Weights and measures, liquid

These terms derive originally from the containers used, which held a fixed amount. There is some uncertainty about the capacity of the bath, and therefore of other liquid measures dependent upon it. Measures are given in ascending order, with their approximate imperial and metric equivalents.

Log (1/72 bath): about 1/2 pint (about 0.3 litre)

Leviticus 14:10 This is the only mention in Scripture of the log, as a measure of oil used in the ritual for cleansing infectious skin diseases. See also Leviticus 14:12–18, Leviticus 14:21–22

On the eighth day he is to bring two unblemished male lambs, an unblemished ewe lamb a year old, a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with olive oil, and one log of olive oil.

Hin (1/6 bath): about 7 pints (about 4 litres)

Exodus 29:38–41 The hin was used as a measure of oil, wine and water. See also Leviticus 23:12–13; Numbers 15:4–10; Ezekiel 4:11, Ezekiel 46:5–7

This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar, each day: two lambs that are a year old. Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine. And offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

Bath (1 ephah): about 5 gallons (about 22 litres)

Ezekiel 45:11 The bath was the equivalent liquid measure of the ephah, and was used to measure oil, wine and water. See also 1 Kings 5:11, 1 Kings 7:38; 2 Chronicles 2:10; Ezra 7:21–22; Isaiah 5:10; Ezekiel 45:14; Luke 16:6 The measure translated as “eight hundred gallons” is “one hundred batous” in the original (“batos” being the Greek form of the Hebrew “bath”); John 2:6 The measure translated as “twenty to thirty gallons” is “two to three metretas” in the original, a Greek measure roughly equivalent to the bath.

The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure for both.