1 _qa_ (Heb. _qab_) 1.66 litres 1 _pi_ or ardeb (Heb. 36 _qas_ homer) 1 _bar_ (Heb. se'ah) 60 _qas_ 1 homer in a.s.syria 60 _qas_ 1 _gur_ (Heb. kor) 180 _qas_
In the Abrahamic age other systems were in use in Babylonia according to which the _gur_ sometimes contained 360 _qas_ and sometimes 300 _qas_.
The tonnage of s.h.i.+ps was reckoned by the _gur_.
MEASURES OF LENGTH.
1 _uban_ or 16.6 millimetres finger-breadth (divided into 180 parts) 30 finger-breadths 1 _ammat_ or cubit (498 mm.) 2 cubits 1 great cubit (996 mm.) 6 great cubits 1 _qanu_ or reed 2 reeds 1 _gar_ 60 _gars_ 1 _soss_ or stade 30 _sosses_ 1 _kasbu_ or parasang (21 kilometres) 2 _kasbus_ 1 great _kasbu_
SUPERFICIAL MEASURES.
In the Abrahamic age 180 _se_ were probably equivalent to 1 _gin_, 60 _gin_ to one _sar_ or "garden," 1,800 _sar_ to 1 feddan (_padanu_) or "acre." The latter was called _bur-gan_ in Sumerian, or "10 acres," to distinguish it from a smaller acre, which contained only 180 _sar_.
Time was reckoned by the _kasbu_ or "double hour," and in early times the weight was divided into three watches of 2 _kasbus_ or 4 hours each. The months were originally lunar, and consisted of 30 days, an intercalary month being inserted in the calendar every six years. The zodiac was divided into 360 degrees.
Mathematics were based upon a s.e.xagesimal system, sixty, called the _soss_, being the unit. The _ner_ was equivalent to 10 _sosses_ and the _sar_ to 6 _ners_.
Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12
You're reading novel Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12 online at LightNovelFree.com. You can use the follow function to bookmark your favorite novel ( Only for registered users ). If you find any errors ( broken links, can't load photos, etc.. ), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible. And when you start a conversation or debate about a certain topic with other people, please do not offend them just because you don't like their opinions.
Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12 summary
You're reading Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 12. This novel has been translated by Updating. Author: A. H. Sayce already has 1255 views.
It's great if you read and follow any novel on our website. We promise you that we'll bring you the latest, hottest novel everyday and FREE.
LightNovelFree.com is a most smartest website for reading novel online, it can automatic resize images to fit your pc screen, even on your mobile. Experience now by using your smartphone and access to LightNovelFree.com
- Related chapter:
- Babylonians and Assyrians, Life and Customs Part 11