Table for measuring liquids, Maresha (limestone)

This table was a measuring instrument used by the market inspectors (agoranomoi) of Maresha to check the volumes of containers used by vendors to market their wine and oil. Its Greek inscription reads, “Year 170 (of the Seleucid era = 143 BCE) agoranomoi Antipatros son of [...]doros and Aristodomos son of Ariston[...].” The table was made of a soft limestone, into which four funnels of different sizes, labeled according to volume, were carved. When a funnel was filled to capacity, the stopper at the bottom would be removed, and the exact measure of liquid would flow into a vessel placed below it.