Itinerarium totius Sacræ Scripturæ, or, The travels of the holy patriarchs, prophets, judges, kings, our Saviour Christ and his apostles, as they are related in the Old and New Testaments with a description of the towns and places to which they travelled, and how many English miles they stood from Jerusalem : also, a short treatise of the weights, monies, and measures mentioned in the Scriptures, reduced to our English valuations, quantity, and weight / collected out of the works of Henry Bunting ; and done into English by R.B.

The Quantities of the Monies both Silver and Gold, as they are severally mentioned in the Scriptures, reduced to our Weights and English Valuations.

EVER since the time that Monies have been allowed as current in Exchange betwixt man and man (which for that purpose, as Aristo∣tle saith, was first ordained) it hath passed according to the valuation of a certain Weight, which for the most part is Universal, accor∣ding to the worth and estimation thereof in the several Countries where it is to be sold and exchanged; or else by Coin, which is current according to the valuation that is imposed upon it by the consent of a State, or com∣mand of a Prince. In both which, there have been used sundry distincti∣ons of greater and less valuations of Weights and Coin, according to the necessity and estimation thereof in several Kingdoms and Governments. As amongst the Iews they used Weights and no Coin, and these distin∣guished in several sorts, and, as is thought, separated with sundry Marks, that they might be known each from other. The Weights that they used were commonly three, viz. the Centiner or Talent, the Mina, and the Sicle; according to the Opinion of Iosephus, Budaeus, Hostius, and many others.

Of a Sicle.

A Sicle was a kind of Weight, current among the Iews, containing precisely half an ounce of silver or Gold; which, that it might be di∣stinguished, had a particular Effigies or Superscription; viz. upon one side was to be seen the measure wherein they kept Manna in the Sanctuary, with this Superscription, The Sicle of Israel; and on the other the Rod of Aaron flourishing, with this Inscription, Holy Ierusalem, which is ordinarily worth in English money 2 s. 6 d. and Gold 15s. and more or less accor∣ding to the pureness or baseness of either.

A Sicle was divided into these parts.

1. Into a Drachma, i. e. 7 d. ob. whereof four make a Sicle, Gen. 13. 15. Ex∣od 21. 32, &c.

2. Half Sicles, mentioned Exod. 30. 13. 15. ca. 38. 26. which was the yearly Tax imposed upon every man toward the building of the Tabernacle, i. 15 d. English.

3. Quadrans Sicli, or the fourth part of a Sicle, which was also in use among the Iewes, 1 Sam. 8. 9. which amounts to a Roman penny, and in our money to 7 d. ob. and by the Grecians were called Drachma.

4. Gheras, Exod. 30. 13. which was the twentieth part of a Sicle, and was worth 1 d. ob.

Of Sicles there were three sorts.

1. A common Sicle, which weighed a quarter of an ounce, and was worth 15 d.

2. The Kings Sicle, which weighed three Drachma's, that is in our money 22 d. ob.

3. The Sicle of the Temple, which weighed directly half an ounce, and was worth 2 s. 6d.

Of a Mina.

A Mina was a pound weight among the Iews, and were of two sorts, one of Gold, which weighed 100 Drachma's, another of Silver, weighing 240 Drachma's. These were called the antient Weights; but there was later, which is said to contain 100 Denaria's or Attick Drachma's, which seem to be so called because of the Traffick the Iews had with the Grecians, among whom it was worth 100 Attick Drachma's, i. 3. l. 2 s. 6. d. English.

Of Mina's there were three sorts, as appeareth in Ezech. 45.

1. The common Mina or Pound (weighing twenty five half Ounces or Sicles of the Temple) amounted to sixty Drachma's, i. 37 s. 6 d.

2. The King's Mina or Pound (weighing twenty half Ounces or Sicles of the Temple (amounted to eighty Drachma's, i. 50 s.

3. The Mina, or Pound of the Temple or Sanctuary, (which weighed 25 half Ounces or Sicles) maketh 100 Drachma's, i. 3 l. 2 s. 5 d.

