(Book of Numbers 8:1 - 8:4)
Jehovah told Moses to instruct Aaron, "When you set up the lamps, make sure they illuminate the area in front of the Menorah."
Aaron complied with what Jehovah had told Moses; he installed the lamps so that they would cast their light in front of the Menorah. The Menorah had been crafted entirely of beaten gold, from its base to its decorative elements shaped like blossoms. It had been made in strict accordance to a design shown to Moses by Jehovah.
Notes
1. It must be remembered that the Menorah, a part of the sacred furnishings of the Sanctum, was a stand for oil lamps, for candles would not be invented for many centuries. With its 7 stems, it was different from the familiar Chanukah Menorah, which has 9. The lamps must have had shades or reflectors that could be tilted or adjusted to direct the light of the flames.
2. Jehovah, the ultimate micro-manager, has not only designed the Menorah and its decorative motifs, but has to tell Aaron exactly how to set it up, as if the high priest couldn’t figure that out for himself. What's important is that the people be assured that everything the priests do, down to the smallest detail, the most insignificant act, is in exact conformity to the expressed orders of Jehovah.
Showing posts with label Tabernacle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tabernacle. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Dedication Offerings
(Book of Numbers 7:1- 7:89)
Moses had completed the erection of the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and all its utensils. At that time, the leaders of Israel, the clan heads and tribal chiefs, who were in charge of those who had been enrolled in the census, came with donations. These consisted of 6 large wagons pulled by 12 oxen. (There was a wagon for every two tribal chiefs and an ox for each.) These they presented at the Tabernacle.
Jehovah told Moses, "Accept the wagons and oxen from them so that they can be used in the transportation of the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites for their required work."
And so Moses accepted the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. Two of the wagons and four of the oxen were given to the Gershonites for their use, while the other four wagons and eight oxen were given to the Merarites who were under the supervision of Ithamar, the son the Aaron, the high priest. The Kohathites, however, were not given any, since the sacred objects they were in charge of transporting could be carried by hand.
When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought offerings to celebrate its dedication. These they presented before the altar. Jehovah instructed Moses, "Each day let one tribal chief present his offerings for the dedication of the altar."
The one who brought his offerings on the first day was Nahshon, the son of Amminabab, representing the Tribe of Judah. These offerings consisted of a silver plate weighing 130 shekels, a silver basin weighing 70 shekels, (according to the weights employed by the priests), both of them filled with choice flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one golden dish full of incense weighing 10 shekels, one young bull, one ram, and one yearling male lamb for a burnt offering, one male goat for a sin offering, 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 yearling male lambs for a peace offering. Such were the offerings of Nahshon, the son of Amminabab.
[Identical offerings were made by:]
Nethanel, the son of Zuar, chief of the Tribe of Issachar on the 2nd day
Eliab, the son of Helon, chief of the Tribe of Zebulun, on the 3rd day
Elizur, the son of Shedeur, chief of the Tribe of Reuben, on the 4th day
Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Simeon, on the 5th day
Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, chief of the Tribe of Gad, on the 6th day
Elishama, the son Ammihud, chief of the Tribe of Ephraim, on the 7th day
Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, chief of the Tribe of Manasseh, on the 8th day
Abidan, the son of Gideoni, chief of the Tribe of Benjamin, on the 9th day
Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Dan, on the 10th day
Pagiel, the son of Okran, chief of the Tribe of Asher, on the 11th day
Ahira, the son of Enan, chief of the Tribe of Naphtali, on the 12th day
In total, the offerings made by the Israelite tribal chiefs for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed were as follows: 12 silver plates, 12 silver basins, and 12 gold dishes. Each silver plate weighed 130 shekels, each silver basin, 70 shekels. Together, the silver weighed 2400 shekels (according to the weights used by the priests). The 12 gold dishes containing incense weighed 10 shekels each (according to the weights used by the priests). Together the gold weighed 120 shekels. The total number of sacrificial animals for the burnt offering was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 yearling male lambs, with the accompanying grain offerings. For the sin offering, 12 goats were sacrificed. For the peace offering the total number of animals sacrificed were 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling male lambs. These were the offerings made for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
When Moses entered the Sanctum to commune with Jehovah, he would hear his voice speaking from between the images of the Cherubim situated on the lid of the Chest of Sacred Records. It was in this way that Jehovah communicated with him.
Notes
1. The text is here condensed to eliminate redundancies. One feels it is not necessary to bore the reader by listing the identical offerings made by each tribal chief.
2. Judah's place of privilege among the sons of Israel allows his tribe to make the first offering. Each tribe, regardless of its population and wealth, are required to make the same contribution and bear an equal burden. It is similar to the United States in that each state is given equal power in the Senate with two Senators each.
3. With more than 20 animals being slaughtered on the altar every day for 12 days, the Tabernacle dedication would have been a ceremony of butchery and overwhelming blood and stench. But, to the ancient Israelites, such things would have been evocative of holiness. Also, this prodigal animal slaughter illustrates how rich in livestock were the Israelites, who were previously depicted as wandering, starving in the desert.
4. The biblical shekel, a measure of weight, is thought to be about .4 ounces. Therefore, 10 shekels = 1/4 pound, 30 shekels = 3/4 pounds, 70 shekels = 1 3/4 pounds, 120 shekels = 3 pounds, 130 shekels = 3 1/4 pounds, 1300 shekels = 32 1/3 pounds, 2400 shekels = 60 1/3 pounds. Silver (not actually in coinage) was used as a barter commodity in this part of the world, but probably beginning at a date later than the time of the Exodus. The weights used by the Hebrew priests would have been somewhat different than those used by merchants, thus the repeated stipulations in the texts that the Tabernacle weights are to be employed. In Egypt, silver, owing to its scarcity, once had a value greater than gold, but, by the 2nd millennium B.C., it was considered worth about half as much as gold.
5. Jehovah communicates to Moses from the Inner Sanctum, his voice coming from the space between the golden images of the winged Cherubim on the lid (Judgment Seat) of the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant). There was, then, no telepathic rapport between Moses and Jehovah. Moses could not call upon Jehovah wherever he happened to be, but had to visit him in the Inner Sanctum of the Tabernacle. One assumes that Moses spoke with a disembodied, spirit voice. Some, though, have intriguingly suggested that the Chest of Sacred Records contained a communication device, a receiver and a speaker by which a voice could have been transmitted and generated electronically. If this is true, the memory of such a device was lost, or conveniently forgotten. If it was a disembodied voice, why does it speak only at a certain location? For those who have had commerce with spirits have found that being in a specific place is not necessary for communication with them. Joan of Arc, for instance, heard her voices even in prison. Others have had their prayers answered regardless of where they happened to be. Spirit is not bound in the material world. There is much similarity between the voice of the Judgment Seat and the voices that reportedly emanated from the statues of the pagan gods and goddesses in their temples. There was always the idea that to speak to a god, you had to visit his temple and evoke him in spoken prayer and perhaps be responded to, audibly. This was the original rational for building temples and statues of divinities. But since the divinities were not always responsive to the lay individual, the concept of the priest as intermediary was born.
Moses had completed the erection of the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and all its utensils. At that time, the leaders of Israel, the clan heads and tribal chiefs, who were in charge of those who had been enrolled in the census, came with donations. These consisted of 6 large wagons pulled by 12 oxen. (There was a wagon for every two tribal chiefs and an ox for each.) These they presented at the Tabernacle.
Jehovah told Moses, "Accept the wagons and oxen from them so that they can be used in the transportation of the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites for their required work."
And so Moses accepted the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. Two of the wagons and four of the oxen were given to the Gershonites for their use, while the other four wagons and eight oxen were given to the Merarites who were under the supervision of Ithamar, the son the Aaron, the high priest. The Kohathites, however, were not given any, since the sacred objects they were in charge of transporting could be carried by hand.
When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought offerings to celebrate its dedication. These they presented before the altar. Jehovah instructed Moses, "Each day let one tribal chief present his offerings for the dedication of the altar."
The one who brought his offerings on the first day was Nahshon, the son of Amminabab, representing the Tribe of Judah. These offerings consisted of a silver plate weighing 130 shekels, a silver basin weighing 70 shekels, (according to the weights employed by the priests), both of them filled with choice flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one golden dish full of incense weighing 10 shekels, one young bull, one ram, and one yearling male lamb for a burnt offering, one male goat for a sin offering, 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 yearling male lambs for a peace offering. Such were the offerings of Nahshon, the son of Amminabab.
[Identical offerings were made by:]
Nethanel, the son of Zuar, chief of the Tribe of Issachar on the 2nd day
Eliab, the son of Helon, chief of the Tribe of Zebulun, on the 3rd day
Elizur, the son of Shedeur, chief of the Tribe of Reuben, on the 4th day
Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Simeon, on the 5th day
Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, chief of the Tribe of Gad, on the 6th day
Elishama, the son Ammihud, chief of the Tribe of Ephraim, on the 7th day
Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, chief of the Tribe of Manasseh, on the 8th day
Abidan, the son of Gideoni, chief of the Tribe of Benjamin, on the 9th day
Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Dan, on the 10th day
Pagiel, the son of Okran, chief of the Tribe of Asher, on the 11th day
Ahira, the son of Enan, chief of the Tribe of Naphtali, on the 12th day
In total, the offerings made by the Israelite tribal chiefs for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed were as follows: 12 silver plates, 12 silver basins, and 12 gold dishes. Each silver plate weighed 130 shekels, each silver basin, 70 shekels. Together, the silver weighed 2400 shekels (according to the weights used by the priests). The 12 gold dishes containing incense weighed 10 shekels each (according to the weights used by the priests). Together the gold weighed 120 shekels. The total number of sacrificial animals for the burnt offering was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 yearling male lambs, with the accompanying grain offerings. For the sin offering, 12 goats were sacrificed. For the peace offering the total number of animals sacrificed were 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling male lambs. These were the offerings made for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
When Moses entered the Sanctum to commune with Jehovah, he would hear his voice speaking from between the images of the Cherubim situated on the lid of the Chest of Sacred Records. It was in this way that Jehovah communicated with him.
Notes
1. The text is here condensed to eliminate redundancies. One feels it is not necessary to bore the reader by listing the identical offerings made by each tribal chief.
2. Judah's place of privilege among the sons of Israel allows his tribe to make the first offering. Each tribe, regardless of its population and wealth, are required to make the same contribution and bear an equal burden. It is similar to the United States in that each state is given equal power in the Senate with two Senators each.
3. With more than 20 animals being slaughtered on the altar every day for 12 days, the Tabernacle dedication would have been a ceremony of butchery and overwhelming blood and stench. But, to the ancient Israelites, such things would have been evocative of holiness. Also, this prodigal animal slaughter illustrates how rich in livestock were the Israelites, who were previously depicted as wandering, starving in the desert.
4. The biblical shekel, a measure of weight, is thought to be about .4 ounces. Therefore, 10 shekels = 1/4 pound, 30 shekels = 3/4 pounds, 70 shekels = 1 3/4 pounds, 120 shekels = 3 pounds, 130 shekels = 3 1/4 pounds, 1300 shekels = 32 1/3 pounds, 2400 shekels = 60 1/3 pounds. Silver (not actually in coinage) was used as a barter commodity in this part of the world, but probably beginning at a date later than the time of the Exodus. The weights used by the Hebrew priests would have been somewhat different than those used by merchants, thus the repeated stipulations in the texts that the Tabernacle weights are to be employed. In Egypt, silver, owing to its scarcity, once had a value greater than gold, but, by the 2nd millennium B.C., it was considered worth about half as much as gold.
5. Jehovah communicates to Moses from the Inner Sanctum, his voice coming from the space between the golden images of the winged Cherubim on the lid (Judgment Seat) of the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant). There was, then, no telepathic rapport between Moses and Jehovah. Moses could not call upon Jehovah wherever he happened to be, but had to visit him in the Inner Sanctum of the Tabernacle. One assumes that Moses spoke with a disembodied, spirit voice. Some, though, have intriguingly suggested that the Chest of Sacred Records contained a communication device, a receiver and a speaker by which a voice could have been transmitted and generated electronically. If this is true, the memory of such a device was lost, or conveniently forgotten. If it was a disembodied voice, why does it speak only at a certain location? For those who have had commerce with spirits have found that being in a specific place is not necessary for communication with them. Joan of Arc, for instance, heard her voices even in prison. Others have had their prayers answered regardless of where they happened to be. Spirit is not bound in the material world. There is much similarity between the voice of the Judgment Seat and the voices that reportedly emanated from the statues of the pagan gods and goddesses in their temples. There was always the idea that to speak to a god, you had to visit his temple and evoke him in spoken prayer and perhaps be responded to, audibly. This was the original rational for building temples and statues of divinities. But since the divinities were not always responsive to the lay individual, the concept of the priest as intermediary was born.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Duties of the Levites
(Book of Numbers 4:1 - 4:49)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. The work of the Kohathites at Tabernacle is the custodianship of sacred objects.
"When camp is broken, Aaron and his sons will take down the veil that surrounds the Inner Sanctum and with it cover the Chest of Sacred Records. Over the top of it they must lay a cloth of fine leather and over that, a cloth of blue. Then insert into the Chest of Sacred Records its carrying staves. Then put a blue cloth over the Showbread table, over its dishes, cups, and utensils used for drink offerings and the Showbread itself that is always displayed on it. It should be covered with a cloth of scarlet and one of fine leather. Afterwards, the carrying staves should be inserted into the table. Next they should cover with a blue cloth the Menorah, its lamps, wick trimmers, trays, and the jars of olive oil that are its fuel. These and all its accessories should be wrapped in fine leather and placed on a carrying frame. Spread a blue cloth over the gold Incense Altar and cover it with fine leather. Then insert the carrying staves into the altar. The remaining furnishings of the Sanctum should be covered with a blue cloth, wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying.
"They must clean the ashes from the Sacrificial Altar and cover it with a purple cloth. All the utensils used at the altar, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and basins, should be covered with the cloth, then wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying. Afterwards the carrying staves should be put in place.
"The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have completed covering all the articles of the Sanctum. As the camp sets out, the Kohathites will carry the afore-named objects, but they must not touch the sacred objects themselves, or else they will die. But these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites are responsible for transporting.
"Eleazar, the son of Aaron, will be responsible for the oil of the Menorah, the Sacred Incense, the daily grain offering, and the Anointing Oil. Moreover, he will be in charge of the entire Tabernacle, including the Sanctum and its sacred objects."
Jehovah warned Moses and Aaron, "Do not let the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe perish! So that they may be protected from being killed, Aaron or one of his sons must accompany the Kohathites whenever they enter the Sanctum and assign each man a specific task or object to carry. No Kohathite must be allowed to sneak into the Sanctum in order to gaze upon the uncovered sacred objects, even for an instant. Anyone who does so will be killed!"
Jehovah also instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Gershonite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. As a part of their duties the Gershonites will be entrusted with carrying the following objects: the curtains of the Sanctum, the covering to the Sanctum, including the fine leather outer covering that goes on top of it, the screen before the Sanctum entrance, the curtains that surround the Tabernacle courtyard, the curtains for the Tabernacle entrance, and all the cords and other equipment necessary for installing the curtains. Such are the items the Gershonites will be responsible for. Aaron and his sons will supervise the Gershonites, whether it involves transporting objects from the Tabernacle or other tasks, and they will assign to each Gershonite worker the load he is to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Gerhsonites will be responsible for and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar.
