Convert Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan) to Mina (Biblical Greek) (mina (G)) instantly.
About these units
Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan)
The bekan (or beka) is a half-shekel unit, approximately 5.6 grams. It appears in the Hebrew Bible as the required contribution for the census tax, symbolizing equality among contributors regardless of wealth. As a practical unit, the beka was useful for small-scale offerings, jewelry, and silverwork. Its precise half-shekel value made it easy to incorporate into the larger Hebrew weight structure. The bekan highlights how weights were intertwined with religious observance and communal obligations in ancient Israelite society.
Mina (Biblical Greek) (mina (G))
The Greek mina weighed roughly 430 grams, depending on region. As with the Hebrew mina, it served as the intermediate mass unit within the Greek system. Minas appear frequently in classical literature for describing wages, commodity prices, and financial penalties. Their role in ancient bookkeeping showcases the organization of Greek economic life. A mina was traditionally divided into 100 drachmae, linking weight with monetary valuation.