Weights and Measures Units in Petra Papyri

Mohammed Al-Nasarat

Abstract


Petra papyri is one of the most important discovers in the history of ancient Jordan, and provide evidence that there were specified metrological units in Petra during the Byzantine period. The use of these weights and measurements was common in ancient Petra during the Byzantine period. So, this study will try to discuss various weight and measure units and measures of capacity dray and liquid that were practiced by the people in Petra and the modern equivalents of these weights and measures, although today it is difficult to define exactly how much certain these historic units measured, as compared to modern equivalents.
Most of these measures were widely used and known by the eastern people even though they had variations in values. It seems that the people in Petra borrowed the measures technique from the Romans. This study will depend on the papyri of Petra and sources of the measures such as Epiphanius of Salamis.


Keywords


Weight; Measure; Petra papyri; Petra; Metrological units; Roman measures

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/10345

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