SHEKEL

shek'-'-l, shek'-el, she'-kel, she'-kul (sheqel): A weight and a coin. The Hebrew shekel was the 50th part of a mina, and as a weight about 224 grains, and as money (silver) was worth about 2 shillings 9d., or 66 cents (in 1915). No gold shekel has been found, and hence, it is inferred that such a coin was not used; but as a certain amount of gold, by weight, it is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 3:9 and is probably intended to be supplied in 2 Kings 5:5. The gold shekel was 1/60 of the heavy Babylonian mina and weighed about 252 grains. In value it was about equal to 2 British pounds and 1 shilling, or about USD10.00 (in 1915). See MONEY; WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In the Revised Version (British and American) of Matthew 17:27 "shekel" replaces "piece of money" of the King James Version, the translation of stater.

See STATER.

H. Porter

SHEKEL OF THE KING'S WEIGHT, ROYAL SHEKEL

('ebhen ha-melekh, "stone (i.e. weight) of the king"): The shekel by which Absalom's hair was weighed (2 Samuel 14:26), probably the light shekel of 130 grains.

See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY; SACRED SHEKEL

(sheqel ha-qodhesh (Numbers 7 passim)): The same as the silver shekel mentioned under SHEKEL (which see), except in Exodus 38:24, where it is used in measuring gold. The term is used for offerings made for sacred purposes.