Egyptian Palm (palm)

Ancient EgyptianHistorical unit (no longer in standard use)Approximate value

One seventh of a royal cubit, about 7.5 cm. Four fingers (digits) made a palm.

1 Egyptian palm = 0.075 meters (approximately).

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

About the Egyptian palm

Four finger widths side by side made one palm, the breadth of the hand across the knuckles without the thumb. Its Egyptian name is given as shesep, and modern writers also call it a hand or handsbreadth. Seven palms made a royal cubit, so the palm is a seventh of that rod and comes to 7.5 cm at a cubit of 52.5 cm. Ordinary common cubits in other cultures had only six palms, which is one reason Egyptian rods are easy to recognise.

Surviving rods show that the palm was a working division. Each rod was cut into seven palms, and the palms were split into fingers and finer fractions, so masons and carpenters could check a stone or a timber against a standard instead of their own hands. The palm shifts slightly with the cubit it comes from, since rods are measured at about 52.35 to 52.92 cm, giving palms of about 7.48 to 7.56 cm. Related units include the remen of five palms, about 37.5 cm, and a foot of four palms, close to 30 cm.

Sources: Wikipedia: Ancient Egyptian units of measurement; Wikipedia: Cubit

Egyptian Palm conversion chart

1 Egyptian palm expressed in every other length unit:

More Ancient Egyptian units

• royal cubit (length)
• Egyptian finger (length)
• khet (length)

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