HEBREW WEIGHTS AND MKASURES. 



299 



surface ; a " heaped " measure is one in which the surface of the 

 grain is heaped up as high as it will stand. 



Naturally the grain-dealers preferred to buy by the one and sell 

 by the other measure. It will also be seen that if the measure was 

 (as generally happens) cylindrical in shape, the greater or less the 

 diameter of the top of the measure, the greater or less would be the 

 conical heap which stood on the top and formed the difference 

 between the "struck " and the "heaped " measure. 



It would be interesting to know whether the evidence available 

 showed any trace of a corresponding difference in Bible times. 



Professor Kennedy replied that this source of uncertainty in both 

 aspects was found to exist. Thus the " heaped seah " or peck was 

 estimated to contain a quarter more than the " straked seah." 



Mr. M. L. Kouse said that here in England owing to the uncer- 

 tainty attaching to selling dry goods by measures of capacity, we sold 

 them, as a rule, by weight instead. 



AVith regard to the length of the cubit of Ezekiel xl, was there 

 not evidence from chapter xli, 8, that a longer cubit than ordinary 

 was referred to, because it speaks there of a " full reed of six great 

 cubits " 1 



Colonel M. A. Alves : Regarding measures of capacity I am 

 unable to speak ; so I merely observe that as, in the Wilderness, each 

 person's daily allowance of manna was an omer, seven pints seems to 

 have been a very good allowance. 



As to weights, it may be noted that, whilst in Ezekiel xlv, 12, as 

 in the Pentateuch, the weight of the shekel is stated to be 20 gerahs, 

 the special "sanctuary" shekel is alluded to in the Pentateuch alone. 

 The " king's " shekel is also mentioned in n Samuel xiv, 26. 



Ezekiel xxxvi to xlviii are still unfulfilled prophecy ; it would seem, 

 therefore, as if some clue to the shekel and gerah was existing some- 

 where, though perhaps not as yet brought to light. 



As with his shekel, EzekiePs cubit is still future ; and as, see 

 Matthew xxiv, 1-2, every stone of Herod's Temple has to be thrown 

 down, there will be nothing in it to act as a standard. 



As the new sanctuary shekel is to weigh the same as the old, it 

 would seem reasonable to suppose that the new sanctuary cubit 

 should measure the same as the old which the Children of Israel 

 brought with them out of Egypt. 



Whatever its derivation, may not the word " 'ammah " have as 