"Now record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Merarite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and are eligible to do work related to the Tabernacle. Their sole duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry the framework of the Sanctum, its crossbars, posts, and plinths, and the posts for the walls of the Tabernacle courtyard, with their plinths, tent pegs, ropes, and all related equipment. Each man will be assigned an object to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Merarites will be responsible for, and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar."
Moses, Aaron, and the other tribal leaders recorded by their families and clans the Kohathite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,750. This was the result of the census of Kohathites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Gershonite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,630. This was the result of the census of Gershonites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Merarite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 3,200. This was the result of the census of Merarites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses, Aaron, and the tribal leaders completed their census of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans, of those from 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle and work in its transportation. Their number totaled 8,580. After their names were recorded, as Jehovah had instructed Moses, each was given a specific task to carry out and told what he was to carry. And so the count was performed in accordance with the instructions Jehovah had given Moses.
Notes
1. While Aaron and his descendants have the privilege of being priests, the rest of the Levite tribe, as has been said before, are reduced to being holy roustabouts, beasts of burden. The work force is highly supervised; tasks are those a moron can perform. Aaron and his sons have all the authority and those who work for them in the Tabernacle are decidedly just menials.
2. The objects to be carried when camp is broken and the portable Tabernacle is disassembled would require the labor of dozens or scores of men, not thousands. There are only so many objects to carry. How could the Tabernacle find work for 8,580 men? It seems that consistently the numbers in Numbers are inflated by about a hundred times.
3. Ordinary objects become sacred when touching or even looking at them causes death. Jehovah is apparently so proprietary he will kill anyone that even breaths upon what he regards as his property. But it is not clear what happens to the violator. Is he suddenly burned up, struck by a lightning bolt, or does he merely drop dead. Or, is the person arrested, charged with a crime, and executed?
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. The work of the Kohathites at Tabernacle is the custodianship of sacred objects.
"When camp is broken, Aaron and his sons will take down the veil that surrounds the Inner Sanctum and with it cover the Chest of Sacred Records. Over the top of it they must lay a cloth of fine leather and over that, a cloth of blue. Then insert into the Chest of Sacred Records its carrying staves. Then put a blue cloth over the Showbread table, over its dishes, cups, and utensils used for drink offerings and the Showbread itself that is always displayed on it. It should be covered with a cloth of scarlet and one of fine leather. Afterwards, the carrying staves should be inserted into the table. Next they should cover with a blue cloth the Menorah, its lamps, wick trimmers, trays, and the jars of olive oil that are its fuel. These and all its accessories should be wrapped in fine leather and placed on a carrying frame. Spread a blue cloth over the gold Incense Altar and cover it with fine leather. Then insert the carrying staves into the altar. The remaining furnishings of the Sanctum should be covered with a blue cloth, wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying.
"They must clean the ashes from the Sacrificial Altar and cover it with a purple cloth. All the utensils used at the altar, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and basins, should be covered with the cloth, then wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying. Afterwards the carrying staves should be put in place.
"The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have completed covering all the articles of the Sanctum. As the camp sets out, the Kohathites will carry the afore-named objects, but they must not touch the sacred objects themselves, or else they will die. But these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites are responsible for transporting.
"Eleazar, the son of Aaron, will be responsible for the oil of the Menorah, the Sacred Incense, the daily grain offering, and the Anointing Oil. Moreover, he will be in charge of the entire Tabernacle, including the Sanctum and its sacred objects."
Jehovah warned Moses and Aaron, "Do not let the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe perish! So that they may be protected from being killed, Aaron or one of his sons must accompany the Kohathites whenever they enter the Sanctum and assign each man a specific task or object to carry. No Kohathite must be allowed to sneak into the Sanctum in order to gaze upon the uncovered sacred objects, even for an instant. Anyone who does so will be killed!"
Jehovah also instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Gershonite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. As a part of their duties the Gershonites will be entrusted with carrying the following objects: the curtains of the Sanctum, the covering to the Sanctum, including the fine leather outer covering that goes on top of it, the screen before the Sanctum entrance, the curtains that surround the Tabernacle courtyard, the curtains for the Tabernacle entrance, and all the cords and other equipment necessary for installing the curtains. Such are the items the Gershonites will be responsible for. Aaron and his sons will supervise the Gershonites, whether it involves transporting objects from the Tabernacle or other tasks, and they will assign to each Gershonite worker the load he is to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Gerhsonites will be responsible for and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar.
"Now record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Merarite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and are eligible to do work related to the Tabernacle. Their sole duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry the framework of the Sanctum, its crossbars, posts, and plinths, and the posts for the walls of the Tabernacle courtyard, with their plinths, tent pegs, ropes, and all related equipment. Each man will be assigned an object to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Merarites will be responsible for, and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar."
Moses, Aaron, and the other tribal leaders recorded by their families and clans the Kohathite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,750. This was the result of the census of Kohathites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Gershonite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,630. This was the result of the census of Gershonites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Merarite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 3,200. This was the result of the census of Merarites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses, Aaron, and the tribal leaders completed their census of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans, of those from 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle and work in its transportation. Their number totaled 8,580. After their names were recorded, as Jehovah had instructed Moses, each was given a specific task to carry out and told what he was to carry. And so the count was performed in accordance with the instructions Jehovah had given Moses.
Notes
1. While Aaron and his descendants have the privilege of being priests, the rest of the Levite tribe, as has been said before, are reduced to being holy roustabouts, beasts of burden. The work force is highly supervised; tasks are those a moron can perform. Aaron and his sons have all the authority and those who work for them in the Tabernacle are decidedly just menials.
2. The objects to be carried when camp is broken and the portable Tabernacle is disassembled would require the labor of dozens or scores of men, not thousands. There are only so many objects to carry. How could the Tabernacle find work for 8,580 men? It seems that consistently the numbers in Numbers are inflated by about a hundred times.
3. Ordinary objects become sacred when touching or even looking at them causes death. Jehovah is apparently so proprietary he will kill anyone that even breaths upon what he regards as his property. But it is not clear what happens to the violator. Is he suddenly burned up, struck by a lightning bolt, or does he merely drop dead. Or, is the person arrested, charged with a crime, and executed?
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Statutes of Jehovah
(Leviticus 19:1 - 19:37)
Jehovah spoke to Moses and told him to give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel, "Be holy because I, your god Jehovah is holy."
"You all must show respect to your mother and father, and you must observe the Sabbath. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not fall back into worshiping idols or casting brazen images of gods for yourself. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"When you make a peace offering to Jehovah make sure you that you carry it out with proper procedures so that it may be accepted on your behalf. The sacrifice should be eaten on the day that it is offered -- or the next day, but by the third day, anything left over should be burned up. If it is eaten on the third day, it is spoiled and, therefore, I will not accept it. Because they have desecrated what is sacred to Jehovah, those who eat it will be subject to punishment and should be banished from the community.
"When you harvest your crops, do not reap to the edges of your fields or gather up the remains. And in regard to your vineyards, do not pick them entirely clean or collect all the grapes that have fallen to the ground. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigners living among you. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not steal. Do not deceive or lie to one another. And do not swear falsely in my name, profaning the name of your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not defraud your neighbor or steal from him. Do not make those who work for you wait until the next day to receive their wages.
"Don't mock the deaf or trip up the blind.
"You must respect your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"In legal matters do not pervert justice either by favoring the poor or by deferring to the rich and powerful, but judge all your people with equal fairness.
"Do not spread slanderous gossip among your neighbors.
"Do not take advantage of your neighbor's death. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not bear resentment in your heart against any of your tribe. Reprove your neighbor when he is in the wrong so that you will not share his guilt. Nor should you seek vengeance against your neighbor, or bear a grudge against him, but respect him as yourself. Thus says Jehovah.
“Keep my statutes!
"Do not permit your livestock to breed with other species. Do not plant a field of yours with more than one kind of crop. And do not wear garments composed of two different kinds of materials.
"If a man has sexual relations with a female slave that has been promised to another man but the transfer of ownership has not taken place and she has not been given her freedom, there should be legal sanction. However, since she is not a free woman, but still a slave, the death penalty is not appropriate. Instead, the male offender should make a guilt offering to Jehovah, bringing a ram to the Sacrificial Altar. There, before the entrance to the Sanctum, the priest will make atonement for him with the sacrificed ram, and the sin he has committed will be forgiven.
"When you cultivate the land and plant fruit trees, refrain from harvesting the fruit for three years. You are prohibited from eating the fruit for those three years. On the fourth year, the entire harvest is to be consecrated to Jehovah as an offering of thanksgiving. But, on the fifth year, the fruit may then be eaten. Following this practice, and your harvests will increase. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not eat any food with blood in it.
"Do not practice fortune telling or augury.
"You should not shave the hair off the sides of your head or shape the edges of your beard.
"Do not cut or scourge yourself during mourning, or put any mark on your body. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not disgrace your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country will be filled with whores and promiscuity.
"Keep the Sabbath as a day of rest and regard with reverence my Tabernacle. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not consult mediums or necromancers or defile yourself by association with them. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Stand in the presence of your elders and honor the aged, for, by doing so, you show respect to your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"When a foreigner lives among you, do not abuse him; he should be treated as if he were a native-born inhabitant. Respect him as you would yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in Egypt. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not be dishonest when making measurements of length, width, and volume. You should employ accurate scales with true weights -- an honest ephah and an honest hin.
"I am Jehovah your god, the one who brought you out of Egypt. You must not only honor my statutes and ordinances, but put them into practice. Thus says Jehovah."
Notes
1. Jehovah, who has already laid out the Ten Commandments and other lists of statutes he demands the Israelites observe, has another go at listing do's and don't's, reiterating what he has already discussed, but also broaching new areas. Some, like not stealing, or refraining from selling your daughter into prostitution (which seems like a moral no-brainer), are of consequence, while others, like restrictions on trimming your beard, seem like mere tribal customs, significant only in that they may serve to distinguish the Israelites from other peoples. (Maintaining a unique ethnic identity was always a high priority for the Israelite and, later, Jewish people.)
2. The Ten Commandments prohibits the making and worshiping of idols. This prohibition is restated, but with the implication that the Israelites used to be idol worshipers and are here warned against falling back into their former bad habits. It is not made clear if this pertained to the adoration of household spirits, some other god, or Jehovah himself.
3. There are some interesting references to charitable practices, most notably the provision that farmers and fruit growers leave some of their crop for the poor and destitute. It was a widespread and common practice, though, up until modern times, for the poor to be allowed to glean harvested fields and not be chased off the land as trespassers by angry farmers.
4. Considering that the Israelites were anything if not xenophobic, it is surprising how accommodating they were expected to be of foreigners and resident aliens. The laws of hospitality, however, are ancient, if not prehistoric.
5. In addition to many sound precepts, such as equal justice under the law, honest sales practices, and a prohibition against vengeance seeking, there are some more sophisticated moral concepts that involve attitudes rather than actions. This is the first biblical exhortation to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Since the word love is used in so many different ways and often ambiguously, I have used what I believe to be the more accurate "respect.") There is also a prohibition against nurturing grudges and harboring resentments that foreshadows the Christian view that one should forgive one's enemies. Here, though, it seems the proscription against resentment, grudges, and revenge applies only to fellow Israelites and maybe neighbors, not enemies. At this early point in history the tribalistic mentality and conditional morality was universal: one treats members of the tribe, the in group, differently than the out group.
6. One should not allow your livestock to breed with other animals. Why was this a matter of concern to Jehovah? One would think that mating cows with rams would be unproductive in any case. Is this a prohibition against selective breeding, perhaps seen as unnatural? Was it wrong, for instance, to mate different breeds of cattle? The prohibition, perhaps of more symbolic than practical significance, reinforces Jehovah’s preference for and insistence upon homogeneity and uniformity. And a distaste for man tampering with the natural world.
7. Planting a field with only one crop might make agronomic sense, but wearing clothes made of different materials, where's the harm in that? (The cotton-nylon blend, the fur collar, the leather arm patches are sadly, but emphatically non-Levitical.) Clothes at that time were made primarily of wool, linen, leather or animal skins. What was the reference here? Was there some connotation of sinful luxury or abnormality in clothes of more than one fabric, such as wool and linen?
8. The provision on the cutting of the hair and the beard is anything but clear. It is hard to figure out precisely what is being prohibited. I believe Jehovah meant to outlaw Egyptian and Canaanite styles, specifically square-cut beards, shaven heads with side locks (which Egyptian youths wore), and “round” haircuts. That the hair on the sides of the head be not cut, which is probably not what is meant at all, is followed today by ultra-orthodox Jews, resulting in what most people regard as an extremely unbecoming hair style. That the beard be not shaped makes a little more sense. Many ancient peoples sported highly dressed beards, sometimes braided or artfully sculpted. Jehovah probably did not want his people to imitate styles that suggested cultures he regarded as decadent. It should be mentioned that this provision did not mean that the beard should not be cut at all, only that the edges of it not be so evenly trimmed that it gave the appearance of being artificial and dressed. Jehovah, ever eschewing the artifices of civilization, wanted his people to be not only simple and obedient, but natural, down-to-earth, folksy, and shaggy-bearded, and not like the sophisticated Egyptians.
9. Jehovah specifically prohibits two types of mystical activity, fortune-telling and communication with the dead. There is no suggestion that either of these activities are bogus, only that they should not be practiced. This is mere protection of turf: the proclamations of dead might compete with Jehovah's message and fortune tellers would surely be rivals for his prophets. Moreover, mediums of any sort would infringe upon the prerogatives of his priests who must maintain their monopoly on communing with the divine. (Of course, one may safely conclude that these statutes were likely devised not by Jehovah, but by his priests, to safeguard their professional interests, to further their own agenda, and to enhance their influence and control over the people.)
10. The provision against cutting or marking the body is misunderstood. Most translations say "cut for the dead," which seems senseless. The reference is to cutting or scourging oneself while grieving the death of a love one. This was the custom among some ancient peoples, certainly the Amorites and the Scythians and perhaps even the Egyptians and the Canaanites. “Tattooing” is often used in most translations, but this not the correct term, since tattooing, as we know it, a Polynesian custom, was unknown in the ancient Middle East. The reference is to the practice of marking the body, perhaps with paint or a hot iron. The marks on the skin, symbols or pictures, may have had religious significance. This was the custom among some ancient tribes, but our knowledge of the matter is sparse.
11. The prohibition against fathers inducing their daughters to become prostitutes probably references the custom of among many peoples, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Phoenicians, and the Canaanites to operate temple brothels and to attach religious sanction to such promiscuous sex.
12. An ephah was a dry measure equal to .6 bushels. The hin, a liquid measure, was approximate to a gallon.
Jehovah spoke to Moses and told him to give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel, "Be holy because I, your god Jehovah is holy."
"You all must show respect to your mother and father, and you must observe the Sabbath. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not fall back into worshiping idols or casting brazen images of gods for yourself. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"When you make a peace offering to Jehovah make sure you that you carry it out with proper procedures so that it may be accepted on your behalf. The sacrifice should be eaten on the day that it is offered -- or the next day, but by the third day, anything left over should be burned up. If it is eaten on the third day, it is spoiled and, therefore, I will not accept it. Because they have desecrated what is sacred to Jehovah, those who eat it will be subject to punishment and should be banished from the community.
