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Bath

Hebrew בַּת. Also called Bat.

The standard liquid measure — the same volume as the dry ephah.

Volume (liquid)
20–24 L (5.28–6.34 gal). Defined as 1 ephah. Inherits the disagreement over the ephah.

The bath is the liquid twin of the ephah, and Ezekiel says so explicitly while insisting on honest measures. It is the unit the temple's bronze Sea is given in, and the one the dishonest steward's debtors owe their oil in.

The liquid measures, drawn to scale Clay jars at true volume beside a 6-foot man and familiar containers: a log, 278–333 ml, beside a 12-ounce can; a hin, a sixth of a bath, 3.33–4 L, beside a gallon jug; and a bath, the same as the dry ephah, 20–24 L (5.28–6.34 gal), beside a water-cooler bottle. Behind them, in dashed outline at true size, Solomon's bronze Sea, ten cubits across and five high, which held two thousand baths (1 Kings 7:23–26). Solomon’s Sea: two thousand baths40,000–48,000 L · 10,567–12,680 gal (1 Kings 7:23–26)a 6-ft (1.8 m) mana loga twelfth of a hin278–333 ml9.39–11.27 fl ozbeside a 12-oz cana hina sixth of a bath3.33–4 L3.52–4.23 qtbeside a gallon juga baththe same as an ephah20–24 L5.28–6.34 galbeside a water-cooler bottle
The bath is the liquid twin of the ephah: the same volume, measuring oil and wine instead of grain. A hin is a sixth of it, the measure the drink offerings are given in, and a log a twelfth of a hin. Each jar holds its measure at the middle of the range. The Sea’s shape is only sketched: the text gives its breadth and height, not its profile.

Where it appears

See also

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