Convert Quadrans (Biblical Roman) (quadrans) to Bekan (Biblical Hebrew) (bekan) instantly.
About these units
Quadrans (Biblical Roman) (quadrans)
The quadrans, worth 1/4 of an as, weighed around 3 grams, typically made of bronze rather than silver. It served the Roman lower classes for everyday purchases—food, small household items, and public baths. In biblical passages, the quadrans symbolizes poverty and small generosity, anchoring theological teachings in real economic terms.
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.