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Historical research: earrings worn by the Biblical Rebecca

12:01 pm - 07/18/2012
Recently, re-reading a Torah translation in Russian, I read that when Abraham sent his servant back to his native land to find a wife for his son Isaac, he sent him with some valuable gifts for the future bride. And when the servant met Rebecca (who became Isaac’s wife), he gave her gold bracelets weighing 10 shekels, and gold earrings weighing one-half a shekel. The weight of one shekel in those times was 14 grams. So each earring contained 7 grams of gold....
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keshiafowler 18th-Jul-2012 02:26 pm (UTC)
Wow! So cool I love things like that! From longtime ago!
dancingleaf 18th-Jul-2012 05:15 pm (UTC)
140 grams doesn't seem like that much for a bracelet. I just weighed a couple of mine and although most of the larger ones are about 50-60 grams each, wearing three at a time - wouldn't be that bad. I've got three on one wrist right now total weight, 156 gms. A little bulky but the weight is easily managed.

One bracelet is cuff style and hollow - if it was solid style instead - I wouldn't even notice it.
lizwinlove 19th-Jul-2012 07:46 am (UTC)
I don't think it's about that. 140 grams of solid gold was very very expensive in Abraham's time. It would be sort of like your husband buying you a lamborghini. Not because you need a car, but just a gift to shower on you. And actually, this was her future father in law, not her future husband that gave the gifts. So it wasn't even a romantic gesture, but a "welcome to the family".
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