IV. MEASURES OF CAPACITY. These in cluded liquid and dry measures. In some cases they were used both ways.
1. Liquid Measures. (1) Log (Heb. lohg, hollow, Lev. xiv :to, etc.), originally signi fied a basin. The rabbins reckoned it equal to six hen's eggs, their contents being measured by the amount of water they displaced, thus making it the one-twelfth of a hin.
(2) Hin (Heb. been, of Egyptian origin, Exod. xxix:4o; xxx :24; Num. xv :4, 7, 9; Ezek. iv:II, etc.), containing twelve logs and holding one-sixth bath. nearly six pints.
(3) Bath (Heb. bath, measured ), the largest of the liquid measures ; first mentioned in Kings vii:26; equal to the ephah, and so to the one-tenth homer (Ezek. xlv :it). We gather from Josephus (Antiq. iii:8, 3) that the bath contained six bins. Its capacity would thus be about seven and a half gallons. (See TABLE OF LIQUID MEAS URES, page 42. Appendix.) 2. Dry Measures. (1) Handful (Heb. ko'n:ets, Lev. ii :2 ; V :12), probably never brought to any greater accuracy than the natural capacity of the human hand. It was also used as a liquid measure.
(2) Cab (Heb. kith, hollow, or concave,) mentioned only in 2 Kings vi:25), was, according to the rabbins, equal to one-sixth seah. (See SEAN below.) (3) Omer (Heb. o'nzer). This is men tioned only in Exod. xvi:16-36. The same meas ure is elsewhere termed issdrdn, as being the tenth part of an ephah (comp. Exod. xvi:36), whence in the A. V. "tenth deal" (Lev. xiv :to; xxiii:13; Num. xv :4, etc.). The word omer implies a
heap, and secondarily a sheaf.
(4) Seah (Heb. seh-aw', measure; A. V.
measure. Gen. xviii:6; 1 Sam. xxv:I8; 2 Kings vii:16, 18; ephah, Judg. vi:19). The ordinary measure for household purposes. Jahn (Arch., I14) thinks that it was merely the Hebrew name for ephah. According to the rabbins, it was equal to one-third ephah, and was, perhaps, identi cal with A. V. "measure" shaw-leesh', Is.
x1.12). The Greek equivalent occurs in Matt. xiii :33 ; Luke xiii :21.
(5) Ephah (Heb. ay-faze), a word of Egyptian origin, and of frequent recurrence in the Bible (Exod. xvi :36; Lev. v:11; vi:2o; Num. v: 15; xxviii :5; Judg. vi:t9; Ruth ii:17; I Sam. i: 24; xvii :17; Ezek. xlv:II, 13; xlvi :5. 7, 11, 14). It contained ten omers. about three pecks and three pints, and was equivalent in capacity to the liquid measure, bath. According to Josephus (Antiq. viii, 2, 9), the ephah contained seventy-two sextarii.
(6) Homer (Heb. kho' mer), is a word meaning heap (Lev. xxvii:16; Num. xi :32; Is. v: to; Ezek. xlv:13). It is elsewhere termed 15, kore, A. V. measure, from the circular vessel in which it was measured (I Kings iv:22; V:It; 2 Chron :to; xxvii :5; Ezra vii :22; Ezek. xlv: 14). The Greek equivalent occurs in Luke xvi:7.
The homer contained ten ephahs (Ezek. that), nearly eight bushels. The half homer was known as leh'thek (Heb. N, Hos. iii:2). (See TABLE OF