Biblical Cubit (cubit)

Biblical (Hebrew)Historical unit (no longer in standard use)Approximate value

The cubit of the Hebrew Bible, taken here as the rabbinic cubit of about 54 cm (21 in). Estimates range from about 48 cm to 57.6 cm, so the exact value is debated.

1 biblical cubit = 0.54 meters (approximately).

Approximate value. Standards for the biblical cubit varied by place and period, so this converter uses the most commonly cited value. Treat results as estimates, not exact figures.

1 biblical cubit = 0.54 meters

About the biblical cubit

Latin cubitum means elbow, and the cubit began as the span from elbow to fingertip. The Hebrew term is amah. The Bible gives measurements in cubits for Noah's Ark, the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple, so the length matters to anyone trying to reconstruct them. Since arms differ, the unit varied by country and era, and no single figure is certain.

In the second century CE the rabbis defined a cubit as six handbreadths, each of four fingerbreadths, which gives roughly 54 cm. Later authorities disagree: Avraham Chaim Naeh calculated 48 cm, and the Chazon Ish 57.6 cm. Maimonides also described a shorter cubit of five handbreadths for measuring the altar. The 54 cm rabbinic figure is the one used here. A rough modern comparison is the length of a forearm and a hand, or between 19 and 23 inches.

Sources: Wikipedia: Cubit; Wikipedia: Sabbath day's journey (biblical mile)

Biblical Cubit conversion chart

1 biblical cubit expressed in every other length unit:

Unit1 biblical cubit
Meters0.54
Kilometers0.00054
Centimeters54
Millimeters540
Inches21.25984252
Feet1.771653543
Yards0.5905511811
Miles0.0003355404438
Micrometers540,000
Nanometers540,000,000
Nautical Miles0.0002915766739
Pixels (CSS)2,040.944882
Light-years5.707804504×10⁻¹⁷
Picometers540,000,000,000
Femtometers540,000,000,000,000
Decimeters5.4
Hectometers0.0054
Decameters0.054
Thou21,259.84252
Points1,530.708661
Picas127.5590551
Twips30,614.17323
Astronomical Units3.609677046×10⁻¹²
Light-seconds1.801246114×10⁻⁹
Light-minutes3.002076857×10⁻¹¹
Light-hours5.003461428×10⁻¹³
Parsecs1.750020816×10⁻¹⁷
Megaparsecs1.750020816×10⁻²³
Angstroms5,400,000,000
Fathoms0.2952755906
Cable Lengths0.002915766739
Leagues0.0001118468146
Nautical Leagues0.00009719222462
Furlongs0.00268432355
Chains0.0268432355
Rods0.107372942
Links2.68432355
Hands5.31496063
Barleycorns63.77952756
Palms7.086614173
Spans2.362204724
Cubits1.181102362
Ells0.4724409449
US Survey Feet1.77165
US Survey Miles0.0003355397727
Stadia0.0028125
Roman Inches21.95121951
Roman Feet1.824324324
Roman Cubits1.216216216
Roman Paces0.3648648649
Roman Stadia0.002918918919
Roman Miles0.0003648648649
Roman Leagues0.0002432432432
Greek Feet1.6875
Royal Cubits1.028571429
Egyptian Palms7.2
Egyptian Fingers28.8
Khet0.01028571429
Sabbath Days' Journeys0.0005
Sun17.82
Shaku1.782
Ken0.297
Jō0.1782
Chō0.00495
Ri (Japanese)0.0001375
Fen (Chinese)162
Cun (Chinese)16.2
Chi (Chinese)1.62
Zhang (Chinese)0.162
Li (Chinese)0.00108
Vershoks12.14848144
Arshins0.75928009
Sazhens0.2530933633
Versts0.0005061867267
Lignes239.37984
Pouces19.94832
Pieds Du Roi1.66236
Toises0.27706
Lieues0.00013853
Varas0.6460102883
Leguas0.00009690154325
Wa (Thai)0.27
Sen (Thai)0.0135
Scandinavian Mil0.000054

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