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to English troy-weight, the Hebrew weights were: (1.) The gerah (Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47), a Hebrew word, meaning a grain or kernel, and hence a small weight. It was the twentieth part of a shekel, and equal to 12 grains. (2.) Bekah (Exodus 38:26), meaning “a half’ i.e., “half a shekel,” equal to 5 pennyweight. (3.) Shekel, “a weight,” only in the Old Testament, and frequently in its original form (Genesis 23:15, 16; Exodus 21:32; 30:13, 15; 38:24-29, etc.). It was equal to 10 pennyweight. (4.) Ma’neh, “a part” or “portion” (Ezekiel 45:12), equal to 60 shekels, i.e., to 2 lbs. 6 oz. (5.) Talent of silver (2 Kings 5:22), equal to 3,000 shekels, i.e., 125 lbs. (6.) Talent of gold (Exodus 25:39), double the preceding, i.e., 250 lbs. ■W ell (Hebrews beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Hebrews ‘ain). A “beer” was a deep shaft, bored far under the rocky surface by the art of man, which contained water which percolated through the strata in its sides. Such wells were those of Jacob and Beersheba, etc. (see Genesis 21:19, 25, 30, 31; 24:11; 26:15, 18-25, 32, etc.). In the Pentateuch this word beer, so rendered, occurs twenty-five times.

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