According to Exodus, how many cubits long was the courtyard around the Tabernacle?

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According to Exodus, the courtyard around the Tabernacle was 100 cubits long.

Exodus 27 gives the courtyard’s dimensions as 100 cubits in length and 50 cubits in width. It was an enclosed area surrounding the sanctuary, marked by linen hangings supported by pillars and bases. The entrance was positioned on the eastern side.

The courtyard was distinct from the Tabernacle’s inner structure. The Tabernacle itself contained the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, while the courtyard provided the surrounding sacred space where the altar and other objects were placed. This distinction matters because biblical measurements for the sanctuary and its enclosure are often discussed together.

A common error is to give 50 cubits as the length. In Exodus, 50 cubits is the courtyard’s width, while 100 cubits is its length. The cubit was an ancient measurement based broadly on the length of a forearm, so its exact modern equivalent is not fixed.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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