Of a Talent.

THE He••rew Talent ordinarily weigheth 125 Pounds, which being divided, amounteth to 3000 Sicles or half Ounces, as it plainly appear∣eth, Exod. 38. 25, 26. where it is said that 600000 men offered so many half Sicles, which make 300000 Sicles, the 100th part of which make a Talent, from whence it appeareth, that 3000 Sicles make a Talent. Also Epi∣••hanes observeth, lib. 1. de Pon. That the Attick Talent is equal in weight with the Hebrew; for, as the Hebrew contains 3000 Sickles, which make 125 l. so the Attick contains 1200 Drachma's, which make the same weight, and is worth 375. l. of English Money. But the Hebrew Talent of Gold, which for the most part is used in every place, is worth 4500 l. in our Money.

The Jews had three sorts of Talents.

1. The common Talent (weighing 3000 quarters of an Ounce, or com∣mon Sicles) amounts to 6000 Drachma's, which is 187 l. 10 s.

2. The Kings Talent weighed 3000 of the Kings Sicles, which amounted to 9000 Drachma's, which 281 is l. 5 s.

3. The Talent of the Temple or Sanctuary, weighed 3000 Sicles of the Temple, which are precisely so many half Ounces, which amount to 375 Pounds.

From hence then may easily be gathered, that although the Iews had several Weights and denominations of Silver and Gold, yet only one kind was usually observed in traffique with other Nations, and that had corre∣spondency with their Weights, the rest being only for the common sort, or particular uses; for although there were divers Sicles, Mina's and Talents among themselves, yet the common weight (whether it was of Sicle, Mina or Talent) was usually that which they termed the Talent of the Temple, and that had a just correspondency with the Grecian Talent both in weight and in worth; and this not only among them, but also by relation from them to the Italians; and that Nation obtaining an universal Monarchy, made it common with us also.

Of other Weights used among the Jews.

THEY had also other Weights which they used, passing under several denominations and differing value; as Keseph, a Silverling or Nummus; which name is very often used for a Sicle, as appeareth, Gen. 20. 16. and 23, 16. 43, 21. 2 Sam. 18. 11, 12. The Chaldaeans called this Silga, and the He∣brews, Shekel, being precisely half an Ounce, and worth 2. s. 6 d. For thirty of these Silverlings of the Sanctuary our Saviour Christ was sold, Matth. 26. which amounteth to 3 l. 15 s. English.

There was also another kind of Silverling or Nummus used, which was cal∣led Siclus, but it was the common or Vulgar Sicle, which was but a quarter of an Ounce, and was worth but 15 d.

There was another kind of Silverling or Nummus used, which was called Keshitah; of which you may read in three several places of Scripture, Gen. 33. 19. Ios. 24. 32. Iob 42. 11. and was signed with the Image of a Lamb upon it, from whence it is so called. The antient Nummus of the Arabians and Chaldeans was like unto this, as may be gathered by many circumstan∣ces out of the places where it is mentioned, and was of the same valuation as the Grecians was amongst the Iews, which was 1 d. ob.

But the Silverlings mentioned Act. 1. 9, 19. are intended to be Grecian Silverlings or Nummus, and is worth an Attick D••rachma; for the Grecians reckon their Sums of Money by Drachma's, as the Iews and Romans by Sicles and Sestertia's, and is worth of our Money 7 d. ob.

You shall read in Mat. 17. 24. of a Didrachma, which is worth in our Money 15. d.

Also Mat. 17. 27. of a Stater, which is a Greek Coin, worth 2 s. 6 d.

And Mat. 18. 22. and 22. 19, &c. of a Denarius, which was a Roman Coin, which is evident Mat. 21. because the Image of Caesar was upon it, and was worth 7 d. ob.

1 Sam. 2. of a Scruple, which was worth 1 d. ob. q. O.

In Exod. 30. Num. 3. Ezek. 45. of an Obulus, which was 1 d. q.

In Mat. 12. o•• a Minutus, with was, ob. q.

