Litra

A litra (plural: litrae; Ancient Greek: λίτρα) is a small silver coin (or unit of measurement for other precious metals) used in the colonies of Ancient Greece in general and in ancient Sicily in particular. As a coin, the litra was similar in value to the obol[1] and weighed one-third of a Roman libra, i.e. 109.15 g (3.850 oz).[2] In silver, the coin weighed 0.87 g (0.031 oz) and was equal to one-fifth of a drachma.[2]

For the Byzantine unit, see Byzantine litra.
A litra from Sicily, ca. 430 BC.

In the 3rd-century apocryphal New Testament text known as the Acts of Thomas, Jesus sells Thomas to an Indian merchant "for three litrae of silver unstamped".[3]

In the Talmud, the litra is a unit of measurement, the equivalent of 60 shekels, weighing 354 g (12.5 oz).[4]

References
  1. William Smith, ed. (1845). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (3rd American ed.). New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 594. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  2. Stumpf, Gerd. "Litra". Brill's New Pauly. Retrieved 25 July 2011.(subscription required)
  3. "The Acts of Thomas". Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments. Gnostic Society Library. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  4. Ettinger, Yair (9 September 2011). "'Torah archaeology' sheds light on ancient Talmudic dispute". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 September 2011.

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