Omer

Biblical (Hebrew)Historical unit (no longer in standard use)Approximate value

A tenth of an ephah, about 2.2 L. The daily ration of manna in the Exodus account.

1 omer = 2.2 liters (approximately).

Approximate value. Standards for the omer varied by place and period, so this converter uses the most commonly cited value. Treat results as estimates, not exact figures.

About the omer

In Exodus 16 each Israelite is told to gather an omer of manna per person, which is the best known appearance of the word. It is sometimes translated as sheaf, and the same name was given to the first cut of the barley harvest offered at the Temple, from which the counting of the weeks to Shavuot takes its name. Elsewhere the unit is called the isaron, a tenth of an ephah.

Its size is disputed. The Jewish Study Bible is reported to give about 2.3 litres, close to the 2.2 litres used here, while the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia is reported to give about 3.64 litres. Rabbinic tradition counts it as 43.2 eggs, and a flour omer is put at roughly 1.56 to 1.77 kg. The liquid equivalent is a tenth of a bath. In modern terms it is a little over a two litre soda bottle.

Sources: Wikipedia: Omer (unit); Wikipedia: Biblical and Talmudic units of measurement

Omer conversion chart

1 omer expressed in every other volume unit:

More Biblical (Hebrew) units

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• bath (biblical) (volume)
• homer (volume)
• biblical cubit (length)
• Sabbath day's journey (length)
• shekel (biblical) (weight & mass)
• Hebrew talent (weight & mass)
• jubilee (time)

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