Exactly how long is the Old Testament's measurement of "one cubit"?

Question

I've heard that a loose equivalent would have been the length of a man's shoulder to the tips of his fingers. But this would have varied greatly depending on the size of the man.

Answer 1

Bamma say he so old he tell Noah what cubit is. Bamma say 3 american feet. Bamma otta know.

Answer 2

"The earliest attested standard measure was called the Royal Cubit (Mahe) and was 523.5 to 524 mm (20.61 to 20.63 inches) in length, and was subdivided into 7 palms of 4 digits, giving a 28 part measure in total."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubit

Notice>fingers used to find person with the correct arm.



Also called an Ell:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ell

Answer 3

It was the length from a man's elbow to his finger tips, not from his shoulder; about 18 inches.  And yes, it would vary upon the individual.

Answer 4

This depends upon the time period in the Old Testament which used the "cubit" measurement.  At different times it mean slightly different lengths.

The loose equivalent would have been the distance from a man's elbow to the tip of his middle finger (between 17 and 18 inches), and yes this does vary depending upon the size and age of the man AND the time period during which this distance was used.  In Egypt, the Royal Cubit was based upon the current Pharaoh.  People have not remained the same over the centuries during which these measurements were used and recorded.

The Hebrew "Amah" (אמה) or "Amot" (אמות) commonly translated into "Cubit" has had a range from 432 to 576 mm (17.0 to 22.7 in.) at various times.

The cubit of Moses recorded in Exodus (Shemot) 25:10 "They shall make an Aron (Ark) of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its breadth a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height."

This cubit was about 480 mm (18.9 in.)

The cubit of Noah was slightly smaller.  This cubit was about 446.5 mm ( 17.57 in.), but this topic has been under debate for centuries.  This "cubit" is probably based upon the Babylonian cubit, not the Egyptian Royal cubit.

The biggest problem with ancient units of measurement is that the details tend to get lost in translation.  Only in the KJV of the Bible (and later translations) does the word "Cubit" appear.