Ecclesiastes 8:1 Related Passages

Rebbi Jehudah bar Ilai drank his four cups in the Passover night and had a headache until Tabernacles. A lady saw that his face was shiny. She said to him, old man, old man, one of three things applies to you. Either you are drunk from wine, or you are lending on interest, or you are raising pigs. He answered her, this woman’s spirit shall be blown away, not one of these three things applies to me, but my learning is ever present with me, as it is written, a man’s wisdom illuminates his face.

Rebbi Abbahu descended to Tiberias. The students of Rebbi Joḥanan saw that his face was shining. They said before Rebbi Joḥanan, Rebbi Abbahu found a treasure. He asked them, why? They told him, his face is shining. He said to them, maybe he understood a new teaching. He came to visit him. He asked him, what new teaching did you hear? He said, an old Tosephta. He recited about him, a man’s wisdom illuminates his face

Rebbi Ḥanina said, the log of the Torah is the old Sepphorean eighth of fish sauce. Rebbi Jonah said, I know it. In the House of Rebbi Yannai they were measuring honey with it. It was stated, half of the old Tiberian eighth. Rebbi Joḥanan said, this one we used. Why did he not say, the old one? Because it was in his days. Some are saying, it was small, then was enlarged, and diminished, but it was not made small as before. What is the measure of a cup? Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi, Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Samuel: Two fingers by two fingers high a finger and a half and a third of a finger⁴⁰This value of 2×2×1⁵/₆ = 7¹/₃ cubic digits compares to a Babylonian value of 10.8 cubic digits (Babli 109a). A cubit is 24 digits. Various cubits were in use; therefore it is difficult to define this volume in modern terms. The variability of the cubit is mirrored in the Greek world by the many values given for the stadion, which varies from 148 m for the (Egyptian) itinerant stadion to the Greek sacramental 184 m. Based on the itinerant stadion and 1 mile = 7.5 stadia = 2000 cubits, one would obtain 91 cm³ for the cup.
In Terumot 10:7 (Note 80), a log is defined as (volume corresponding to a weight of) 200 denar. If volume of water is intended, this would make a cup of 155 cm³. In Terumot 5:3, the log is defined as the volume of 4 eggs, the modius (16 log) as 96 eggs (in the Babli, Eruvin 83a, 217 eggs, which, however, refers not to the Roman but the Syrian modius, twice the volume of the Roman). For the standard modius of 8.536 1, this gives the volume of a cup as the standard quartarius of 133 cm³ (Note 1).. It was stated, dried like the volume of an olive, the words of Rebbi Nathan. The rabbis of Caesarea in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Rebbi Nathan follows Rebbi Simeon. Just as Rebbi Simeon says, a quartarius, so Rebbi Nathan says, a quartarius, when it jells it will have the volume of an olive.