Convert Mina (Biblical Hebrew) (mina) to Scruple (Apothecary) (s.ap) instantly.
About these units
Mina (Biblical Hebrew) (mina)
A mina was a mid-sized Hebrew weight unit, commonly approximated as 560–600 grams, though it varied historically. It served as the intermediary unit between the shekel and the talent: 1 talent = 60 minas 1 mina = 50 shekels Minas were used in both commercial trade and temple accounting. They appear in ancient Near Eastern texts describing wages, penalties, and allocations of precious materials. Because of their role in administrative and religious contexts, the mina highlights the bureaucratic sophistication of ancient Israel and surrounding cultures.
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.