What Is mina (Biblical Hebrew)?
The mina in Biblical Hebrew is an ancient unit that was used as both a weight and a money value. It helped people in Bible times measure silver, gold, goods and payments.
Definition
A Biblical Hebrew mina is:
- a unit of weight used in the Bible world
- also a unit for money value, usually in silver
- made up of smaller units called shekels
Different cultures around Israel used slightly different minas. In the Hebrew Bible, one mina was often linked to about 50 or 60 shekels of silver. Scholars today think one mina was about half a kilogram to a little over one kilogram. Many Bible study books use an average of about 0.6 kilogram.
History / Origin
The mina is very old. It was used across the ancient Near East. This includes areas like Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria and the lands of the Bible.
Long before coins were common, people weighed pieces of metal, often silver, to pay for things. The mina grew out of this need. Traders and rulers needed a clear way to measure weight so prices could be fair.
In Hebrew, the word is often written as maneh or mina. It appears in books like Ezekiel, Kings and Chronicles. Over time, as coins and new systems spread, the mina slowly stopped being used in daily life. Today it is mainly studied by historians, Bible scholars and archaeologists.
Symbol & Abbreviation
There is no single official modern symbol for the Biblical Hebrew mina. It was used long before our modern measurement symbols.
In books and study notes, you may see:
- mina written in full
- mn used as a short form
- Hebrew letters that stand for maneh in specialist works
Because there is no standard symbol, writers usually explain what they mean the first time they use the word.
Current Use Around the World
Today, the Biblical Hebrew mina is not used in normal trade or science. It belongs to history. However, it is still important in several areas:
- Bible study to understand how much things weighed or cost in Scripture
- History and archaeology to study trade, taxes and offerings in ancient times
- Museums where old weights or inscriptions mention the mina
- Translations and commentaries where modern values are sometimes given in brackets
When the mina appears in modern Bibles, translators may add a note that gives a rough value in kilograms or pounds so readers can better imagine the amount.
Example Conversions
Because the exact size of the Biblical Hebrew mina changed from place to place and time to time, all conversions are only estimates. A common simple estimate is:
1 mina is about 0.6 kilogram
Using this estimate:
- 1 mina ≈ 0.6 kilogram (kg)
- 1 mina ≈ 600 grams (g)
- 1 mina ≈ 1.3 pounds (lb)
- 1 mina ≈ 21 ounces (oz)
If your book or teacher uses a different starting value, your numbers will change a little. For example, if they say 1 mina is 1 kilogram, then:
- 1 mina ≈ 1 kg ≈ 2.2 lb
- 2 minas ≈ 2 kg ≈ 4.4 lb
As a money value, in some systems:
- 1 mina ≈ 50 or 60 shekels of silver, depending on the local rule
Again, these money values are historical estimates and cannot be turned into exact modern prices.
Related Units
The mina did not stand alone. It was part of a larger group of units used in the Bible lands. Important related units include:
- Shekel a smaller unit of weight and money, many shekels made one mina
- Gerah an even smaller unit under the shekel
- Talent a very large unit of weight and money, many minas made one talent
- Denarius a later coin in New Testament times, used in the Roman system, not the same as a mina but often compared for value
The exact number of shekels in one mina could differ by region. A common pattern in the wider ancient Near East was:
- 1 talent ≈ 60 minas
- 1 mina ≈ 60 shekels
However, some Hebrew texts suggest 50 shekels in a mina, so careful study is always needed.
FAQs
Was the mina a weight or a money unit?
It was both. The mina first measured weight, mainly of metals like silver. Because payments were made in weighed metal, the word mina also came to mean a money value based on that weight.
How heavy was one Biblical Hebrew mina?
There is no single exact answer. Most scholars think one mina was somewhere between about 0.5 kilogram and 1.2 kilograms. Many simple guides use about 0.6 kilogram as an easy middle value.
How many shekels were in one mina?
In much of the ancient Near East, people used 60 shekels in one mina. Some Hebrew Bible passages point to 50 shekels in a mina. The system could change with time and place.
Where in the Bible is the mina mentioned?
The mina appears in Old Testament books such as Ezekiel and Chronicles, mainly in lists of weights, offerings or valuables. The New Testament mentions minae in certain Greek texts as a money amount in parables.
Can we turn a mina into exact modern money?
No. We can only guess a rough range. The value of a mina as money depended on the weight of silver and the buying power of silver at that time, which is very different from today.
Why does the mina matter for readers today?
Knowing what a mina is helps readers understand how large some gifts, debts, treasures and rewards were in Bible stories. It gives better insight into daily life, wealth and sacrifice in the ancient world.
