ephah

1 9.9

A dry measure used in ancient Israel of about 22 liters

noun
/ˈiːfə/

Archaic

: efa

In biblical times, an ephah was used to measure dry goods, typically amounting to about 22 liters.

Examples

A merchant in Jerusalem sold wheat by the ephah, a common unit of measure in biblical times.
According to the ancient records, an ephah of barley was offered every day as part of the ritual.
The recipe called for nearly an ephah of flour, reflecting the large scale of the feast.
The ephah was used in ancient times.
How much is an ephah?
She gleaned in the field until evening and found that she had gathered about an ephah of barley.
The ancient scriptures mention that a grain offering should consist of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour.

Surface Forms

ephah singular

ephahs plural

Etymology

Ephah comes from the Hebrew word 'ephah', which meant a dry measure for grain. Think of it like an old 'bushel' or a big basket used to measure wheat, which is why an ephah refers today to that ancient unit of about 22 liters.