Stone Jar

Type Object Greek ὑδρία

A container made of stone used to store or carry water or other liquids.

Mycenean stone storage jar, Late Bronze Age, 1570-1200 BCE
Mycenean stone storage jar, Late Bronze Age, 1570–1200 BCE (© Zde, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Stone jar

About Stone Jar

Stone jars were water containers. In the only place in the Bible where these water containers are mentioned, they are described in unusual detail. Their capacity is given as “between twenty and thirty gallons” (GNT; about 80–120 liters), and they are said to be made of stone. Stoneware in Bible times was made from soft stone. It could be carved with a hammer and chisel and made smooth with various tools, or it could be turned on a lathe much like wood was turned by a carpenter.

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Key References

John 2:6

Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.

John 2:7

Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

John 4:28

Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people,

All Scripture References (3)

John (3)
John 2:6

Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.

John 2:7

Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

John 4:28

Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people,