Difference between revisions of "Cubit"

<p> Many efforts have been made to ascertain the length of this measure, from which others could be calculated. Its name signifies that it was the measure of a man's arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Of course this would vary in different persons, and some measure would have to be taken as a standard. In the [[Palestine]] Exploration this subject has not been lost sight of. Many tombs have been measured, but they give no definite result. The inscription found in the Siloam tunnel states the length of the tunnel to be 1,200 cubits, as read by Major Conder; but 1,000 cubits as interpreted by Professor Sayce. [[Doubtless]] only a round number is intended. Its length has been found to be 1,750 feet; which makes the cubit by the two interpretations, 17.5 or 21 inches. There are however many other measurements that seem to give a cubit of 16 inches. Many of the ancient stones in the base of the temple area, the breadth of the pilasters found in the north-western corner of the area, together with their distances apart, and also the [[Galilean]] synagogues, all give a measure of 16 inches. 'Quarterly Statement,' Jan., 1894. </p> <p> In &nbsp;Ezekiel 41:8 we read of a 'great cubit,' and in the commencement of the description of the future temple the reed is described as being "six cubits long by the cubit and a handbreadth." &nbsp; Ezekiel 40:5 . This agrees with the former passage which speaks of 'a full reed of six great cubits.' From this we gather that there was an ordinary cubit, and a great cubit, the difference being a handbreadth, which is accounted to be the same as the palm, a sixth of a cubit. In &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:11 we find a cubit 'after the cubit of a man;' and in &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 3:3 , a cubit 'after the first measure,' or 'former' or 'older' measure. From these passages it is clear that there were different measures called the cubit. The 16 inches above named may have been the shortest, but what was the length of the longest is quiteuncertain. See WEIGHTSand [[Measures]] </p>

<p> [[Cubit]] n. L., the elbow signifying a turn or corner Gr. </p> 1. In anatomy, the fore arm the ulna, and bone of the arm from the elbow to the wrist. 2. In mensuration, the length of a mans arm from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger. The cubit among the ancients was of a different length among different nations. Dr. Arbuthnot states the Roman cubit at seventeen inches and four tenths the cubit of the scriptures at a little less than 22 inches and the English cubit at 18 inches.

<p> <strong> CUBIT </strong> . See [[Weights]] and Measures. </p>

<p> ''''' kū´bit ''''' ( אמּה , <i> ''''' 'ammāh ''''' </i> ; πῆχυς , <i> ''''' pḗchus ''''' </i> ): The standard for measures of length among the Hebrews. They derived it from the Babylonians, but a similar measure was used in Egypt with which they must have been familiar. The length of the cubit is variously estimated, since there seems to have been a double standard in both countries, and because we have no undisputed example of the cubit remaining to the present time. The original cubit was the length of the forearm, from the elbow to the end of the middle finger, as is implied from the derivation of the word in Hebrew and in Latin ( <i> cubitum </i> ). It seems to be referred to also in &nbsp;Deuteronomy 3:11 : "after the cubit of a man." But this was too indefinite for a scientific standard, and the [[Babylonians]] early adopted a more accurate method of measurement which passed to the nations of the West. They had a double standard, the so-called royal cubit and the ordinary one. From the remains of buildings in [[Assyria]] and Babylonia, the former is made out to be about 20, 6 inches, and a cubit of similar length was used in Egypt and must have been known to the Hebrews. This was probably the cubit mentioned by &nbsp; Ezekiel 40:5 and perhaps that of Solomon's temple, "cubits after the first measure" (&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 3:3 ), i.e. the ancient cubit. The ordinary cubit of commerce was shorter, and has been variously estimated at between 16 and 18 or more inches, but the evidence of the Siloam inscription and of the tombs in Palestine seems to indicate 17, 6 inches as the average length. See Weights And Measures . This was the cubit of six palms, while the longer one was of seven (&nbsp;Ezekiel 40:5 ). The cubit mentioned in &nbsp;Judges 3:16 is from a different word in Hebrew ( גּמד , <i> ''''' gōmedh ''''' </i> ) and was probably shorter, for [[Ehud]] girded it on his thigh under his clothing. </p> <p> The New Testament references are &nbsp;Matthew 6:27; &nbsp;Luke 12:25 , "Which of you ... can add a cubit unto the measure of his life?"; &nbsp;John 21:18 , "about two hundred cubits off"; &nbsp;Revelation 21:17 , "the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits." </p>