"When you harvest your crops, do not reap to the edges of your fields or gather up the remains. And in regard to your vineyards, do not pick them entirely clean or collect all the grapes that have fallen to the ground. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigners living among you. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not steal. Do not deceive or lie to one another. And do not swear falsely in my name, profaning the name of your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not defraud your neighbor or steal from him. Do not make those who work for you wait until the next day to receive their wages.
"Don't mock the deaf or trip up the blind.
"You must respect your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"In legal matters do not pervert justice either by favoring the poor or by deferring to the rich and powerful, but judge all your people with equal fairness.
"Do not spread slanderous gossip among your neighbors.
"Do not take advantage of your neighbor's death. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not bear resentment in your heart against any of your tribe. Reprove your neighbor when he is in the wrong so that you will not share his guilt. Nor should you seek vengeance against your neighbor, or bear a grudge against him, but respect him as yourself. Thus says Jehovah.
“Keep my statutes!
"Do not permit your livestock to breed with other species. Do not plant a field of yours with more than one kind of crop. And do not wear garments composed of two different kinds of materials.
"If a man has sexual relations with a female slave that has been promised to another man but the transfer of ownership has not taken place and she has not been given her freedom, there should be legal sanction. However, since she is not a free woman, but still a slave, the death penalty is not appropriate. Instead, the male offender should make a guilt offering to Jehovah, bringing a ram to the Sacrificial Altar. There, before the entrance to the Sanctum, the priest will make atonement for him with the sacrificed ram, and the sin he has committed will be forgiven.
"When you cultivate the land and plant fruit trees, refrain from harvesting the fruit for three years. You are prohibited from eating the fruit for those three years. On the fourth year, the entire harvest is to be consecrated to Jehovah as an offering of thanksgiving. But, on the fifth year, the fruit may then be eaten. Following this practice, and your harvests will increase. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not eat any food with blood in it.
"Do not practice fortune telling or augury.
"You should not shave the hair off the sides of your head or shape the edges of your beard.
"Do not cut or scourge yourself during mourning, or put any mark on your body. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not disgrace your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country will be filled with whores and promiscuity.
"Keep the Sabbath as a day of rest and regard with reverence my Tabernacle. Thus says Jehovah.
"Do not consult mediums or necromancers or defile yourself by association with them. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Stand in the presence of your elders and honor the aged, for, by doing so, you show respect to your god. Thus says Jehovah.
"When a foreigner lives among you, do not abuse him; he should be treated as if he were a native-born inhabitant. Respect him as you would yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in Egypt. Thus says your god Jehovah.
"Do not be dishonest when making measurements of length, width, and volume. You should employ accurate scales with true weights -- an honest ephah and an honest hin.
"I am Jehovah your god, the one who brought you out of Egypt. You must not only honor my statutes and ordinances, but put them into practice. Thus says Jehovah."
Notes
1. Jehovah, who has already laid out the Ten Commandments and other lists of statutes he demands the Israelites observe, has another go at listing do's and don't's, reiterating what he has already discussed, but also broaching new areas. Some, like not stealing, or refraining from selling your daughter into prostitution (which seems like a moral no-brainer), are of consequence, while others, like restrictions on trimming your beard, seem like mere tribal customs, significant only in that they may serve to distinguish the Israelites from other peoples. (Maintaining a unique ethnic identity was always a high priority for the Israelite and, later, Jewish people.)
2. The Ten Commandments prohibits the making and worshiping of idols. This prohibition is restated, but with the implication that the Israelites used to be idol worshipers and are here warned against falling back into their former bad habits. It is not made clear if this pertained to the adoration of household spirits, some other god, or Jehovah himself.
3. There are some interesting references to charitable practices, most notably the provision that farmers and fruit growers leave some of their crop for the poor and destitute. It was a widespread and common practice, though, up until modern times, for the poor to be allowed to glean harvested fields and not be chased off the land as trespassers by angry farmers.
4. Considering that the Israelites were anything if not xenophobic, it is surprising how accommodating they were expected to be of foreigners and resident aliens. The laws of hospitality, however, are ancient, if not prehistoric.
5. In addition to many sound precepts, such as equal justice under the law, honest sales practices, and a prohibition against vengeance seeking, there are some more sophisticated moral concepts that involve attitudes rather than actions. This is the first biblical exhortation to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Since the word love is used in so many different ways and often ambiguously, I have used what I believe to be the more accurate "respect.") There is also a prohibition against nurturing grudges and harboring resentments that foreshadows the Christian view that one should forgive one's enemies. Here, though, it seems the proscription against resentment, grudges, and revenge applies only to fellow Israelites and maybe neighbors, not enemies. At this early point in history the tribalistic mentality and conditional morality was universal: one treats members of the tribe, the in group, differently than the out group.
6. One should not allow your livestock to breed with other animals. Why was this a matter of concern to Jehovah? One would think that mating cows with rams would be unproductive in any case. Is this a prohibition against selective breeding, perhaps seen as unnatural? Was it wrong, for instance, to mate different breeds of cattle? The prohibition, perhaps of more symbolic than practical significance, reinforces Jehovah’s preference for and insistence upon homogeneity and uniformity. And a distaste for man tampering with the natural world.
7. Planting a field with only one crop might make agronomic sense, but wearing clothes made of different materials, where's the harm in that? (The cotton-nylon blend, the fur collar, the leather arm patches are sadly, but emphatically non-Levitical.) Clothes at that time were made primarily of wool, linen, leather or animal skins. What was the reference here? Was there some connotation of sinful luxury or abnormality in clothes of more than one fabric, such as wool and linen?
8. The provision on the cutting of the hair and the beard is anything but clear. It is hard to figure out precisely what is being prohibited. I believe Jehovah meant to outlaw Egyptian and Canaanite styles, specifically square-cut beards, shaven heads with side locks (which Egyptian youths wore), and “round” haircuts. That the hair on the sides of the head be not cut, which is probably not what is meant at all, is followed today by ultra-orthodox Jews, resulting in what most people regard as an extremely unbecoming hair style. That the beard be not shaped makes a little more sense. Many ancient peoples sported highly dressed beards, sometimes braided or artfully sculpted. Jehovah probably did not want his people to imitate styles that suggested cultures he regarded as decadent. It should be mentioned that this provision did not mean that the beard should not be cut at all, only that the edges of it not be so evenly trimmed that it gave the appearance of being artificial and dressed. Jehovah, ever eschewing the artifices of civilization, wanted his people to be not only simple and obedient, but natural, down-to-earth, folksy, and shaggy-bearded, and not like the sophisticated Egyptians.
9. Jehovah specifically prohibits two types of mystical activity, fortune-telling and communication with the dead. There is no suggestion that either of these activities are bogus, only that they should not be practiced. This is mere protection of turf: the proclamations of dead might compete with Jehovah's message and fortune tellers would surely be rivals for his prophets. Moreover, mediums of any sort would infringe upon the prerogatives of his priests who must maintain their monopoly on communing with the divine. (Of course, one may safely conclude that these statutes were likely devised not by Jehovah, but by his priests, to safeguard their professional interests, to further their own agenda, and to enhance their influence and control over the people.)
10. The provision against cutting or marking the body is misunderstood. Most translations say "cut for the dead," which seems senseless. The reference is to cutting or scourging oneself while grieving the death of a love one. This was the custom among some ancient peoples, certainly the Amorites and the Scythians and perhaps even the Egyptians and the Canaanites. “Tattooing” is often used in most translations, but this not the correct term, since tattooing, as we know it, a Polynesian custom, was unknown in the ancient Middle East. The reference is to the practice of marking the body, perhaps with paint or a hot iron. The marks on the skin, symbols or pictures, may have had religious significance. This was the custom among some ancient tribes, but our knowledge of the matter is sparse.
11. The prohibition against fathers inducing their daughters to become prostitutes probably references the custom of among many peoples, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Phoenicians, and the Canaanites to operate temple brothels and to attach religious sanction to such promiscuous sex.
12. An ephah was a dry measure equal to .6 bushels. The hin, a liquid measure, was approximate to a gallon.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Inaugural Sacrifices
(Leviticus 9:1 - 9:24)
On the eighth day Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He instructed Aaron, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering-- both without defect -- and sacrifice them to Jehovah. Tell the people of Israel, 'Select a male goat for a sin offering and for the burnt offering, a calf and lamb, both yearlings and without defects. And, for the peace offering, bring a bull and a ram, for the grain offering, flour moistened with cooking oil. These will be sacrifices to Jehovah -- for today he is going to make an appearance before you!'"
The people presented these sacrifices at the entrance to the Tabernacle, per Moses' instructions. The whole community came forward and congregated in front of the Sanctum. Moses told them, "This is what Jehovah demands of you that he may, in all his glory, appear before you." Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Sacrificial Altar and make your sin offering and the burnt offering, in order to make atonement for yourself and for the people. Then, make the sacrifices that were brought by the people, so that you may achieve atonement for them, in accordance with Jehovah's instructions."
Aaron thus approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of his own sin offering. Aaron's sons offered him the blood of sacrificed calf. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and dabbed it on the horns of the altar. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On top of the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver of the sin offering, as Moses was instructed by Jehovah. (The meat and the hide of the calf were burned outside of camp.)
Then Aaron slaughtered the ram of the burnt offering. His sons offered him its blood and he dashed it against all the sides of the altar. Then they offered him the cut-up pieces of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on top of the altar. The internal organs and the legs he also burned on the altar with the rest of the offering, but only after they were washed in water.
Next, Aaron presented the people's offerings. The goat that was to be the people's sin offering he slaughtered and sacrificed it as he had done with his own sin offering. Then he made the burnt offering and did so according to proper procedure. He presented as well the grain offering, taking a handful of it and sprinkling it upon the altar, on top of the morning's customary burnt offering. He slaughtered the bull and the ram of the peace offering. His sons offered him the blood, which Aaron dashed on all sides of the altar. The fat of each of the sacrificed animals, the fat of the broad tail and the fat surrounding it, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver were placed on top of the breasts and burned. The breasts and right thighs (the priests’ share) Aaron elevated above the altar and presented to Jehovah, as Moses had instructed.
Afterwards, Aaron raised his hands over the people and gave them his blessing. Completing the sin offerings, the burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, he stepped away from the altar. Moses and Aaron entered the Sanctum and blessed the people when they came out. Then, all the people witnessed the glorious presence of Jehovah. With his appearance, the fire flared up upon the altar and consumed the burnt offering and the fat that was on top of it. Everyone saw this, and when they did, they shouted for joy and fell to the ground in worship.
Notes
1. Jehovah's insistence on the sacrifice as the primary means of worship is emphasized here. Important, too, is the proper procedure for the sacrifice. The modern mind wonders why all this attention to superfluous detail. Adherence to ritual makes the bloody slaughter of some animal a matter of importance, lends it dignity, gravity, and solemnity. Doing things in a certain prescribed manner can make even an offensive, heinous, or ostensibly immoral act seem right and proper. Executions, even today, must be carried out with set procedures, or else they will seem acts of murder. In more traditional times men used to commit adultery following certain rules and conventions that lent, in their minds, quasi-legitimacy to their lustful liaisons.
2. The redundant descriptions of sacrifices are recorded in order to reassure the people that all the priestly rituals originate with Jehovah and are done on direct orders from him and, therefore, must be followed without question and must never be changed. The truth is that they were probably established by the priests and evolved during many years, centuries even -- but no worshiper must suspect that. Their rightness and legitimacy rests upon their being the absolute will of God Almighty and ancient, unalterable practice.
3. After the sacrifices have been made, Moses and Aaron enter the Sanctum. It must be remembered that the Sacrificial Altar is positioned in the Tabernacle courtyard just outside the entrance to the Sanctum. Inside the curtained Sanctum is the menorah, the table for the showbread, the Incense Altar, and the curtained Inner Sanctum, where rests the Sacred Chest of Records (or Ark of the Covenant) housing, among other things, the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and specimens of manna. What Moses and Aaron did after they entered the Sanctum is not revealed. Did they have contact with Jehovah, who is supposed to come down to earth and sit upon the Judgment Seat, the lid to the Sacred Chest of Records? Did he materialize? Or did his voice speak to them? Regardless of what occurred, when they appeared again, Moses and Aaron blessed the people. Jehovah then manifested himself before the people. How, is unclear, save that as a result of his presence the fire on the altar flared up. This apparently impressed the people sufficiently that they cried out in joy and fell to the ground in worship. Did Jehovah actually make a personal, physical appearance? Or did something spectacular occur? Did the fire come out of Jehovah’s body, as some translations suggest? It seems more likely that all the people saw was the flaring fire -- pretty lame, pretty underwhelming, one would think, but then again the masses are often moved to wonder by small things presented in the proper setting in the proper way. The people were told to expect an appearance from Jehovah. They were put in a credulous frame of mind. A fire flaring up might be more than enough to convince them of a godly visitation. Imagining the scenario, one unfortunately feels as if the whole thing is a conjurer's trick -- the witch doctor pretends to have an audience with the god, blesses the people in his name, then, to impress the ignorant and unsuspecting, surreptitiously tosses something into the fire to make it flare up, a miracle eliciting a worshipful awe, but not really a very sophisticated trick. (Of course, the fire may have been the work of Jehovah, or, the fall-back possibility, the incident is fictitious.)
On the eighth day Moses called together Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He instructed Aaron, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering-- both without defect -- and sacrifice them to Jehovah. Tell the people of Israel, 'Select a male goat for a sin offering and for the burnt offering, a calf and lamb, both yearlings and without defects. And, for the peace offering, bring a bull and a ram, for the grain offering, flour moistened with cooking oil. These will be sacrifices to Jehovah -- for today he is going to make an appearance before you!'"
The people presented these sacrifices at the entrance to the Tabernacle, per Moses' instructions. The whole community came forward and congregated in front of the Sanctum. Moses told them, "This is what Jehovah demands of you that he may, in all his glory, appear before you." Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Sacrificial Altar and make your sin offering and the burnt offering, in order to make atonement for yourself and for the people. Then, make the sacrifices that were brought by the people, so that you may achieve atonement for them, in accordance with Jehovah's instructions."
Aaron thus approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of his own sin offering. Aaron's sons offered him the blood of sacrificed calf. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and dabbed it on the horns of the altar. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. On top of the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver of the sin offering, as Moses was instructed by Jehovah. (The meat and the hide of the calf were burned outside of camp.)
Then Aaron slaughtered the ram of the burnt offering. His sons offered him its blood and he dashed it against all the sides of the altar. Then they offered him the cut-up pieces of the burnt offering, including the head, and he burned them on top of the altar. The internal organs and the legs he also burned on the altar with the rest of the offering, but only after they were washed in water.
Next, Aaron presented the people's offerings. The goat that was to be the people's sin offering he slaughtered and sacrificed it as he had done with his own sin offering. Then he made the burnt offering and did so according to proper procedure. He presented as well the grain offering, taking a handful of it and sprinkling it upon the altar, on top of the morning's customary burnt offering. He slaughtered the bull and the ram of the peace offering. His sons offered him the blood, which Aaron dashed on all sides of the altar. The fat of each of the sacrificed animals, the fat of the broad tail and the fat surrounding it, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver were placed on top of the breasts and burned. The breasts and right thighs (the priests’ share) Aaron elevated above the altar and presented to Jehovah, as Moses had instructed.