And in Mat. 12. Mat. 5. you shall read of a Coin called Quadrans, being something more than half a farthing. These are briefly the Weight, and Monies the Iews used, both foreign and domestick, in their Trade and Commerce.

Of the Gold Weight among the Iews.

THE Iews also had their particular Weights for their Gold, as they had for their Silver, the least of which were called Zuza, or Drachma, which is worth 7 s. 6. d. and more or less according to the pureness or baseness of it. It was also called Daikemonim, Esd. 2. and Nehem. 7. The Chaldae∣ans call it Edarchonim, Esd. 8. The common Sicle of Gold weighed two Drachma's, and was worth 15 s.

The Kings Sicle weighed 3 Drachma's, and was worth 22 s. 6. d.

The Sicle of the Temple weighed 4 Drachma's, being precisely half an ounce, and was worth 30 s.

The common Mina or pound of Gold weighed 60 Drachma's or Hunga∣rian Ducats, which is worth 22 li. 10 s.

The Kings Mina or pound, 80 Drachma's, or Hungarian Ducats, which is 30 li, English.

The Mina or pound of the Temple weighed 100 Drachma's or Hungarian Ducats, which was 2250 li.

The Common Talent of Gold weighed 6000 Drachma's, or Hungarian Ductas, and was 2250 li.

The Kings Talent weighed 9000 Drachma's or Hungarian Ducats, which was 3375 li.

The Talent of the Temple weighed 12000 Drachma's, or Hungarian Ducats, which was of our money 45000 li.

Of Gold Weights which were not originally the Jews, but borrowed of other Nations, and used amongst them.

THere are four kinds of Weights that are mentioned in the Scriptures, which were common amongst the Iews, besides the former, viz. Zahab, of which you may read, 2 King. 5. 5. 2 Chr. 9. 16. and is called by the name of a Nummus. The Sicle of Gold, 1 Chron. 21. 25. which is there

also called Nummus. Both which being so called, seem to signifie a Di∣drachma of Gold: and these two were properly belonging to the Iews. The other that follow belonged not to them, but they received them from other Nations; as the Stater, Drachmon, and Adarchon.

The Stater was an ancient piece of Gold, common amongst the Persi∣ans, the Grecians, the Romans, and other great Governments, being di∣stinguished by the Superscription of the Kings or Countreys where they were made or coined; as the Stater Philippici, Stater Darici, Stater Ale∣xandrei, Stater Romani, &c. They were pure fine Gold, some of which were as much in value as a double Ducat, others as four Hungarian Ducats, and some as Portugues.

The Drachmon, (of which you may read, Ezra 8. 27, &c.) is a Per∣sian Coin, as it seems, for the Grecian Interpreters call it Drachmen, which is as much more as the Attick Drachma, and in our money is worth 7 s. 6 d.

Adarchon also seems to be a Persian Coin, and doth imply the name of a Prince, or Daricum signifies the Gold of the Persians: For Darius the Son of Hystaspis then reigned, when these Nummus of Gold, thus called, were dedicated to the Building of the Temple; and this man, for the most part, coined singular good Gold, as Herodotus in Melpom. saith: where∣fore they were either called Darici, because they wee coined by the Persian Kings, or else, as Plutarch in Artax. observes, because the Image of Da∣rius stood upon one part of it. And was worth of our money seven shil∣lings and six pence.

Thus you may perceive what diversities of Weights were used amongst the Iews; being crept in amongst them, partly because of their Captivity, and partly because of their Commerce and Trade with other Nations. It is therefore worthy of observation, that if at any time you read of any weight of Money, Brass, or the like, in the Holy Scripture, to consider of what sort of Weight it is, viz. whether a Weight of the Iews, or some Foreign and strange Weight. If of the Iews, whether it be the common Sicle, the King's Sicle, or the Sicle of the Temple. But if these may be discerned, you shall for the most part find the Addition, which may easily distinguish them. But if there be no addition, that is the King's Sicle, or the Sicle of the Temple, then you may presume that it is the common Sicle. And so for other Weights and Monies.