Biblical and Talmudic units of measurement were used primarily by ancient
Israelites and appear frequently within the
Hebrew Bible as well as in later
Judaic scripture, such as the
Mishnah and
Talmud. These units of measurement are still an important part of Jewish life today. There is much debate within Judaism, as well as by outside scholars, about the exact relationship between measurements in the system and those in other measurement systems, such as the
English units system used in the
United States of America. Classical statements, such as that an
Etzba was seven
barleycorns laid side by side, or that a
Log was equal to six medium-sized eggs, are so indefinite and vague as to be nearly useless. Nevertheless, the entire system of measurement corresponds almost exactly with
the Babylonian system, and in all probability the Israelite measurement system was derived from the Babylonian, with some lesser level of influence from
the Egyptian system. It may therefore be assumed that the relationship between the Israelite measurements and contemporary units is the same as the relationship between the Babylonian system and contemporary units.