Afterwards, Aaron raised his hands over the people and gave them his blessing. Completing the sin offerings, the burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, he stepped away from the altar. Moses and Aaron entered the Sanctum and blessed the people when they came out. Then, all the people witnessed the glorious presence of Jehovah. With his appearance, the fire flared up upon the altar and consumed the burnt offering and the fat that was on top of it. Everyone saw this, and when they did, they shouted for joy and fell to the ground in worship.
Notes
1. Jehovah's insistence on the sacrifice as the primary means of worship is emphasized here. Important, too, is the proper procedure for the sacrifice. The modern mind wonders why all this attention to superfluous detail. Adherence to ritual makes the bloody slaughter of some animal a matter of importance, lends it dignity, gravity, and solemnity. Doing things in a certain prescribed manner can make even an offensive, heinous, or ostensibly immoral act seem right and proper. Executions, even today, must be carried out with set procedures, or else they will seem acts of murder. In more traditional times men used to commit adultery following certain rules and conventions that lent, in their minds, quasi-legitimacy to their lustful liaisons.
2. The redundant descriptions of sacrifices are recorded in order to reassure the people that all the priestly rituals originate with Jehovah and are done on direct orders from him and, therefore, must be followed without question and must never be changed. The truth is that they were probably established by the priests and evolved during many years, centuries even -- but no worshiper must suspect that. Their rightness and legitimacy rests upon their being the absolute will of God Almighty and ancient, unalterable practice.
3. After the sacrifices have been made, Moses and Aaron enter the Sanctum. It must be remembered that the Sacrificial Altar is positioned in the Tabernacle courtyard just outside the entrance to the Sanctum. Inside the curtained Sanctum is the menorah, the table for the showbread, the Incense Altar, and the curtained Inner Sanctum, where rests the Sacred Chest of Records (or Ark of the Covenant) housing, among other things, the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and specimens of manna. What Moses and Aaron did after they entered the Sanctum is not revealed. Did they have contact with Jehovah, who is supposed to come down to earth and sit upon the Judgment Seat, the lid to the Sacred Chest of Records? Did he materialize? Or did his voice speak to them? Regardless of what occurred, when they appeared again, Moses and Aaron blessed the people. Jehovah then manifested himself before the people. How, is unclear, save that as a result of his presence the fire on the altar flared up. This apparently impressed the people sufficiently that they cried out in joy and fell to the ground in worship. Did Jehovah actually make a personal, physical appearance? Or did something spectacular occur? Did the fire come out of Jehovah’s body, as some translations suggest? It seems more likely that all the people saw was the flaring fire -- pretty lame, pretty underwhelming, one would think, but then again the masses are often moved to wonder by small things presented in the proper setting in the proper way. The people were told to expect an appearance from Jehovah. They were put in a credulous frame of mind. A fire flaring up might be more than enough to convince them of a godly visitation. Imagining the scenario, one unfortunately feels as if the whole thing is a conjurer's trick -- the witch doctor pretends to have an audience with the god, blesses the people in his name, then, to impress the ignorant and unsuspecting, surreptitiously tosses something into the fire to make it flare up, a miracle eliciting a worshipful awe, but not really a very sophisticated trick. (Of course, the fire may have been the work of Jehovah, or, the fall-back possibility, the incident is fictitious.)
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Ordination of Priests
(Leviticus 8:1 - 8:36)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, the vestments of the priesthood, the Anointing Oil, the bull to be sacrificed for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread to the entrance of the Tabernacle and assemble the entire people there."
Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him. When the congregation had assembled at the entrance to the Tabernacle, he addressed them, "This is what Jehovah has commanded us to do!" --- He presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He garbed Aaron in the tunic and tied the sash around his waist. He put the robe on him and the sacred vest, securing it with its decorated sash. He fitted the chest piece on him and inserted into its pocket the Urim and the Thimmim. On Aaron's head he placed the turban and on the front of it attached the holy gold medallion, all according to Jehovah's instructions.
With the Anointing Oil Moses consecrated the Tabernacle by sprinkling the oil over everything in it. He sprinkled oil upon the Sacrificial Altar seven times, anointing it, its utensils, as well as the wash basin and its stand. He poured oil over Aaron's head and by that anointment consecrated him as holy. Next, Moses presented Aaron's sons. He garbed them in tunics, tied sashes round them, and placed the caps of priesthood upon their heads, all according to the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons held it by the head while Moses slaughtered the animal. Moses took some of its blood and with his finger dabbed it on the four horned corners of the Sacrificial Altar to purify it. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. By means of this ritual he consecrated the altar and made it holy. Moses took the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat around them and burned it all on the altar. But the bull itself with its hide, meat, and intestines he incinerated outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses took the ram's blood and splattered it on all sides of the altar. He cut up the ram and burned on the altar the head, the cut-up pieces of flesh, and the fat. He washed the internal organs and the lower part of the legs in water and burned the entire ram on the altar. This food offering, prepared in accordance with Jehovah's instructions, created an aroma that was very pleasing to him.
Next, Moses presented for sacrifice the second ram, the ram for the ordination. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses dabbed some of the ram's blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and similarly dabbed blood on the lobes of their right ear, the thumbs of their right hand, and the big toes of their right foot. Then he splashed the rest of blood against the sides of the altar. Moses took the ram's fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat surrounding them, and the right thigh. On top of them he placed a thin cake of unleavened bread, a cake of bread mixed with oil, and a wafer with oil spread on it. (These were taken from the basket of unleavened breads that was on display before the Sanctum.) He placed these into the hands of Aaron and his sons who elevated them and waved them as an offering to Jehovah. Moses took back the offerings and burned them on the altar on top of the former burnt offering. This comprised the ordination offering, a food offering with an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah. Moses took the breast of the sacrificed ram as his share of the ordination offering, and waved it before the altar, as Jehovah instructed. Then Moses took some of the Anointing Oil and blood from the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and on his vestments, and on his sons and their vestments, and thereby consecrated Aaron and his sons and their vestments.
Moses instructed Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat just inside the entrance to the Tabernacle and eat it there along with the bread that was in the basket made up for the ordination. This will conform to my instruction, 'Aaron and his sons may eat it.' Any left-over meat or bread must be burned. You must not leave the Tabernacle compound for seven days, the duration of the ordination ceremony. Everything we have done this day, we have done so that you may be purified and achieve atonement in the eyes of Jehovah. But you must, on pain of death, remain within the confines of the Tabernacle both day and night during those seven days in order to fulfill the requirements set down by Jehovah, for this is what I have been commanded."
And so Aaron and his sons did all that Jehovah had demanded of them through Moses.
Notes
1. The term "entrance to the Tabernacle" is probably used in two ways here. The entire populace is gathered at the "entrance to the Tabernacle;" this surely means outside the Tabernacle, but in front of the entrance. Even if the Israelite community consisted of only a few thousand individuals, as one suspects would be true, then it would be impossible for all of them to be massed inside the Tabernacle courtyard. (The enclosure was only 150 by 75 feet, and yielded an interior space of 11,250 square feet, but, excluding the Sanctum, which was 45 x 15 feet (675 square feet), it would be only 10,575 square feet. Given that each man occupies 4 square feet, then only 2,644 persons could have been packed into the Tabernacle courtyard, but, from a practical standpoint, far fewer. It is conceivable that a few thousand persons could have gathered outside the Tabernacle. However, if the Israelite community consisted of millions of people, as is asserted in Exodus, it is inconceivable that all of them could have gathered at the Tabernacle’s entrance -- or, for that matter, gathered anywhere.) Later, the text refers to the requirement that priests must remain at the "entrance to the Tabernacle," for seven days during their period of ordination. One would assume that this means inside the Tabernacle courtyard. This no doubt means that they were to be confined to the Tabernacle during their ordination. I have reflected this is my translation.
2. The qualifications for priesthood, aside from being descent from Aaron, seems to rest upon adhering to certain ordained rituals. (You can’t be a priest unless you get that big toe dabbed with ram’s blood!) There is no mention, at least as yet, of good personal character being a requisite.
3. In most societies the high priest places himself as an intermediary, a middle man, between the god and the people. In Christian society this function is assumed by the church. (Woe be to mystics like Joan of Arc who seem to bypass the church and commune directly with the divine.) Here, Moses is an intermediary between Jehovah and the high priest, Aaron, who serves his god with sacrifices and the people by furnishing the means by which they can achieve atonement for their sins. Jehovah tells Moses what to do and Moses tells Aaron. Aaron, unlike most high priests, does not communicate directly with the god he serves.
4. The fine linen garments made for the priests are stained with blood and oil during the ordination ceremony. Did the Israelites have great skill in removing stains from clothes? (One worries that the Jehovan priests must have run up really big laundry bills.)
5. One wonders how Jehovah thought up all this stuff, the rigamarole with the blood of sacrificed animals, the oil, and so forth, but it all seems to be a part of common practice with primitive religions. It would be interesting to investigate how these procedures, the sacrifices, the ordination of the priests, compare to the rituals of other religions of the time, those practiced by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, etc. It is doubtful that there is anything unique in these early Jehovan practices, save for one thing, that Jehovah prohibited his worship through idols or images of any kind. The reason for this anomaly is never made clear. (One may imagine that Jehovah is like a camera-shy celebrity who doesn't want his picture in the papers, the man behind the curtain who never emerges to reveal himself, but manifests his will through his chosen agent. Or, one may see him as an extraterrestrial being who wishes to exert his will upon earth men and exact their submission, while remaining aloof, invisible even, but working through his human contactee, Moses.)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Bring Aaron and his sons, the vestments of the priesthood, the Anointing Oil, the bull to be sacrificed for the sin offering, the two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread to the entrance of the Tabernacle and assemble the entire people there."
Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him. When the congregation had assembled at the entrance to the Tabernacle, he addressed them, "This is what Jehovah has commanded us to do!" --- He presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He garbed Aaron in the tunic and tied the sash around his waist. He put the robe on him and the sacred vest, securing it with its decorated sash. He fitted the chest piece on him and inserted into its pocket the Urim and the Thimmim. On Aaron's head he placed the turban and on the front of it attached the holy gold medallion, all according to Jehovah's instructions.
With the Anointing Oil Moses consecrated the Tabernacle by sprinkling the oil over everything in it. He sprinkled oil upon the Sacrificial Altar seven times, anointing it, its utensils, as well as the wash basin and its stand. He poured oil over Aaron's head and by that anointment consecrated him as holy. Next, Moses presented Aaron's sons. He garbed them in tunics, tied sashes round them, and placed the caps of priesthood upon their heads, all according to the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses presented the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons held it by the head while Moses slaughtered the animal. Moses took some of its blood and with his finger dabbed it on the four horned corners of the Sacrificial Altar to purify it. The rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. By means of this ritual he consecrated the altar and made it holy. Moses took the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat around them and burned it all on the altar. But the bull itself with its hide, meat, and intestines he incinerated outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses took the ram's blood and splattered it on all sides of the altar. He cut up the ram and burned on the altar the head, the cut-up pieces of flesh, and the fat. He washed the internal organs and the lower part of the legs in water and burned the entire ram on the altar. This food offering, prepared in accordance with Jehovah's instructions, created an aroma that was very pleasing to him.
Next, Moses presented for sacrifice the second ram, the ram for the ordination. While Aaron and his sons held it by the neck, Moses slaughtered it. Moses dabbed some of the ram's blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and similarly dabbed blood on the lobes of their right ear, the thumbs of their right hand, and the big toes of their right foot. Then he splashed the rest of blood against the sides of the altar. Moses took the ram's fat, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat surrounding them, and the right thigh. On top of them he placed a thin cake of unleavened bread, a cake of bread mixed with oil, and a wafer with oil spread on it. (These were taken from the basket of unleavened breads that was on display before the Sanctum.) He placed these into the hands of Aaron and his sons who elevated them and waved them as an offering to Jehovah. Moses took back the offerings and burned them on the altar on top of the former burnt offering. This comprised the ordination offering, a food offering with an aroma very pleasing to Jehovah. Moses took the breast of the sacrificed ram as his share of the ordination offering, and waved it before the altar, as Jehovah instructed. Then Moses took some of the Anointing Oil and blood from the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and on his vestments, and on his sons and their vestments, and thereby consecrated Aaron and his sons and their vestments.
Moses instructed Aaron and his sons, "Cook the meat just inside the entrance to the Tabernacle and eat it there along with the bread that was in the basket made up for the ordination. This will conform to my instruction, 'Aaron and his sons may eat it.' Any left-over meat or bread must be burned. You must not leave the Tabernacle compound for seven days, the duration of the ordination ceremony. Everything we have done this day, we have done so that you may be purified and achieve atonement in the eyes of Jehovah. But you must, on pain of death, remain within the confines of the Tabernacle both day and night during those seven days in order to fulfill the requirements set down by Jehovah, for this is what I have been commanded."
And so Aaron and his sons did all that Jehovah had demanded of them through Moses.
Notes
1. The term "entrance to the Tabernacle" is probably used in two ways here. The entire populace is gathered at the "entrance to the Tabernacle;" this surely means outside the Tabernacle, but in front of the entrance. Even if the Israelite community consisted of only a few thousand individuals, as one suspects would be true, then it would be impossible for all of them to be massed inside the Tabernacle courtyard. (The enclosure was only 150 by 75 feet, and yielded an interior space of 11,250 square feet, but, excluding the Sanctum, which was 45 x 15 feet (675 square feet), it would be only 10,575 square feet. Given that each man occupies 4 square feet, then only 2,644 persons could have been packed into the Tabernacle courtyard, but, from a practical standpoint, far fewer. It is conceivable that a few thousand persons could have gathered outside the Tabernacle. However, if the Israelite community consisted of millions of people, as is asserted in Exodus, it is inconceivable that all of them could have gathered at the Tabernacle’s entrance -- or, for that matter, gathered anywhere.) Later, the text refers to the requirement that priests must remain at the "entrance to the Tabernacle," for seven days during their period of ordination. One would assume that this means inside the Tabernacle courtyard. This no doubt means that they were to be confined to the Tabernacle during their ordination. I have reflected this is my translation.
2. The qualifications for priesthood, aside from being descent from Aaron, seems to rest upon adhering to certain ordained rituals. (You can’t be a priest unless you get that big toe dabbed with ram’s blood!) There is no mention, at least as yet, of good personal character being a requisite.
3. In most societies the high priest places himself as an intermediary, a middle man, between the god and the people. In Christian society this function is assumed by the church. (Woe be to mystics like Joan of Arc who seem to bypass the church and commune directly with the divine.) Here, Moses is an intermediary between Jehovah and the high priest, Aaron, who serves his god with sacrifices and the people by furnishing the means by which they can achieve atonement for their sins. Jehovah tells Moses what to do and Moses tells Aaron. Aaron, unlike most high priests, does not communicate directly with the god he serves.
4. The fine linen garments made for the priests are stained with blood and oil during the ordination ceremony. Did the Israelites have great skill in removing stains from clothes? (One worries that the Jehovan priests must have run up really big laundry bills.)
