How big was the veil in the holy of holies?

A:Josephus (Wars, Book 5) describes the curtain as he would have known it as a young priest working in the Temple before its destruction in 70 CE. He says it was 55 cubits high and 16 cubits wide (82.5 feet x 24 feet). His detailed descrition gives no hint of any damage or repairs to the curtain.

Josephus says nothing of its thickness, but a later midrash seems to describe it as being as thick as a man's hand. This should be regarded as an exaggeration, since such an astounding dimension for a fine linen curtain would have attracted Josephus' attention and caused him to mention it in his very detailed description. Later rabbinic commentary tags this description as hyperbolic language.