Convert Shekel (Biblical Hebrew) (shekel) to Drachma (Biblical Greek) (drachma) 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.
Drachma (Biblical Greek) (drachma)
The drachma, roughly 4.3 grams, served as the principal Greek silver unit for centuries. Both a mass and a monetary unit, the drachma appears extensively in ancient writings, from philosophy to commerce to biblical passages. The term originates from "a handful," linking the weight to early barter practices. Over time, it became a symbol of civic identity—different city-states minted distinct drachmas with unique iconography. Its influence survives in the name of Greece's former national currency, the drachma, reinforcing its cultural legacy.