5. One wonders how Jehovah thought up all this stuff, the rigamarole with the blood of sacrificed animals, the oil, and so forth, but it all seems to be a part of common practice with primitive religions. It would be interesting to investigate how these procedures, the sacrifices, the ordination of the priests, compare to the rituals of other religions of the time, those practiced by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, etc. It is doubtful that there is anything unique in these early Jehovan practices, save for one thing, that Jehovah prohibited his worship through idols or images of any kind. The reason for this anomaly is never made clear. (One may imagine that Jehovah is like a camera-shy celebrity who doesn't want his picture in the papers, the man behind the curtain who never emerges to reveal himself, but manifests his will through his chosen agent. Or, one may see him as an extraterrestrial being who wishes to exert his will upon earth men and exact their submission, while remaining aloof, invisible even, but working through his human contactee, Moses.)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Establishment of Religious Worship
(Exodus 39:42 - 40:38)
Thus all the work upon the Tabernacle was completed and the people of Israel had accomplished everything that Moses had been commanded by Jehovah. They presented to Moses the Tabernacle: the tent, its furniture, rings, panels, crossbars, posts, plinths, the coverings of tanned sheepskins and fine leather, the veil of the inner Sanctum, the Chest of Sacred Records, its staves and its lid, the Judgment Seat, the table, its vessels, and loaves of showbread, the menorah of pure gold, its lamps, and utensils, with its oil for light, the Sacrificial Altar of gold, the Anointing Oil, the Sacred Incense, the curtain for the entrance to the Tabernacle, the Incense Altar of bronze, its grate, its staves, and its utensils, the wash basin and its stand, the curtains for the courtyard perimeter, the posts and plinths, the curtain for the courtyard entrance, its cords and tent pegs, all the furnishings for service in the Tabernacle, and the elegant garments for ministering in the Sanctum, that is, the clothes for Aaron and his sons when they would serve as priests.
All the work that Jehovah had commanded, the people of Israel accomplished. Moses examined the work and when he saw that his people had done what Jehovah had ordered, he blessed them.
Jehovah informed Moses, "Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month. Place within it the Chest of Sacred Records behind the veil that will shroud the Inner Sanctum. Set up the table and arrange the showbread on it. Bring in the menorah and light its lamps. Set the golden Incense Altar in front of the Chest of Sacred Records. Hang the curtain across the entrance to the Sanctum and outside it, in the courtyard, set up the Sacrificial Altar. Between the altar and the Sanctum, place the wash basin, and fill it with water. You should put up the curtain around the Tabernacle courtyard and the entrance to it. Use the Anointment Oil and sprinkle it upon the Tabernacle and its utensils and vessels so that they will be sanctified. The Sacrificial Altar should be anointed with its utensils so that they will be sanctified. Anoint the wash basin and its stand as well so they will also be sanctified.
“You should conduct Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tabernacle and wash them with water. You should garb Aaron in the priestly raiment, anoint him so that he will be sanctified and be able to minister to me as a priest. Then you will present his sons, garb and anoint them as you did their father that they may also minister to me as priests. Their anointing will forever reserve the priesthood for their descendants."
Moses accomplished all that Jehovah commanded him. And so on the first day of the first month in the second year of the Exodus the Tabernacle was established. Moses put it up, set up the panels and their crossbars, placed the posts in their plinths, spread the covering over the top of the tent, as Jehovah had commanded. He put the tablets in the Chest of Records, put on the lid, the judgment seat, and inserted the staves. When the chest was brought in to the Tabernacle, he hung the veil and drew it around it, in fulfillment of Jehovah's commandment. He set up the table in the Sanctum, at the north side of the Tabernacle, outside the veil of the Inner Sanctum. He laid out the loaves of showbread as instructed by Jehovah. He set up the menorah in the Sanctum opposite the table on the south side and lighted the lamps in accordance with Jehovah's instructions. He placed the golden Incense Altar in front of the veil and burnt fragrant incense upon it, as Jehovah had instructed. He hung the curtain before the entrance of the Tabernacle. He placed the Sacrificial Altar before the entrance to the Sanctum and made offerings of grain and burnt sacrifices of animals upon it, as Jehovah instructed. He positioned the wash basin between the altar and the Sanctum and filled it with water for washing. And Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet before they entered the Sanctum and approached the altar, as instructed by Jehovah. Lastly, he set up the curtain around the courtyard of the Tabernacle and the entrance to it. So Moses finished his work.
When a cloud-like airship hovered over the Tabernacle, it meant that Jehovah in his glory was present in the Sanctum. Moses would not be able to enter the Tabernacle when the ship was there and Jehovah occupied the Sanctum. When this cloud-like ship departed from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would resume their journey, but if it continued to hover above the Tabernacle they would pause in their travels until it was gone. By day, Jehovah was present above the Tabernacle in his cloud-like airship, which, by night, glowed like fire, always visible to all the people of Israel during their journeys.
Notes
1. One wonders whether Moses, supposedly an 80-year-old man, actually assembled the Tabernacle himself or merely supervised the job. The Tabernacle was created to be a mobile home/temple for Jehovah with the pieces easily disassembled and transported, presumably on the backs of donkeys or in ox-drawn carts and wagons or, in the case of the furniture, carried by bearers by means of the staves. Nevertheless, it seems highly problematic that a nomadic people at that time could have constructed and transported so elaborate an edifice. Most authorities believe that the Tabernacle herein described refers to a later pre-Temple structure more familiar to the biblical authors.
2. The description of Jehovah’ appearance in the Tabernacle seems at first confusing until one realizes that he is visiting it in an airship, from which he descends as it hovers above. When the ship, described as a cloud, is above the Tabernacle, Jehovah is present there. By night, the ship is compared to fire, that is, it was lighted, as one would expect. An alternative interpretation, that the spirit of Jehovah manifests itself as a cloud and as fire, makes far less sense.
3. Jehovah seems determined to spend most of his time with the Israelites, although it is not clear exactly how he is occupying himself when he inhabits the Tabernacle, sometimes for days at a time. If he is really a universal god, wouldn't he have business elsewhere? Why, one might ask, does he allow an obscure tribe of nomads to monopolize his time?
Thus all the work upon the Tabernacle was completed and the people of Israel had accomplished everything that Moses had been commanded by Jehovah. They presented to Moses the Tabernacle: the tent, its furniture, rings, panels, crossbars, posts, plinths, the coverings of tanned sheepskins and fine leather, the veil of the inner Sanctum, the Chest of Sacred Records, its staves and its lid, the Judgment Seat, the table, its vessels, and loaves of showbread, the menorah of pure gold, its lamps, and utensils, with its oil for light, the Sacrificial Altar of gold, the Anointing Oil, the Sacred Incense, the curtain for the entrance to the Tabernacle, the Incense Altar of bronze, its grate, its staves, and its utensils, the wash basin and its stand, the curtains for the courtyard perimeter, the posts and plinths, the curtain for the courtyard entrance, its cords and tent pegs, all the furnishings for service in the Tabernacle, and the elegant garments for ministering in the Sanctum, that is, the clothes for Aaron and his sons when they would serve as priests.
All the work that Jehovah had commanded, the people of Israel accomplished. Moses examined the work and when he saw that his people had done what Jehovah had ordered, he blessed them.
Jehovah informed Moses, "Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month. Place within it the Chest of Sacred Records behind the veil that will shroud the Inner Sanctum. Set up the table and arrange the showbread on it. Bring in the menorah and light its lamps. Set the golden Incense Altar in front of the Chest of Sacred Records. Hang the curtain across the entrance to the Sanctum and outside it, in the courtyard, set up the Sacrificial Altar. Between the altar and the Sanctum, place the wash basin, and fill it with water. You should put up the curtain around the Tabernacle courtyard and the entrance to it. Use the Anointment Oil and sprinkle it upon the Tabernacle and its utensils and vessels so that they will be sanctified. The Sacrificial Altar should be anointed with its utensils so that they will be sanctified. Anoint the wash basin and its stand as well so they will also be sanctified.
“You should conduct Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tabernacle and wash them with water. You should garb Aaron in the priestly raiment, anoint him so that he will be sanctified and be able to minister to me as a priest. Then you will present his sons, garb and anoint them as you did their father that they may also minister to me as priests. Their anointing will forever reserve the priesthood for their descendants."
Moses accomplished all that Jehovah commanded him. And so on the first day of the first month in the second year of the Exodus the Tabernacle was established. Moses put it up, set up the panels and their crossbars, placed the posts in their plinths, spread the covering over the top of the tent, as Jehovah had commanded. He put the tablets in the Chest of Records, put on the lid, the judgment seat, and inserted the staves. When the chest was brought in to the Tabernacle, he hung the veil and drew it around it, in fulfillment of Jehovah's commandment. He set up the table in the Sanctum, at the north side of the Tabernacle, outside the veil of the Inner Sanctum. He laid out the loaves of showbread as instructed by Jehovah. He set up the menorah in the Sanctum opposite the table on the south side and lighted the lamps in accordance with Jehovah's instructions. He placed the golden Incense Altar in front of the veil and burnt fragrant incense upon it, as Jehovah had instructed. He hung the curtain before the entrance of the Tabernacle. He placed the Sacrificial Altar before the entrance to the Sanctum and made offerings of grain and burnt sacrifices of animals upon it, as Jehovah instructed. He positioned the wash basin between the altar and the Sanctum and filled it with water for washing. And Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet before they entered the Sanctum and approached the altar, as instructed by Jehovah. Lastly, he set up the curtain around the courtyard of the Tabernacle and the entrance to it. So Moses finished his work.
When a cloud-like airship hovered over the Tabernacle, it meant that Jehovah in his glory was present in the Sanctum. Moses would not be able to enter the Tabernacle when the ship was there and Jehovah occupied the Sanctum. When this cloud-like ship departed from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would resume their journey, but if it continued to hover above the Tabernacle they would pause in their travels until it was gone. By day, Jehovah was present above the Tabernacle in his cloud-like airship, which, by night, glowed like fire, always visible to all the people of Israel during their journeys.
Notes
1. One wonders whether Moses, supposedly an 80-year-old man, actually assembled the Tabernacle himself or merely supervised the job. The Tabernacle was created to be a mobile home/temple for Jehovah with the pieces easily disassembled and transported, presumably on the backs of donkeys or in ox-drawn carts and wagons or, in the case of the furniture, carried by bearers by means of the staves. Nevertheless, it seems highly problematic that a nomadic people at that time could have constructed and transported so elaborate an edifice. Most authorities believe that the Tabernacle herein described refers to a later pre-Temple structure more familiar to the biblical authors.
2. The description of Jehovah’ appearance in the Tabernacle seems at first confusing until one realizes that he is visiting it in an airship, from which he descends as it hovers above. When the ship, described as a cloud, is above the Tabernacle, Jehovah is present there. By night, the ship is compared to fire, that is, it was lighted, as one would expect. An alternative interpretation, that the spirit of Jehovah manifests itself as a cloud and as fire, makes far less sense.
3. Jehovah seems determined to spend most of his time with the Israelites, although it is not clear exactly how he is occupying himself when he inhabits the Tabernacle, sometimes for days at a time. If he is really a universal god, wouldn't he have business elsewhere? Why, one might ask, does he allow an obscure tribe of nomads to monopolize his time?
The Making of Preistly Garments
(Exodus 39:1 - 39:41)
From the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the craftsmen set about to make priestly garments for ministering in the Sanctum, the sacred raiment of Aaron, as instructed by Jehovah.
The priest's vest was made of fine linen of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. Threads of gold cut from plates beaten thin were worked expertly woven into the fabric. The two pieces, front and back, were joined at the edges and fastened with shoulder straps. The sash securing the vest was of the same material and colors, as Jehovah had instructed.
Two onyx stones were selected, mounted in gold settings, and engraved, as would a jeweler, with the names of the tribes of Israel. They were attached to the shoulders of the vest, as Jehovah had instructed, that they should be a remembrance of the sons of Israel.
With the same skill they made a chestpiece of finely loomed linen of yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, to match the vest. It was folded in two so that it would be of double thickness and 9 inches square. They set upon it four rows of gems. In the first row there was a carnelian, a topaz, and an emerald; in the second, a turquoise, a lapis lazuli, and a beryl; in the third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; in the fourth, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper, all with gold settings. They were mounted in gold settings. The stones, representing the sons of Israel, were engraved like a signet with the names of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
For the chestpiece they made a cord of twisted strands of purest gold. They mounted two gold rings on the top corners of the chestpiece and attached the gold cords to them, then attached the other ends of the cords to the gold rings at the shoulders of the vest. They attached two more gold rings on the bottom corners of the chestpiece, on the inside surface next to the vest. And they made two more rings for the vest and attached them at the edges of the vest just above the sash. With blue cords they bound the vest to the chestpiece by running the cords through both sets of rings and fastening them. In this way the chestpiece piece was securely attached to the vest and be positioned just above the sash -- as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
A robe of woven cloth, blue in color, was made to wear over the vest. In the middle of upper part of the robe was a hole for the head; the hole was bound with an edging so that it would not tear. On the hem of the robe was a design of pomegranates made of finely loomed blue, purple, and scarlet linen and between them were attached bells of pure gold, that is, pomegranates and bells forming an alternating design around the entire hem of the ministering robe -- as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of finely woven linen, turbans and head coverings, and underdrawers of fine linen. They also created a decorated sash of finely loomed linen of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
And they crafted a medallion of pure gold, an emblem of the priesthood, and engraved upon it, as if it were a signet, "Holiness to Jehovah.” They strung it on a cord of blue so that it would hang down from the turban, as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
Notes
1. The reiteration of the specifications of the building of the Tabernacle and the items associated with it is partly a duplication of what was laid out earlier by Jehovah in his instructions to Moses. However, many details are left out while a few others are added. One wonders if the two laundry lists are derived from different original sources.
2. There is a continuing emphasis that all that was done was in exact conformance to the instructions of Jehovah. This is important to legitimize, if not sanctify what were probably already established religious customs and ceremonies in order to discourage challenges to the priesthood or disputes over ritual. This was important to ensure continuity and orthodoxy, vital to any religion. In Catholicism the Pope and church hierarchy were able to establish fairly consistent and uniform liturgical practices for many hundreds of years, but when Protestantism rejected that authority there would no longer be agreement upon either creed or ritual, and, as a consequence, the Protestant church splintered into a myriad of denominations.
From the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the craftsmen set about to make priestly garments for ministering in the Sanctum, the sacred raiment of Aaron, as instructed by Jehovah.
The priest's vest was made of fine linen of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. Threads of gold cut from plates beaten thin were worked expertly woven into the fabric. The two pieces, front and back, were joined at the edges and fastened with shoulder straps. The sash securing the vest was of the same material and colors, as Jehovah had instructed.
Two onyx stones were selected, mounted in gold settings, and engraved, as would a jeweler, with the names of the tribes of Israel. They were attached to the shoulders of the vest, as Jehovah had instructed, that they should be a remembrance of the sons of Israel.
