Convert Shekel (Biblical Hebrew) (shekel) to Assarion (Biblical Roman) (assarion) instantly.
About these units
Shekel (Biblical Hebrew) (shekel)
The shekel, approximately 11.3 grams, is the foundational Hebrew weight unit, originally used for silver-based transactions long before it became a monetary term. In Biblical contexts, shekels represent wages, prices, fines, and sacrificial offerings. The shekel's mass-based origins mean that early shekel "coins" were actually weighed pieces of silver rather than minted currency. The modern Israeli currency's name (the New Israeli Shekel) preserves the ancient term, linking present-day society to its deep historical roots.
Assarion (Biblical Roman) (assarion)
The assarion, worth 1/16 of a denarius and weighing roughly 0.25 grams, was one of the smallest Roman coins. It appears in biblical writings to illustrate humility or trivial monetary values ("Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion?"), giving cultural insight into economic metaphors of the time. As a weight, the assarion shows how finely Roman society subdivided monetary units for everyday commerce.