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bekah

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An ancient Hebrew unit of weight equal to half a shekel, approximately 0.2 ounces or 5.5 grams; appears in biblical texts.

Detailed Definition
The bekah (or beka), from Hebrew meaning "half" or "division," measured half a shekel (about 5.5 grams or 0.2 ounces). Biblical texts reference bekahs in temple tax and precious metal contexts. In poetry engaging with biblical themes, ancient Hebrew culture, or sacred texts, bekah provides authentic scriptural measurement. The term evokes biblical narrative, temple worship, and ancient Hebrew economic and religious practice. Poets employed bekahs when treating biblical subjects, adding specific scriptural authenticity and connecting to the detailed material culture present in sacred texts and ancient Hebrew daily life.
Example
Example in poetry:
In biblical poetry and verse translations, "half a shekel, one bekah for the temple tax" maintains scriptural authenticity and measurement precision; Poetry engaging with Exodus might reference "a bekah a head, for all those numbered" when describing the census and sanctuary contribution; In verse exploring ancient Hebrew daily life, "the silversmith weighed out three bekahs" grounds commercial transactions in historical detail; Modern poets writing about archaeological discoveries might describe "coins marked in bekahs, found in temple ruins" to connect ancient text with material evidence; Religious poetry could invoke "each bekah given, each soul counted" to explore themes of communal obligation and sacred contribution; Historical verse about ancient Near Eastern trade might contrast various weight systems: "the bekah of Israel, the obol of Greece, each people with their own small measure."
Additional Notes
The bekah appears specifically in biblical contexts, particularly Exodus 38:26 describing the temple tax. Students translating or engaging with biblical poetry must maintain "bekah" for scriptural authenticity and connection to original Hebrew text. The term derives from Hebrew "baqa" meaning "to divide" or "split," emphasizing its role as half-shekel. Understanding bekah, shekel, and gerah relationships (1 shekel = 2 bekahs = 20 gerahs) helps students grasp biblical measurement systems. In religious poetry, the bekah can represent precision in sacred contexts—even fractional amounts matter in temple worship. Archaeological discoveries of ancient weight stones marked with bekah values confirm biblical descriptions' historical accuracy. Students should recognize how measurement terminology grounds abstract religious texts in material culture. The bekah's small size makes it useful poetically for emphasizing minuteness or careful accounting in sacred contexts. Related terms include shekel, gerah, talent, and mina, all forming coherent ancient Near Eastern weight and currency system.
Also Known As
beka half-shekel
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