Convert Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan) to Stone (US) (st (US)) 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.
Stone (US) (st (US))
The US stone was an informal and nonstandardized unit occasionally used in the 19th century, with no single agreed-upon value. Unlike the British stone (14 pounds), the US stone varied regionally and by trade context, typically ranging from 12 to 16 pounds, depending on the commodity and location. Farmers, butchers, and merchants sometimes used stones to weigh produce, meat, or livestock, but the lack of uniform regulation prevented it from becoming an official or widely adopted unit. Today, the US stone is entirely obsolete, but references to it appear in historical American trade documents, agricultural records, and pre-standardization weight systems. It serves as a reminder of the diversity of early American measurements before the widespread adoption of the avoirdupois pound.