Measurements in the Bible—Evidence at St. Étienne for the Length of the Cubit and the Reed

Our work at the burial caves at St. Étienne has yielded an unexpected bonus by clarifying the length of the cubit and the reed, units of measurement mentioned frequently in the Bible.

The cubit—actually the Egyptian cubit—was the standard measure of length in the Biblical period. The priestly tabernacle, the Temple of Solomon and many other structures are described in the Bible in cubit measurements. In fact, there were two different cubits, the long or royal cubit and the short cubit. Scholars have used various means to determine the length of the cubits, more or less with success. The long cubit is approximately 52.5 centimeters and the short cubit is about 45 centimeters.

When we began measuring the tomb complexes at St. Étienne, we immediately noticed that the entrance chamber of Cave Complex 1 measured 5.3 meters by 4.2 meters. Thus it was 10 long (or royal) cubits by 8 long cubits. The ceiling was 7 long cubits high. The width of the step at the entrance to the Cave Complex 1 is 52 centimeters, 1 long cubit; the distance between the two sockets on top of the step is also 52 centimeters. The length of the pit in which the metal box was found is 105 centimeters, 2 long cubits. The width of this pit is 50 centimeters, about 1 long cubit.