Some mathematical comments are in order to add to the discussion of pi.
This means that, given the assumptions above, the Biblical description of pi differs from the real value of pi by less than a fifteenth of a percent, or a measuring error of about a third of an inch. Not bad for measurements done by hand. Now about that assumption I mentioned ealier. A handbreadth is taken to be about 3 inches, sometimes being defined as one-sixth of a cubit. It is also reasonable for us to measure along the inside as well as the outside edges, since the verses don't explain how the measuring was done.