Talent
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Definition
The talent was a unit of weight and currency in the ancient world, varying from approximately 26 kg in Hebrew usage to 60 kg in the Attic (Athenian) standard.
Explanation
Divided into 60 minas or 3,600 shekels in Mesopotamian systems, the talent was used to weigh metals — particularly gold, silver, and copper. In the New Testament parable of the talents, one talent of silver represented roughly 20 years of wages for a laborer. The English word 'talent' (meaning skill or gift) derives directly from this unit via the parable.
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