What is a cubit?

The cubit was a common O.T. measure of length. Although scholars are still discussing its exact length, it seems the common cubit was eighteen inches, or a foot and a half (about 46 cm). Thus the Ark, at 300 cubits in length, was 450 feet, or 300 x 1.5 x 12 x 2.54 cm = 137 meters long.

The royal cubit was twenty inches (51 cm), while the long cubit measured twenty-two inches (56 cm). In general, to go from standard cubits to feet, just multiply by 1.5. To convert roughly to meters, divide by 2.

This article is copyrighted and is for private use and study only.