Fig. 27. Bull’s-head Five-shekel Weight.
The Hebrew systems, as we have tentatively set them forth, may be seen in the following tables.
I. Earliest period. Shekel of 130-5 grs. alone employed for gold and probably silver.
II. Mosaic period. Gold and Silver. (The old light shekel or ox-unit is now called shekel of the Sanctuary to distinguish it from its double.)
| 50 | light Shekels | = | 1 | Maneh |
| 3000 | light Shekels | = | 60 | Manehs = 1 Kikkar (talent). |
III. Regal period. Gold.
| 100 | light | (= 50 double) shekels | = | 1 | heavy Maneh | |
| 5000 | heavy | (= 10,000 light) ” | = | 100 | heavy Manehs | = 1 talent. |
The same system was probably employed for silver and copper, but instead of counting 100 light shekels to the Maneh as in the case of gold, they reckoned silver and copper by the double shekel, probably called the king’s shekel in contradistinction to that of the Sanctuary.
IV. After the Return. The light shekel still retained for gold, and the Babylonian, or Phoenician silver standard, employed for silver.