Convert Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan) to Scruple (Apothecary) (s.ap) 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.
Scruple (Apothecary) (s.ap)
The scruple is an old apothecary unit equal to 20 grains or 1.2959782 grams, originating in ancient Greek and Roman medicine. Apothecaries used scruples for compounding herbal remedies, powders, and tinctures long before standardized metric systems were adopted. Its size made it ideal for preparing early pharmaceuticals where doses needed to be accurate but not excessively granular. Over centuries, the scruple appeared in medical recipes, early scientific writings, and even medieval charms and remedies. Although obsolete today, replaced by milligrams and grams, the scruple is vital for historians studying early medical texts, pharmacy records, and classical-era scientific practices.