An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure, roughly equivalent to a bushel, used for measuring grain and other dry goods.
From Hebrew 'ephah' (אֵיפָה), a term borrowed into Greek and then English biblical and historical texts. The word appears in ancient Near Eastern trade records and the Hebrew Bible, likely deriving from an earlier Semitic root related to measurement.
An epha was so important to ancient commerce that cheating on measurements—using a smaller epha to sell but a larger one to buy—was considered one of the most serious merchant crimes in biblical times, right alongside theft.
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