{
  "id": "dict_000547",
  "term": "Bath",
  "slug": "bath",
  "letter": "B",
  "entry_type": "biblical_measurement_unit",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A bath is a biblical unit of liquid measure used for liquids such as oil, wine, and water.",
  "simple_one_line": "A bath is an ancient Hebrew measure for liquids.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical unit of liquid capacity, roughly parallel to the ephah as a dry measure.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "ephah",
    "hin",
    "homer",
    "omer",
    "measure",
    "temple"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Ephah",
    "Hin",
    "Homer",
    "Omer",
    "Weights and Measures"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "A bath is an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure mentioned in Scripture in contexts of trade, royal provision, and temple administration.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A bath was a standard biblical measure for liquids.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Used for liquid capacity",
    "appears in Old Testament legal, temple, and administrative settings",
    "modern equivalents are approximate",
    "often paired conceptually with the ephah, a dry measure."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "In Scripture, a bath is a Hebrew unit used to measure liquids. It appears in contexts involving temple provisions, trade, and daily life and is often discussed alongside the ephah, a dry measure.",
  "description_academic_full": "In the Bible, a bath is an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid capacity used in ordinary, economic, and temple-related settings. It is commonly associated with other biblical measures and is often treated as the liquid counterpart to the ephah, which served as a dry measure. Exact modern equivalents are uncertain and should be described only approximately. The term is important for understanding Old Testament descriptions of resources, offerings, and temple administration, but it is a measurement term rather than a doctrinal concept.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Baths appear in passages describing temple furnishings, royal and commercial quantities, and land or temple regulations. The measure helps readers understand the scale of biblical descriptions without forcing a precise modern conversion.",
  "background_historical_context": "Like other ancient Near Eastern units, the bath functioned as a practical standard for liquids rather than as an abstract theological idea. Its size likely varied somewhat across time and usage, so modern conversions are approximate rather than exact.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel, liquid measures were part of everyday life, agriculture, trade, and sacrificial administration. The bath belongs to that practical measurement system and is best understood within the broader network of Hebrew units.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "1 Kings 7:26, 38",
    "2 Chronicles 4:5",
    "Ezekiel 45:10-11, 14"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "2 Chronicles 2:10",
    "Isaiah 5:10"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew בַּת (bath), a unit of liquid measure. It is commonly understood as the liquid counterpart to the ephah.",
  "theological_significance": "Bath has little direct doctrinal significance, but it supports accurate reading of Old Testament texts by clarifying quantities, temple administration, and ordinary economic life.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The term illustrates how Scripture speaks concretely and historically, using real-world measures tied to ordinary life. Interpreters should resist flattening ancient units into exact modern equivalents when the biblical text does not provide them.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Modern conversions are approximate and should not be treated as precise. The bath is a measurement term, not a theological doctrine, so it should be read in context rather than allegorized.",
  "major_views_note": "Readers generally agree that a bath is a Hebrew liquid measure, though scholarly estimates of its modern size vary. The basic meaning of the term is not disputed.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "The bath should not be used to build doctrine beyond its textual purpose. It is a data point for interpretation, not a basis for theological speculation.",
  "practical_significance": "Understanding the bath helps readers grasp the scale of biblical quantities, offerings, and provisions more accurately and avoids confusion when reading temple or trade passages.",
  "meta_description": "Bath is a biblical unit of liquid measure used in Old Testament passages involving temple supplies, trade, and daily life.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/bath/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/bath.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}