Image Credit: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David

This is a really great discovery. A two-gerah stone weight discovered in Jerusalem that is mislabeled in terms of its actual weight.

The Hebrew scriptures frequently call out issues of fair scales:

כְּנַ֗עַן בְּיָד֛וֹ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אָהֵֽב

A trader, in his hand [are] weights of deceit, he loves to exploit.” (Hosea 12:8)

לֵאמֹ֗ר מָתַ֞י יַעֲבֹ֤ר הַחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ וְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָה שֶּׁ֔בֶר וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וְנִפְתְּחָה־בָּ֑ר לְהַקְטִ֤ין אֵיפָה֙ וּלְהַגְדִּ֣יל שֶׁ֔קֶל וּלְעַוֵּ֖ת מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃

“…to say, When will the New [Moon] pass and we will buy grain? The Sabbath and we will open wheat? To make small an eyfah and to make large a sheqel and to make crooked weights of deceit…” Amos 8:5

מֹאזְנֵ֣י מִ֭רְמָה תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶ֖בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֣ה רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃

“Weights of deceit [are] a disgust of YHWH, but a full stone [is] his delight.” (Proverbs 11:1)

תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה אֶ֣בֶן וָאָ֑בֶן וּמֹאזְנֵ֖י מִרְמָ֣ה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃

“A disgust of YHWH [is] a stone and stone,and weights of deceit [are] not good.” (Proverbs 20:23)