dry volume
How much is a biblical ephah?
An ephah was a major Hebrew dry measure, represented here as about 22 litres.
Interactive reference
Convert a biblical measurement
Choose a unit and enter an amount to see a modern metric and labeled US customary or Imperial range.
ephah — An ephah was a major Hebrew dry measure, represented here as about 22 litres.
Ancient jars and regional standards differ. Litres express capacity, not the weight of grain or flour placed in that capacity.
Direct answer
1 ephah ≈ 21–23 L ≈ 5.55–6.08 US gal · 4.62–5.06 Imp gal
Ancient jars and regional standards differ. Litres express capacity, not the weight of grain or flour placed in that capacity.
Biblical ratio: 10 omers = 3 seahs = 1 ephah.
| Amount | Metric range | US customary / imperial range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ephah | 21–23 L | 5.55–6.08 US gal · 4.62–5.06 Imp gal |
| 2 ephahs | 42–46 L | 11.1–12.15 US gal · 9.24–10.12 Imp gal |
| 5 ephahs | 105–115 L | 27.74–30.38 US gal · 23.1–25.3 Imp gal |
| 10 ephahs | 210–230 L | 55.48–60.76 US gal · 46.19–50.59 Imp gal |
Primary reference: ESV Global Study Bible · Table of Weights and Measures ↗. The default system used for the representative estimates. The table says all equivalents are approximate and varied by time and place. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Bible passages using this unit
One omer is one tenth of an ephah
Exodus 29:40One tenth ephah and one quarter hin
Leviticus 5:11One tenth ephah of fine flour
Leviticus 6:20One tenth ephah divided morning and evening
Leviticus 14:10Three tenths ephah of flour and one log of oil
Leviticus 19:36A just ephah and a just hin
Leviticus 23:13Two tenths ephah and one quarter hin
Leviticus 24:5Two tenths ephah for each of twelve loaves
Questions about ephahs
How much is one ephah today?
21–23 L, or 5.55–6.08 US gal · 4.62–5.06 Imp gal, in this site's selected approximate system. Ancient jars and regional standards differ. Litres express capacity, not the weight of grain or flour placed in that capacity.
Is the ephah conversion exact?
No. Biblical weights and measures varied by period, place, and standard. The displayed range is for reading scale and should not be treated as a calibrated surviving object.
Can I turn the result into a modern price or food weight?
Not without additional evidence. Metal price, purchasing power, material purity, grain density, and container packing are separate questions from unit conversion.
Related units
kab
A kab was a small dry-capacity measure, approximately one litre in the default reference system.
omer
An omer was one tenth of an ephah, the daily manna measure named in Exodus 16.
seah
A seah was a dry measure of roughly 7.3 litres; three seahs made an ephah.
lethech
A lethech was a large dry measure, commonly taken as five ephahs or half a homer.