With the same skill they made a chestpiece of finely loomed linen of yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, to match the vest. It was folded in two so that it would be of double thickness and 9 inches square. They set upon it four rows of gems. In the first row there was a carnelian, a topaz, and an emerald; in the second, a turquoise, a lapis lazuli, and a beryl; in the third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; in the fourth, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper, all with gold settings. They were mounted in gold settings. The stones, representing the sons of Israel, were engraved like a signet with the names of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
For the chestpiece they made a cord of twisted strands of purest gold. They mounted two gold rings on the top corners of the chestpiece and attached the gold cords to them, then attached the other ends of the cords to the gold rings at the shoulders of the vest. They attached two more gold rings on the bottom corners of the chestpiece, on the inside surface next to the vest. And they made two more rings for the vest and attached them at the edges of the vest just above the sash. With blue cords they bound the vest to the chestpiece by running the cords through both sets of rings and fastening them. In this way the chestpiece piece was securely attached to the vest and be positioned just above the sash -- as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
A robe of woven cloth, blue in color, was made to wear over the vest. In the middle of upper part of the robe was a hole for the head; the hole was bound with an edging so that it would not tear. On the hem of the robe was a design of pomegranates made of finely loomed blue, purple, and scarlet linen and between them were attached bells of pure gold, that is, pomegranates and bells forming an alternating design around the entire hem of the ministering robe -- as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of finely woven linen, turbans and head coverings, and underdrawers of fine linen. They also created a decorated sash of finely loomed linen of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
And they crafted a medallion of pure gold, an emblem of the priesthood, and engraved upon it, as if it were a signet, "Holiness to Jehovah.” They strung it on a cord of blue so that it would hang down from the turban, as Jehovah had instructed Moses.
Notes
1. The reiteration of the specifications of the building of the Tabernacle and the items associated with it is partly a duplication of what was laid out earlier by Jehovah in his instructions to Moses. However, many details are left out while a few others are added. One wonders if the two laundry lists are derived from different original sources.
2. There is a continuing emphasis that all that was done was in exact conformance to the instructions of Jehovah. This is important to legitimize, if not sanctify what were probably already established religious customs and ceremonies in order to discourage challenges to the priesthood or disputes over ritual. This was important to ensure continuity and orthodoxy, vital to any religion. In Catholicism the Pope and church hierarchy were able to establish fairly consistent and uniform liturgical practices for many hundreds of years, but when Protestantism rejected that authority there would no longer be agreement upon either creed or ritual, and, as a consequence, the Protestant church splintered into a myriad of denominations.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Construction of the Altars and Courtyard
(Exodus 37:1 - 38:31)
Bezaleel then constructed out of red acacia wood the Chest of Sacred Records, 45 inches in length and 27 inches in width, with a height of 27 inches, overlaid inside and out with gold and trimmed with a gold moulding around its circumference. Four rings cast of gold were attached to the four corners, two on one side and two on the opposite side. And he also made staves of red acacia wood, overlaid with gold, and inserted them into the rings on the sides of the chest in order they it could be carried.
Bezaleel made the cover for the chest, the Judgment Seat, 45 by 27 inches. He fashioned out of single piece of beaten gold the images of two Cherubim, fastening them on opposite ends of the chest lid. One Cherub on one side and the second on the other side, they occupied the two ends of the chest's cover and were made to seem all of one piece with the cover. Spreading their wings protectively over the lid, the Cherubim faced each other and bowed to the Judgment Seat.
And he made a table of red acacia wood, 36 inches in length, 18 inches in width and 27 inches high. It was overlaid in gold with the edge trimmed all around with a gold moulding. A trim 3 inches wide was attached to the top of the table and all around it, a rim of gold. Four rings were cast for it and attached to the four corners just above the four legs of the table and positioned just below the rim. Staves were inserted into them so that the table could be carried. These staves were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Also fashioned from pure gold were the plates and incense dishes for use at the table and the cups and bowls from which libations were poured.
Next he made a menorah of the finest beaten gold, as were its shaft, its branches and the decorative buds and petals, all of one piece. It consisted of 6 branches, 3 coming out of one side of the menorah's base and 3 coming out of the other side. On each branch there were 3 cups resembling almond blossoms, with an outer ring of buds and petals. All of the 6 branches were similarly adorned. Likewise, on the central shaft of the menorah there were 4 cups resembling almond blossoms, with an outer ring of buds and petals. Where each pair of branches joined the central shaft there was an outer ring of leaves made of one piece with the branch. This was the same for each of the 6 branches. And the outer ring of leaves and the branches were of one piece with the shaft. And there were made 7 lamps for the menorah, as well as wick trimmers, snuffers, and trays. These, the menorah, and its utensils were made of a talent of gold.
Bezaleel built an incense altar of red acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high with the corners formed into horns. It, its grate, the sides, and the horns were overlaid with the finest gold. He trimmed it with a moulding, also of gold, all around it and below it, two golden rings on each side, so that staves could be inserted in them and the altar carried. The staves were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
He expertly mixed the ingredients for the Anointing Oil for sanctification and the Sacred Incense from the purest spices.
He built a sacrificial altar of red acacia wood, 4 1/2 feet high and 7 1/2 feet square, with horns protruding from each of the four corners, all overlaid with bronze. All the vessels and utensils of the altar, the basins, shovels, fire pans, and forks were fabricated entirely of bronze. He constructed as well a screen-like grate and installed it half-way down the side of the altar covering its hearth. Four rings were cast and attached to the corners of the bronze grate as a place for staves, which were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with bronze. He inserted the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar so that it could be carried. (The altar itself was not solid, but, being constructed of planks, was hollow and empty inside.) There was also made a bronze wash basin and its stand, both made from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tabernacle.
He also made a courtyard for the Tabernacle. On the south side there was a partition of curtains of finely loomed linen 150 feet long with 20 posts of bronze inserted into 20 plinths of bronze and with curtain rods and hooks of silver. On the north side the curtains, the posts, the plinths, the rods and hooks were of identical measurement and of the same metals. On the west side the curtains were 75 feet long with 10 bronze posts and 10 bronze plinths, with curtains rods and hooks of silver. On the east side as well there were curtains 75 feet in length. The drapery on one side of the entrance extended for 22 1/2 feet with 3 posts and 3 plinths, and on the other side of entrance was an identical length of curtains and number of posts and plinths. All the curtains of the courtyard were made finely loomed linen. The plinths were made of bronze, while the curtain rods and hooks were of silver with posts overlaid with silver. The curtains for the entrance to the courtyard were made of finely loomed linen of blue, purple, and scarlet, decorated with needlework, 30 feet long and 7 1/2 feet high, conforming to the measurements of all the curtains of the courtyard. There were 4 posts at the entryway, each with plinths of bronze and curtain rods and hooks of silver. All the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and the courtyard were made of bronze.
These were the quantities of the materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle as recorded at Moses’ behest by the Levites directed by Ithamar, the son of Aaron the high priest. (Bezaleel, the son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah made all that was ordered by Jehovah and was assisted in his work by Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, who was a skillful engraver, designer, and weaver of the blue, purple, and scarlet linen.)
All the gold that was used in the construction of the Tabernacle, including that was contributed, amounted to 29 talents, 730 shekels (by standard temple weights). The silver used was counted to be 100 talents, 1775 shekels (by standard temple weights). A tax of half a shekel was contributed by males who had been counted in the census, those were above 20 years old and of an age to bear arms: these numbered 603, 550. From the 100 talents of silver were cast the plinths of the Tabernacle and the entrance to the Inner Sanctum, 100 plinths -- one talent for each plinth. And from the 1175 shekels of silver were made the curtain rods and hooks and post tops. The bronze that was contributed amounted to 70 talents and 2400 shekels, from which were cast the plinths for the entrance of the Tabernacle, the bronze sacrificial altar, its grate, and equipment, as well as the plinths of the courtyard perimeter, the courtyard entrance, and the tent pegs used in the Tabernacle and courtyard perimeter.
Notes
1. Bezaleel, who supervises the entire Tabernacle building project, must have been the Hebrew version of Imhotep, the creative engineering genius of Egypt's pyramid age, or perhaps a poor man's Phidias (the great Athenian sculptor who supervised the building of the Parthenon). If he actually accomplished what is here claimed, perhaps his name deserves to be remembered, even if his work has vanished.
2. While it is not remarkable that the dimensions of the original Tabernacle were remembered since they probably became traditional, it is extraordinary that the precise quantities of metal used in its construction should have been known and recorded. The biblical authors certainly knew that detail lends a yarn credibility. Exactitude furthers an impression of absolute truth. Preciseness suggest authority. This is illustrated as well by a record of the exact number of men in the census, 603,550 -- this apparently minus the men Moses had murdered after the Golden Calf incident. As has been pointed out before, this number, or even a fraction of it, would have been, for many reasons, impossible.
3. A talent is equal to 75 pounds. (The menorah was made of a whole talent of gold and would have been a pretty hefty item.)
Bezaleel then constructed out of red acacia wood the Chest of Sacred Records, 45 inches in length and 27 inches in width, with a height of 27 inches, overlaid inside and out with gold and trimmed with a gold moulding around its circumference. Four rings cast of gold were attached to the four corners, two on one side and two on the opposite side. And he also made staves of red acacia wood, overlaid with gold, and inserted them into the rings on the sides of the chest in order they it could be carried.
Bezaleel made the cover for the chest, the Judgment Seat, 45 by 27 inches. He fashioned out of single piece of beaten gold the images of two Cherubim, fastening them on opposite ends of the chest lid. One Cherub on one side and the second on the other side, they occupied the two ends of the chest's cover and were made to seem all of one piece with the cover. Spreading their wings protectively over the lid, the Cherubim faced each other and bowed to the Judgment Seat.
And he made a table of red acacia wood, 36 inches in length, 18 inches in width and 27 inches high. It was overlaid in gold with the edge trimmed all around with a gold moulding. A trim 3 inches wide was attached to the top of the table and all around it, a rim of gold. Four rings were cast for it and attached to the four corners just above the four legs of the table and positioned just below the rim. Staves were inserted into them so that the table could be carried. These staves were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Also fashioned from pure gold were the plates and incense dishes for use at the table and the cups and bowls from which libations were poured.
Next he made a menorah of the finest beaten gold, as were its shaft, its branches and the decorative buds and petals, all of one piece. It consisted of 6 branches, 3 coming out of one side of the menorah's base and 3 coming out of the other side. On each branch there were 3 cups resembling almond blossoms, with an outer ring of buds and petals. All of the 6 branches were similarly adorned. Likewise, on the central shaft of the menorah there were 4 cups resembling almond blossoms, with an outer ring of buds and petals. Where each pair of branches joined the central shaft there was an outer ring of leaves made of one piece with the branch. This was the same for each of the 6 branches. And the outer ring of leaves and the branches were of one piece with the shaft. And there were made 7 lamps for the menorah, as well as wick trimmers, snuffers, and trays. These, the menorah, and its utensils were made of a talent of gold.
Bezaleel built an incense altar of red acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high with the corners formed into horns. It, its grate, the sides, and the horns were overlaid with the finest gold. He trimmed it with a moulding, also of gold, all around it and below it, two golden rings on each side, so that staves could be inserted in them and the altar carried. The staves were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with gold.
He expertly mixed the ingredients for the Anointing Oil for sanctification and the Sacred Incense from the purest spices.
He built a sacrificial altar of red acacia wood, 4 1/2 feet high and 7 1/2 feet square, with horns protruding from each of the four corners, all overlaid with bronze. All the vessels and utensils of the altar, the basins, shovels, fire pans, and forks were fabricated entirely of bronze. He constructed as well a screen-like grate and installed it half-way down the side of the altar covering its hearth. Four rings were cast and attached to the corners of the bronze grate as a place for staves, which were made of red acacia wood and overlaid with bronze. He inserted the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar so that it could be carried. (The altar itself was not solid, but, being constructed of planks, was hollow and empty inside.) There was also made a bronze wash basin and its stand, both made from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tabernacle.
He also made a courtyard for the Tabernacle. On the south side there was a partition of curtains of finely loomed linen 150 feet long with 20 posts of bronze inserted into 20 plinths of bronze and with curtain rods and hooks of silver. On the north side the curtains, the posts, the plinths, the rods and hooks were of identical measurement and of the same metals. On the west side the curtains were 75 feet long with 10 bronze posts and 10 bronze plinths, with curtains rods and hooks of silver. On the east side as well there were curtains 75 feet in length. The drapery on one side of the entrance extended for 22 1/2 feet with 3 posts and 3 plinths, and on the other side of entrance was an identical length of curtains and number of posts and plinths. All the curtains of the courtyard were made finely loomed linen. The plinths were made of bronze, while the curtain rods and hooks were of silver with posts overlaid with silver. The curtains for the entrance to the courtyard were made of finely loomed linen of blue, purple, and scarlet, decorated with needlework, 30 feet long and 7 1/2 feet high, conforming to the measurements of all the curtains of the courtyard. There were 4 posts at the entryway, each with plinths of bronze and curtain rods and hooks of silver. All the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and the courtyard were made of bronze.
These were the quantities of the materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle as recorded at Moses’ behest by the Levites directed by Ithamar, the son of Aaron the high priest. (Bezaleel, the son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah made all that was ordered by Jehovah and was assisted in his work by Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, who was a skillful engraver, designer, and weaver of the blue, purple, and scarlet linen.)
All the gold that was used in the construction of the Tabernacle, including that was contributed, amounted to 29 talents, 730 shekels (by standard temple weights). The silver used was counted to be 100 talents, 1775 shekels (by standard temple weights). A tax of half a shekel was contributed by males who had been counted in the census, those were above 20 years old and of an age to bear arms: these numbered 603, 550. From the 100 talents of silver were cast the plinths of the Tabernacle and the entrance to the Inner Sanctum, 100 plinths -- one talent for each plinth. And from the 1175 shekels of silver were made the curtain rods and hooks and post tops. The bronze that was contributed amounted to 70 talents and 2400 shekels, from which were cast the plinths for the entrance of the Tabernacle, the bronze sacrificial altar, its grate, and equipment, as well as the plinths of the courtyard perimeter, the courtyard entrance, and the tent pegs used in the Tabernacle and courtyard perimeter.
Notes
1. Bezaleel, who supervises the entire Tabernacle building project, must have been the Hebrew version of Imhotep, the creative engineering genius of Egypt's pyramid age, or perhaps a poor man's Phidias (the great Athenian sculptor who supervised the building of the Parthenon). If he actually accomplished what is here claimed, perhaps his name deserves to be remembered, even if his work has vanished.
2. While it is not remarkable that the dimensions of the original Tabernacle were remembered since they probably became traditional, it is extraordinary that the precise quantities of metal used in its construction should have been known and recorded. The biblical authors certainly knew that detail lends a yarn credibility. Exactitude furthers an impression of absolute truth. Preciseness suggest authority. This is illustrated as well by a record of the exact number of men in the census, 603,550 -- this apparently minus the men Moses had murdered after the Golden Calf incident. As has been pointed out before, this number, or even a fraction of it, would have been, for many reasons, impossible.
3. A talent is equal to 75 pounds. (The menorah was made of a whole talent of gold and would have been a pretty hefty item.)
Work on the Tabernacle Begins
(Exodus 35:30 - 36:38)
Moses told the Israelite people: "Jehovah has personally selected Bezaleel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, for he is not only divinely inspired, but endowed with great judgment and skill and expertise in a variety of crafts. Jehovah has appointed him to be in charge of all the work to be done in gold, silver, and bronze, as well as the cutting, setting, and engraving of gemstones and the carving of wood -- a master of many crafts is he. And Jehovah has given him and his assistant Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, the faculty to teach others their skills, to design and execute works of engraving and carpentry, to oversee the weaving of the blue, purple, and scarlet linen, and to supervise the tasks carried out by the skilled craftsmen.
