The name "stone '' derives from the use of stones for weights, a practice that dates back into antiquity. The Biblical law against the carrying of "diverse weights, a large and a small '' is more literally translated as "you shall not carry a stone and a stone (אבן ואבן), a large and a small ''. There was no standardised "stone '' in the ancient Jewish world, but in Roman times stone weights were crafted to multiples of the Roman pound. Such weights varied in quality: the Yale Medical Library holds 10 and 50 - pound examples of polished serpentine, while a 40 - pound example at the Eschborn Museum (see right) is made of sandstone.
where does the weight measurement stone come from
the use of stones for weights