Lineal Measures

This unit is found in Persepolis (19.2), and 19.2 modern Persia (2 X 19.3), also the cubit of 488 Gudea and of the tower of Babylon (19.5) in the west in Asia Minor (19.3) and as the Pythic foot (9.75, 4-19.5). Two-thirds of this, a foot of 12.83, seems to be a unit of buildings at Knossos.

20.0 The great U of 39.96 (Oppert) is possibly a 507 variant of the preceding, found in some Assy rian buildings as 19.97.

21.6

By the recorded circuit of Khorsabad the U is 10.806, hence the series of multiples on the tablets is: In Phrygia this was 21.8 at Ushak; in Italy it was 21•86 in Lucania, and half of 21•7 or 21•9 as the Oscan foot. It may occur in square prehistoric earthworks in England. In Egypt there are late cubits of 21• 11, 21.16, 21.33 which may be the same. In Persia it was likewise a smaller form, as: 22.2 This important unit was used in Phoenicia, at 564 Byblos 1 1.1O, for the Erechtheion 11.09, and in Punic colonies, Carthage, Sardinia, and the Hauran, 11.08 11.17. The double of 11.30 is the commonest unit of tombs at Jerusalem.

There are very few evidences of this measure.

inches mm.

Divisions on a wall at Abydos give 25.13. The

25.1 638 contents of the brazen sea of Solomon, taking the bath as 2380 c.c., would imply a cubit of 23.o if cylindrical, or 26.2 if hemispherical. This at least proves a cubit much longer than the Egyptian. Oppert concluded that Assyria had a cubit one-sixth longer than 21.6, i.e., 25.2. Measures of buildings point to 25.28 in Palestine, and 25.34 in Persia, where the guerze is 25 inches.

There are not included here some suggestive but debatable evidences of various units, such as the course heights of the pyramid of Khufu (Anc. Eg. 1925,39), and the subsidiary marks of units on the standard cubits.

It may be noted how usually a stadium or furlong measure has been established; there are seven named above, 7258, 7290, 7506, 7704, and 7920 inches. These may result from convenient lengths for the plough furrow. It is easy to find coincidences with so many values to choose from.

Areas are passed by, as they involve very uncertain factors of methods of cultivation, length of furrow, influence of measures of seed, and varying ability of ploughing due to soil.