“The work upon the Tabernacle will be undertaken by Bezaleel and Aholiab and the craftsman whom Jehovah has endowed with the requisite skills and know-how. They will construct it exactly in accordance with Jehovah’s instructions.”
When Moses sent out the call for Bezaleel and Aholiab and craftsmen of God-given ability, they eagerly stepped forward and offered their services. The materials for the job, contributed by the Israelite people, were delivered to them by Moses. Yet, every morning, the people continued to readily bring in more materials to donate, so much so that the craftsmen working on the Tabernacle had to leave their work to report to Moses, "The people are bringing in more than is needed for Jehovah's project." Moses, therefore, put out an order, promulgated all over the camp -- "Let no man or woman contribute any more material for the building of the Tabernacle!" And so the people refrained from making any further contributions, (for the materials already given were more than sufficient for the work at hand).
The craftsmen working on the Tabernacle made ten curtains of linen with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, and decorated with images of Cherubim. The length of each curtain was 42 feet and its height, 6 feet. All the curtains were the same size. Five of the curtains were attached to each other, as were the other five. Loops of blue yarn were sewn on the edges of each curtain so that they might meet and be joined. Fifty golden rings were made to be used to join the curtains so that the drapery might enclose the Tabernacle. Eleven curtains of goat hair were also made, to cover the roof of the Tabernacle. Such curtains were 45 feet in length and 6 feet wide, all the same size. Five of the curtains were joined to each other, while the other six were joined together. Fifty loops were made on the edges of each curtain. Fifty bronze clasps were made to attach the curtains so that could be all of one piece to enclose the Tabernacle. A covering for the Tabernacle was made of tanned sheep skins, covered with fine leather.
Upright panels were constructed of red acacia wood, the length of each board being 15 feet and their width, 27 inches. Each board had 2 dowels, equally spaced. (Every panel was prepared in this manner.) For the panels of the Tabernacle, there were 20 panels on the south side with 40 silver plinths under the panels, with 2 dowels inserted into 2 plinths for each panel. On the north side there were also 20 panels with 40 silver plinths, with 2 dowels inserted into 2 plinths for each panel. On the west side, the rear of the Tabernacle, there were 6 panels and 2 additional panels for the 2 rear corners of the Tabernacle. These were doubled, separated at the bottom, but joined at the top at with a single ring. Both corners were prepared this way. There were 8 panels with plinths of silver, 16 in number -- 2 plinths under the first panel, 2 plinths under the next panel, and so on.
They made crossbars of red acacia wood, 5 to support the panels on the north side of the Tabernacle frame, 5 for the south side, and 5 for the west side, at the rear of the Tabernacle. The middle crossbar, positioned half way up the height of the panels, stretched from one end of the frame to the other. The panels were overlaid with gold and fitted with rings of gold that connected the supporting crossbars, which were also overlaid with gold.
The craftsmen made the veil for the Inner Sanctum of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It was hung by rings of gold from 4 posts of red acacia wood, which were overlaid with gold and set into 4 plinths of silver. For the entrance to the Sanctum of the Tabernacle, they made a curtain, also of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated. It was hung from gold rings on 5 posts that were overlaid with gold and set into plinths of bronze.
Notes
1. Trying the reader's patience and rejecting any regard for sound editing practices, the authors go on somewhat boringly to repeat the technical specifications of the Tabernacle, apparently to demonstrate that the builders and craftsman are following precisely the instructions of Jehovah. Why the details of construction must be adhered to so exactly is not clear, unless it be for the sake of blind obedience -- the linchpin of any religious (and military) community, the Israelites of the Exodus being a little of both. Of course, it is possible that Jehovah did not trust the Israelites to make his Tabernacle the way he wanted it without very specific instructions, or he felt that they lacked the expertise to design it competently -- although this is contradicted by the lavish praise Jehovah has for the abilities of Bezaleel and Aholiab.
2. There is an overabundance of materials needed for the building of the Tabernacle and the people have to be told to refrain from bringing in any more donations. "Enough already!" Moses must tell them. The wealth and generosity of the Israelite people is meant to be highlighted here, as well as the devotion reflected in their material sacrifices. So far the Israelites must be given a failing grade in following through on their promise to abide by Jehovah's commandments, but on this occasion they have at last come through when asked and given their support. It should be noted, though, that it has always been easier for men to foster religion than to follow it. Giving money, even time and labor, is always easier than altering one's moral behavior. (The rich man who exploits his employees, steals from the taxman, cheats on his wife, and is an all around heel can usually be counted upon to make a hefty donation to the church fund.)
Moses told the Israelite people: "Jehovah has personally selected Bezaleel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, for he is not only divinely inspired, but endowed with great judgment and skill and expertise in a variety of crafts. Jehovah has appointed him to be in charge of all the work to be done in gold, silver, and bronze, as well as the cutting, setting, and engraving of gemstones and the carving of wood -- a master of many crafts is he. And Jehovah has given him and his assistant Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, the faculty to teach others their skills, to design and execute works of engraving and carpentry, to oversee the weaving of the blue, purple, and scarlet linen, and to supervise the tasks carried out by the skilled craftsmen.
“The work upon the Tabernacle will be undertaken by Bezaleel and Aholiab and the craftsman whom Jehovah has endowed with the requisite skills and know-how. They will construct it exactly in accordance with Jehovah’s instructions.”
When Moses sent out the call for Bezaleel and Aholiab and craftsmen of God-given ability, they eagerly stepped forward and offered their services. The materials for the job, contributed by the Israelite people, were delivered to them by Moses. Yet, every morning, the people continued to readily bring in more materials to donate, so much so that the craftsmen working on the Tabernacle had to leave their work to report to Moses, "The people are bringing in more than is needed for Jehovah's project." Moses, therefore, put out an order, promulgated all over the camp -- "Let no man or woman contribute any more material for the building of the Tabernacle!" And so the people refrained from making any further contributions, (for the materials already given were more than sufficient for the work at hand).
The craftsmen working on the Tabernacle made ten curtains of linen with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, and decorated with images of Cherubim. The length of each curtain was 42 feet and its height, 6 feet. All the curtains were the same size. Five of the curtains were attached to each other, as were the other five. Loops of blue yarn were sewn on the edges of each curtain so that they might meet and be joined. Fifty golden rings were made to be used to join the curtains so that the drapery might enclose the Tabernacle. Eleven curtains of goat hair were also made, to cover the roof of the Tabernacle. Such curtains were 45 feet in length and 6 feet wide, all the same size. Five of the curtains were joined to each other, while the other six were joined together. Fifty loops were made on the edges of each curtain. Fifty bronze clasps were made to attach the curtains so that could be all of one piece to enclose the Tabernacle. A covering for the Tabernacle was made of tanned sheep skins, covered with fine leather.
Upright panels were constructed of red acacia wood, the length of each board being 15 feet and their width, 27 inches. Each board had 2 dowels, equally spaced. (Every panel was prepared in this manner.) For the panels of the Tabernacle, there were 20 panels on the south side with 40 silver plinths under the panels, with 2 dowels inserted into 2 plinths for each panel. On the north side there were also 20 panels with 40 silver plinths, with 2 dowels inserted into 2 plinths for each panel. On the west side, the rear of the Tabernacle, there were 6 panels and 2 additional panels for the 2 rear corners of the Tabernacle. These were doubled, separated at the bottom, but joined at the top at with a single ring. Both corners were prepared this way. There were 8 panels with plinths of silver, 16 in number -- 2 plinths under the first panel, 2 plinths under the next panel, and so on.
They made crossbars of red acacia wood, 5 to support the panels on the north side of the Tabernacle frame, 5 for the south side, and 5 for the west side, at the rear of the Tabernacle. The middle crossbar, positioned half way up the height of the panels, stretched from one end of the frame to the other. The panels were overlaid with gold and fitted with rings of gold that connected the supporting crossbars, which were also overlaid with gold.
The craftsmen made the veil for the Inner Sanctum of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It was hung by rings of gold from 4 posts of red acacia wood, which were overlaid with gold and set into 4 plinths of silver. For the entrance to the Sanctum of the Tabernacle, they made a curtain, also of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated. It was hung from gold rings on 5 posts that were overlaid with gold and set into plinths of bronze.
Notes
1. Trying the reader's patience and rejecting any regard for sound editing practices, the authors go on somewhat boringly to repeat the technical specifications of the Tabernacle, apparently to demonstrate that the builders and craftsman are following precisely the instructions of Jehovah. Why the details of construction must be adhered to so exactly is not clear, unless it be for the sake of blind obedience -- the linchpin of any religious (and military) community, the Israelites of the Exodus being a little of both. Of course, it is possible that Jehovah did not trust the Israelites to make his Tabernacle the way he wanted it without very specific instructions, or he felt that they lacked the expertise to design it competently -- although this is contradicted by the lavish praise Jehovah has for the abilities of Bezaleel and Aholiab.
2. There is an overabundance of materials needed for the building of the Tabernacle and the people have to be told to refrain from bringing in any more donations. "Enough already!" Moses must tell them. The wealth and generosity of the Israelite people is meant to be highlighted here, as well as the devotion reflected in their material sacrifices. So far the Israelites must be given a failing grade in following through on their promise to abide by Jehovah's commandments, but on this occasion they have at last come through when asked and given their support. It should be noted, though, that it has always been easier for men to foster religion than to follow it. Giving money, even time and labor, is always easier than altering one's moral behavior. (The rich man who exploits his employees, steals from the taxman, cheats on his wife, and is an all around heel can usually be counted upon to make a hefty donation to the church fund.)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Moses Makes an Appeal to His People
(Exodus 35:1 - 35:29)
Moses gathered together the whole congregation of the people of Israel and told them, "These are the commandments of Jehovah that you must keep. Complete your work in six days, for the seventh day, Saturday, will be the holy Sabbath, a day of rest exclusively dedicated to Jehovah. Whoever does any work on that day should be put to death. (Do not even kindle a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath!)”
Moses, in addressing the entire congregation of his people, said this to them, “Jehovah has made this demand of you: the first fruits of the field must be set aside for him. And all who are of a willing heart, let them contribute to Jehovah these things: gold, silver, and bronze; yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet; garments of fine linen and goat hair; red acacia wood; tanned sheepskins and fine leather; olive oil for lamps; spices for fragrant incense and anointing oil; onyx stones and other precious gems that can be set in the priest's vest and chest piece.
"Those possessing the skills of a craftsman should come forward and make what Jehovah has asked for: his sanctuary, the Tabernacle; its covering; its clasps, the panels and crossbars; the posts and plinths; the Chest of Sacred Records and its staves; the Judgment Seat that is its lid; the veil that is drawn around it; the tables and its staves; its vessels and the sacrificial loaves of bread; the menorah supporting its lamps, the lamps themselves and their utensils; the incense altar and its staves; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain that hangs before the door of the Tabernacle; the sacrificial altar; its bronze grate, its staves and implements; the wash basin and its stand; the curtains for the courtyard, its posts and plinths, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and the courtyard and their ropes; as well as the fine vestments used in ministering to Jehovah in the Sanctum, that is, the priestly vestments to be worn by Aaron, the high priest, and his sons when officiating."
All in the assembled congregation departed from Moses’ presence, but everyone whose heart was moved by his appeal and whose was spirit was inspired returned to give sacrifices to Jehovah and to offer freely their assistance in the building of the Tabernacle, the establishment of religious services, and the making of sacred vestments. Both men and women donated bracelets, ear and nose rings, seal rings, and necklaces; all the articles of gold jewelry were offerings for the use of Jehovah. Any man who owned fine linen garments of blue, purple, or scarlet, goods of goat hair, tanned sheepskins, or articles of fine leather brought them in. Metals of silver and bronze were also given for the use of Jehovah, and anyone who had in his possession red acacia wood contributed it for its various uses. Women who were skilled spinsters donated yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet they had spun and fine linen they had loomed, as well as fabric of goat hair, given with a generous heart. The tribal chiefs presented onyx stones and precious gems for the priest’s vest and chest piece, spices and oil for the lamps, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. Every man and every woman of Israel who was eager to help gave freely what was needed for the things Jehovah had commanded Moses to create.
Notes
1. In one of the more successful acts of Moses' leadership, he appeals to his people to furnish the materials to construct the Tabernacle, the altars, the priestly vestments, and so forth. It is fortunate this band of escaped slaves wandering starving and destitute in the desert had on hand all the luxurious cloths, jewels, precious metals, and prized woods that were required. It must be remembered that these things were stolen from the Egyptians when they left their land of bondage. While the exodus was very hastily prepared, while there was no time to leaven the bread, there was apparently time to do a great deal of looting. The circumstances of the looting is unclear. On the one hand it is stated that the Israelites lived in Goshen, to the northeast of Egypt proper, and on the other hand it is suggested that they lived amongst the Egyptians, that the Israelites had Egyptian neighbors from whom they could appropriate these luxuries. At any rate, the Israelites went into the desert with a lot of luxury items, even as they failed to bring with them ample supplies of food and water (since Jehovah had to aid them in finding drinking water and feed them with falls of manna). On the surface it appears as if the people were making great sacrifices with their donations, but is it really an act of great altruism to give up purloined goods of such limited utility? The nomadic lifestyle of the Israelites was hardly conducive to the wearing of luxurious raiment. And while gold and silver were used as money, what was there to buy camped in the desert?
2. In the building of the Tabernacle, etc., with most of the people participating in furnishing materials or labor, the Israelites came together as a community. The first recorded instance of this was the building of the Tower of Babel when the descendants of Noah embarked upon a cooperative construction project. But, for some reason, this incurred Jehovah's displeasure and he put the kibosh on Babel by confusing the languages. The ancient Egyptians created the greatest public works projects -- the building of the pyramids. Citizens (not slaves) were employed during the off season to labor in their construction and no doubt derived from their efforts and their experience a solidarity with their countrymen and a sense of national pride. It is likely that the pyramids were partly responsible for the successful forging of a unified and enduring nation among the people of the Nile. The building of the Tabernacle may have served a similar function for the people of Israel.
3. One of Moses' commands concerning the Sabbath was that no one was to kindle a fire on that day. It is unclear whether it was OK to tend a fire that had been started the day before. Even so, woe be to anyone who let the fire go out on a cold Saturday, for he was forbidden to start one anew. (And it can get chilly in the Holy Land in winter.) One wonders, if the Laplanders had been his chosen people, would Jehovah have made a similar prohibition?
4. We see throughout history that people are willing to deprive themselves financially in order to support religious institutions, to enrich the church and the priesthood, even to the extent of impoverishing themselves. Whether motivated by a desire to minister to their own spiritual needs or by more worldly and practical considerations, fear of divine retribution or hope for heavenly favor, men have always diverted wealth to religious uses, away from economic activity that might seem to be more in their material interest. The Israelites are zealously building a Tabernacle for their god, rather than expending their efforts and materials to, say, build decent homes for themselves. Depending upon one's point of view, this was either noble or stupid.
Moses gathered together the whole congregation of the people of Israel and told them, "These are the commandments of Jehovah that you must keep. Complete your work in six days, for the seventh day, Saturday, will be the holy Sabbath, a day of rest exclusively dedicated to Jehovah. Whoever does any work on that day should be put to death. (Do not even kindle a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath!)”
