Page:Origin of metallic currency and weight standards.djvu/264

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allowed for it will yield a Mina of about the same weight as No. 1.

(3) 'Ten Manahs' (somewhat injured), bears the name of 'Dungi,' according to George Smith, King of Babylon circ. B.C. 2000.

Wt., 4986 gram., yielding a Mina of 498·6 gram.


On three of the Lions we read as follows:


(1) 'The Palace of Shalmaneser [circ. B.C. 850] King of the Country, two manahs of the King,' in cuneiform characters, and 'Two Manahs' weight of the country' in Aramaic characters.

Wt., 1992 gram., yielding a Mina of 996 gram.

(2) 'The Palace of Tiglath-Pileser [circ. B.C. 747], King of the Country, two Manehs' in cuneiform characters.

Wt., 946 gram., yielding a Mina of 473 gram.

(3) 'Five Manahs of the King' in cuneiform characters, and 'Five Manahs' weight of the country' in Aramaic characters.

Wt., 5042 gram., yielding a Mina of 1008 gram.


The results which we obtain from these weights are that there were evidently two standards used side by side in the Assyrio-Babylonian empire, the Mina of one being about 1010 gram., that of the other about 505 gram. In other words one standard was simply the double of the other; also the weights on which Aramaic legends appear are those which belong to the double standard. Again, there is no evidence that the Talent was as yet conceived, as all the weights are Minae or fractions (or multiples) of Minae. Might we not equally well expect fractions of the Talent, as for instance to find the weight of 30 Manahs described as half a Talent, if the Talent already at this period formed part of the system[1]?

But there is one most important point to be noticed. The single mina of 505 gram, is plainly different from the minaby the deified Dungi, a former king." This confirms my contention that the mina is prior in date to the talent.]

  1. ↑ Prof. Sayce (Academy, Dec. 19th, 1891) publishes a weight from Babylonia inscribed "One maneh standard weight, the property of Merodach-sar-ilani, a duplicate of the weight which Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, the son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, made in exact accordance with the weight [prescribed
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