Convert Span (Cloth) (span) to Long Cubit (long cubit) instantly.
About these units
Span (Cloth) (span)
The span is a unit traditionally used in textile measurement, equal to the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended, approximately 22.86 cm (9 inches). This anthropometric unit was widely used by weavers and cloth merchants to measure lengths of fabric quickly and intuitively. Its small scale made it convenient for practical applications where tape measures or rulers were unavailable. The span also appears in cultural and historical texts as a natural unit of human proportion. While largely obsolete today, it offers insight into pre-industrial textile practices and the anthropometric basis of early measurement systems.
Long Cubit (long cubit)
The long cubit is an extended form of the traditional cubit, often adding an extra palm or handbreadth, resulting in a measurement of approximately 0.525 meters. It was used in ancient Egypt, Israel, and surrounding regions for larger construction projects. This unit allowed architects to scale up structures while maintaining proportionality, particularly in monumental architecture like temples, palaces, and pyramids. Its standardized use enabled consistency across multiple teams of builders working simultaneously on expansive projects. The long cubit also appears in historical and religious texts, giving scholars a reference for interpreting ancient measurements and architectural descriptions.