קשיטה

Hebrew

Noun

קְשִׂיטָה • (k'sitá) f

1. (archaic) A lamb or lambs.
2. (archaic) A "lamb" or "lambs": an ancient piece of money, presumably the lamb-shaped currency known from Ancient Egyptian monuments.
   • Genesis 33:19:

     וַיִּקֶן אֶת־חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר נָטָה־שָׁם אָהֳלוֹ מִיַּד בְּנֵי־חֲמוֹר אֲבִי שְׁכֶם בְּמֵאָה קְשִׂיטָה׃

     vayikén et-khelkát hasadé ashér natá-sham oholó miyád b'nei-khamór avi sh'khém b'méa k'sitá.

     And he bought a parcell of a field where hee had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor Shechems father, for an hundred pieces of money.

   • Joshua 24:32:

     וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר־הֶעֱלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל ׀ מִמִּצְרַיִם קָבְרוּ בִשְׁכֶם בְּחֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה יַעֲקֹב מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־חֲמוֹר אֲבִי־שְׁכֶם בְּמֵאָה קְשִׂיטָה וַיִּהְיוּ לִבְנֵי־יוֹסֵף לְנַחֲלָה׃

     v'et-atz'mót yoséf asher-he'elú b'nei-yisra'él mimitzráyim kav'rú bish'khém b'khelkat hasadé ashér kana ya'akóv me'ét b'nei-khamór avi-sh'khém b'me'a k'sitá vayihyú liv'nei-yoséf l'nakhalá.

     And the bones of Ioseph, which the children of Israel brought vp out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcell of ground which Iacob bought of the sonnes of Hamor the father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of siluer; and it became the inheritance of the children of Ioseph.

   • Job 42:11:

     וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו כָּל־אֶחָיו וְכָל־אַחְיוֹתָיו וְכָל־יֹדְעָיו לְפָנִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ עִמּוֹ לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ וַיָּנֻדוּ לוֹ וַיְנַחֲמוּ אֹתוֹ עַל כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיא ה׳ עָלָיו וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ אִישׁ קְשִׂיטָה אֶחָת וְאִישׁ נֶזֶם זָהָב אֶחָד׃

     vayavó'u eiláv kol-ekháv v'khol-akhyotáv v'khol-yod'áv l'faním vayokhlú imó lékhem b'veitó vayanúdu lo vay'nakhamú otó al kol-hará'a asher-heví H. aláv vayit'nú-lo ish k'sitá ekhát v'ish nézem zaháv ekhád.

     Then came there vnto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had bin of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoned him, and comforted him ouer all the euill that the Lord had brought vpon him: euery man also gaue him a piece of money, and euery one an eare-ring of gold.

   • 1878, "Commerce", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. VI, p. 197:

     It may be doubted whether the hundred kesitas paid by Jacob for a field in Shalem were lambs or pieces of money having lambs as their insignia.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)