Mina (unit)

[1][2] The word mina comes from the ancient Semitic root m-n-w/m-n-y 'to count',[3] Akkadian manû,[4] Hebrew: מָנָה (mana), Imperial Aramaic: מָנָה/מְנָא (mana/mena),[5] Classical Syriac: ܡܢܳܐ (mena),[6] Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎐, romanized: mn.

It is mentioned in the Bible, where Solomon is reported to have made 300 shields, each with 3 "mina" of gold (Hebrew: ‏מָנֶה, romanized: mane),[7] or later after the Edict of Cyrus II of Persia the people are reported to have donated 5000 minas of silver for the reconstruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

[8] In the Code of Hammurabi which is considered one of the first examples of written law, the mina is one of the most used terms denoting the weight of gold to be paid for crimes or to resolve civil conflicts.

[9] In the Biblical story of Belshazzar's feast, the words mene, mene, tekel, upharsin appear on the wall (Daniel 5:25), which according to one interpretation can mean "mina, mina, shekel, and half-pieces", although Daniel interprets the words differently for King Belshazzar.

The word mina also occurs in Latin literature, but mainly in plays of Plautus and Terence adapted from Greek originals.

[23] In classical Latin the approximate equivalent of a mina was the libra (the word also meant "balance" or "weighing scales").

[24] With a weight of only 328.9 g (11.60 oz), however, the Roman libra was lighter than either a Greek mina or a modern pound of 16 ounces.