How big were the Ten Commandments stone tablets?

[tonychanyt]

Deuteronomy 10:

1 At that time the Lord said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark. 2 I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”

They wouldn't be too big for Moses to carry them up the mountain and smaller than the dimensions of the ark.

Exodus 37:1

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood--two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.

The ark was approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in.

Wiki:

According to the Talmud, each Tablet was square, six Tefachim (approximately 50 centimeters, 20 inches) wide and high, and more a thicker block than a tablet, at three Tefachim (25 centimeters, 10 inches) thick

According to traditional teachings of Judaism in the Talmud, they were made of blue sapphire stone as a symbolic reminder of the sky, the heavens, and ultimately of God's throne. Many Torah scholars, however, have opined that the biblical sapir was, in fact, lapis lazuli (see Exodus 24:10, lapis lazuli is a possible alternate rendering of "sapphire" the stone pavement under God's feet when the intention to craft the tablets of the covenant is disclosed Exodus 24:12).

 

[AV1611VET]

A little off-record, Tony, but sapphire ranks 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Yet they broke when Moses threw them down.

Exodus 32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

Moses carved the second set himself.

Exodus 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

 

[tonychanyt]

A little off-record, Tony, but sapphire ranks 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Good point

 

[Grip Docility]

Deuteronomy 10:


They wouldn't be too big for Moses to carry them up the mountain and smaller than the dimensions of the ark.

Exodus 37:1


The ark was approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in.

Wiki:

Honestly, this one is easy. They were 5 by 5.