Moses, in addressing the entire congregation of his people, said this to them, “Jehovah has made this demand of you: the first fruits of the field must be set aside for him. And all who are of a willing heart, let them contribute to Jehovah these things: gold, silver, and bronze; yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet; garments of fine linen and goat hair; red acacia wood; tanned sheepskins and fine leather; olive oil for lamps; spices for fragrant incense and anointing oil; onyx stones and other precious gems that can be set in the priest's vest and chest piece.
"Those possessing the skills of a craftsman should come forward and make what Jehovah has asked for: his sanctuary, the Tabernacle; its covering; its clasps, the panels and crossbars; the posts and plinths; the Chest of Sacred Records and its staves; the Judgment Seat that is its lid; the veil that is drawn around it; the tables and its staves; its vessels and the sacrificial loaves of bread; the menorah supporting its lamps, the lamps themselves and their utensils; the incense altar and its staves; the anointing oil and fragrant incense; the curtain that hangs before the door of the Tabernacle; the sacrificial altar; its bronze grate, its staves and implements; the wash basin and its stand; the curtains for the courtyard, its posts and plinths, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and the courtyard and their ropes; as well as the fine vestments used in ministering to Jehovah in the Sanctum, that is, the priestly vestments to be worn by Aaron, the high priest, and his sons when officiating."
All in the assembled congregation departed from Moses’ presence, but everyone whose heart was moved by his appeal and whose was spirit was inspired returned to give sacrifices to Jehovah and to offer freely their assistance in the building of the Tabernacle, the establishment of religious services, and the making of sacred vestments. Both men and women donated bracelets, ear and nose rings, seal rings, and necklaces; all the articles of gold jewelry were offerings for the use of Jehovah. Any man who owned fine linen garments of blue, purple, or scarlet, goods of goat hair, tanned sheepskins, or articles of fine leather brought them in. Metals of silver and bronze were also given for the use of Jehovah, and anyone who had in his possession red acacia wood contributed it for its various uses. Women who were skilled spinsters donated yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet they had spun and fine linen they had loomed, as well as fabric of goat hair, given with a generous heart. The tribal chiefs presented onyx stones and precious gems for the priest’s vest and chest piece, spices and oil for the lamps, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. Every man and every woman of Israel who was eager to help gave freely what was needed for the things Jehovah had commanded Moses to create.
Notes
1. In one of the more successful acts of Moses' leadership, he appeals to his people to furnish the materials to construct the Tabernacle, the altars, the priestly vestments, and so forth. It is fortunate this band of escaped slaves wandering starving and destitute in the desert had on hand all the luxurious cloths, jewels, precious metals, and prized woods that were required. It must be remembered that these things were stolen from the Egyptians when they left their land of bondage. While the exodus was very hastily prepared, while there was no time to leaven the bread, there was apparently time to do a great deal of looting. The circumstances of the looting is unclear. On the one hand it is stated that the Israelites lived in Goshen, to the northeast of Egypt proper, and on the other hand it is suggested that they lived amongst the Egyptians, that the Israelites had Egyptian neighbors from whom they could appropriate these luxuries. At any rate, the Israelites went into the desert with a lot of luxury items, even as they failed to bring with them ample supplies of food and water (since Jehovah had to aid them in finding drinking water and feed them with falls of manna). On the surface it appears as if the people were making great sacrifices with their donations, but is it really an act of great altruism to give up purloined goods of such limited utility? The nomadic lifestyle of the Israelites was hardly conducive to the wearing of luxurious raiment. And while gold and silver were used as money, what was there to buy camped in the desert?
2. In the building of the Tabernacle, etc., with most of the people participating in furnishing materials or labor, the Israelites came together as a community. The first recorded instance of this was the building of the Tower of Babel when the descendants of Noah embarked upon a cooperative construction project. But, for some reason, this incurred Jehovah's displeasure and he put the kibosh on Babel by confusing the languages. The ancient Egyptians created the greatest public works projects -- the building of the pyramids. Citizens (not slaves) were employed during the off season to labor in their construction and no doubt derived from their efforts and their experience a solidarity with their countrymen and a sense of national pride. It is likely that the pyramids were partly responsible for the successful forging of a unified and enduring nation among the people of the Nile. The building of the Tabernacle may have served a similar function for the people of Israel.
3. One of Moses' commands concerning the Sabbath was that no one was to kindle a fire on that day. It is unclear whether it was OK to tend a fire that had been started the day before. Even so, woe be to anyone who let the fire go out on a cold Saturday, for he was forbidden to start one anew. (And it can get chilly in the Holy Land in winter.) One wonders, if the Laplanders had been his chosen people, would Jehovah have made a similar prohibition?
4. We see throughout history that people are willing to deprive themselves financially in order to support religious institutions, to enrich the church and the priesthood, even to the extent of impoverishing themselves. Whether motivated by a desire to minister to their own spiritual needs or by more worldly and practical considerations, fear of divine retribution or hope for heavenly favor, men have always diverted wealth to religious uses, away from economic activity that might seem to be more in their material interest. The Israelites are zealously building a Tabernacle for their god, rather than expending their efforts and materials to, say, build decent homes for themselves. Depending upon one's point of view, this was either noble or stupid.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Instructions for the Ordination of Priests
(Exodus 29:1 - 29:46)
This is the manner by which Aaron and his sons may be ordained as my priests:
Select a calf from the herd and two rams without defect and bake some unleavened bread (without yeast), unleavened cakes dipped in olive oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, all made of finely milled wheat flour. Put them all in a single basket and bring them along with the calf and the two rams. Aaron and his sons should be presented at the entrance of the Tabernacle and after they have been bathed, Aaron should be clothed in the priestly vestments, the tunic, the robe, the priestly vest itself, and the chestpiece. Wrap the decorated sash around him. Place the turban on his head and the medallion upon the turban. Take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head to consecrate him.
Then present his sons, cloth them in the linen robes and sash. After placing turbans upon the heads of Aaron and his sons, you will consecrate them. They will then be priests for life.
Ordain them in this manner:
The calf will be brought before the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons will hold the calf by the neck while you, in the presence of Jehovah and before the entrance of the Tabernacle, shall kill it. With your fingers you will smear some of the blood on each of the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood beneath the altar. The fat from around the calf's internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat around them you will burn on the altar, but the meat of the calf, its hide, and intestines you must burn outside the compound, as an offering to expiate sin.
Then take one of the rams and with Aaron and his sons holding it down, you will kill it. Its blood should be splattered against the sides of the altar. You should butcher the ram, wash its internal organs and legs and lay them upon the cut-up carcass and head. The entire ram should then be incinerated upon the altar, as it is a burnt offering to Jehovah -- a sacrifice by fire of savory aroma!
Take the other ram and with Aaron and his sons holding it down, you should kill it as well. Of its blood dab some on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons and also on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. The remainder of the blood, sprinkle around the altar. Sprinkle upon Aaron and his sons and upon their vestments the blood that was upon the altar and some anointing oil: they and their vestments will then be sanctified.
Take the fat of the ram and its hindquarters, the fat that covers the lungs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat around them and the right thigh (for this is a ram of consecration). Also take one loaf of the unleavened bread dipped in oil, a wafer out of the basket containing the unleavened bread and present them to Jehovah. These things should be given to Aaron and his sons so that they may sanctify them by elevating them and proffering them to Jehovah. Then take the bread from their hands and put it upon the altar with the burnt offering. This will smell really sweet to Jehovah, a gift to the divine from the fire!
The breast of the ram that was used to consecrate Aaron should be elevated and presented to Jehovah. This will be your portion. Sanctify this consecrated ram and the thigh that was separated from its carcass. Aaron's portion and that of his sons will be from the ram consecrated to him. They and their descendants shall, as a right of their priesthood, always enjoy a portion of the peace offerings consecrated to me by the Israelites.
The sacred vestments that Aaron now wears will be assumed by his sons after him; they will be anointed and ordained in them. Those of his sons who would succeed him and minister in his place in the Sanctum must wear them for 7 days. They should take the consecrated ram, boil its meat in the Sanctum, and Aaron and his sons should dine upon it. The loaves in the basket they should eat before the entrance to the Tabernacle. This will be a sacrifice of atonement so that those who minister may be sanctified. For this reason no other may partake of them. If any of the consecrated meat or bread remains until morning, it should be burned. (It should not be otherwise eaten, because it is sanctified.)
You should do all that I have commanded you in regard to Aaron and his sons. Their ritual of priestly ordination should last 7 days. A calf should be sacrificed every day to expiate sin. You should clean the altar every day after each sacrifice, anoint it to sanctify it. For seven days this process of sacrifice, expiation, and sanctification should continue so that the altar and anyone that touching it shall become holy.
Now this is what you should regularly sacrifice on the altar: each day, two yearling lambs. One lamb should be offered in the morning and the other at nightfall. The first lamb should be prepared with two quarts of fine flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil and a libation of a quart of wine. The evening lamb should be prepared the same way, so that it will be a sweet and savory gift for Jehovah.
Such burnt offerings should continually be made for the generations to come, there at the entrance of the Tabernacle, where I have chosen to commune with you. It is also there, a place made holy by my presence, that I will give instructions to the people of Israel. I will sanctify the altar, I will sanctify the Tabernacle, and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons who will serve me as my priests. I will live among the people of Israel and be their god. They will know that I am Jehovah, their god, I, who have brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell amongst them and be Jehovah, their god.
Notes
1. Interesting and disturbing is it that the one cannot be sanctified as a Jehovan priest without a requisite ceremonial slaughter of animals. Although this and similar practices were almost universal in the ancient world, one wonders to what end. Why is the seemingly purposeless and ostensibly viscous killing of lesser forms of life regarded as a holy act? Why must worshipers, to get into the good graces of their god, slaughter the animals he has created? Is it merely to provide the priests with a good meal? The biblical texts certainly shed no light upon the matter.
2. The sacrificial killing of the calf and the rams would have furnished to modern eyes a disgustingly bloody spectacle of savage butchery and primitive superstition. Ancient peoples must have certainly had not only a different attitude toward such matters, but duller sensibilities. We celebrate a holiday in America during which a turkey is sacrificed for the dinner table, yet, when the high priest of the national religion is delivered the avian victim, he customarily spares it, granting the bird a pardon. (We haven't the heart to condemn to death a turkey that is a specific individual and are comfortable eating only some unknown, generic turkey we have never glimpsed when alive.)
3. The Tabernacle was build so that Jehovah could dwell among his people, or it is merely to visit them? In the spirit or in the flesh? It is unclear as yet how this is meant.
4. The concept of holiness, meaningless to nonbelievers, seems to be existent in most religions. What belongs to the god, what is valued by the god, sometimes what is invested with special power by the god becomes holy. In contrast, what is sacred is what men may regard with reverence, whether it may be holy or just personally valued.
5. One wonders how the ancient Israelites would have been able to clean up all that bloody mess resulting from the frequent sacrifices. What miracles were necessary to keep the priestly vestments cleaned and unstained and how, with probably not a lot of water available, were they able to hose down the altar to wash away all the blood? And maybe the burning flesh might have smelled pleasantly aromatic for a while, but later, wouldn’t the smell of butchered animals have made the holy Tabernacle reek like a abattoir?
This is the manner by which Aaron and his sons may be ordained as my priests:
Select a calf from the herd and two rams without defect and bake some unleavened bread (without yeast), unleavened cakes dipped in olive oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, all made of finely milled wheat flour. Put them all in a single basket and bring them along with the calf and the two rams. Aaron and his sons should be presented at the entrance of the Tabernacle and after they have been bathed, Aaron should be clothed in the priestly vestments, the tunic, the robe, the priestly vest itself, and the chestpiece. Wrap the decorated sash around him. Place the turban on his head and the medallion upon the turban. Take the anointing oil and pour it upon his head to consecrate him.
Then present his sons, cloth them in the linen robes and sash. After placing turbans upon the heads of Aaron and his sons, you will consecrate them. They will then be priests for life.
Ordain them in this manner:
The calf will be brought before the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons will hold the calf by the neck while you, in the presence of Jehovah and before the entrance of the Tabernacle, shall kill it. With your fingers you will smear some of the blood on each of the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood beneath the altar. The fat from around the calf's internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat around them you will burn on the altar, but the meat of the calf, its hide, and intestines you must burn outside the compound, as an offering to expiate sin.
Then take one of the rams and with Aaron and his sons holding it down, you will kill it. Its blood should be splattered against the sides of the altar. You should butcher the ram, wash its internal organs and legs and lay them upon the cut-up carcass and head. The entire ram should then be incinerated upon the altar, as it is a burnt offering to Jehovah -- a sacrifice by fire of savory aroma!
Take the other ram and with Aaron and his sons holding it down, you should kill it as well. Of its blood dab some on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons and also on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. The remainder of the blood, sprinkle around the altar. Sprinkle upon Aaron and his sons and upon their vestments the blood that was upon the altar and some anointing oil: they and their vestments will then be sanctified.
Take the fat of the ram and its hindquarters, the fat that covers the lungs, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat around them and the right thigh (for this is a ram of consecration). Also take one loaf of the unleavened bread dipped in oil, a wafer out of the basket containing the unleavened bread and present them to Jehovah. These things should be given to Aaron and his sons so that they may sanctify them by elevating them and proffering them to Jehovah. Then take the bread from their hands and put it upon the altar with the burnt offering. This will smell really sweet to Jehovah, a gift to the divine from the fire!
The breast of the ram that was used to consecrate Aaron should be elevated and presented to Jehovah. This will be your portion. Sanctify this consecrated ram and the thigh that was separated from its carcass. Aaron's portion and that of his sons will be from the ram consecrated to him. They and their descendants shall, as a right of their priesthood, always enjoy a portion of the peace offerings consecrated to me by the Israelites.
The sacred vestments that Aaron now wears will be assumed by his sons after him; they will be anointed and ordained in them. Those of his sons who would succeed him and minister in his place in the Sanctum must wear them for 7 days. They should take the consecrated ram, boil its meat in the Sanctum, and Aaron and his sons should dine upon it. The loaves in the basket they should eat before the entrance to the Tabernacle. This will be a sacrifice of atonement so that those who minister may be sanctified. For this reason no other may partake of them. If any of the consecrated meat or bread remains until morning, it should be burned. (It should not be otherwise eaten, because it is sanctified.)
You should do all that I have commanded you in regard to Aaron and his sons. Their ritual of priestly ordination should last 7 days. A calf should be sacrificed every day to expiate sin. You should clean the altar every day after each sacrifice, anoint it to sanctify it. For seven days this process of sacrifice, expiation, and sanctification should continue so that the altar and anyone that touching it shall become holy.
Now this is what you should regularly sacrifice on the altar: each day, two yearling lambs. One lamb should be offered in the morning and the other at nightfall. The first lamb should be prepared with two quarts of fine flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil and a libation of a quart of wine. The evening lamb should be prepared the same way, so that it will be a sweet and savory gift for Jehovah.
Such burnt offerings should continually be made for the generations to come, there at the entrance of the Tabernacle, where I have chosen to commune with you. It is also there, a place made holy by my presence, that I will give instructions to the people of Israel. I will sanctify the altar, I will sanctify the Tabernacle, and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons who will serve me as my priests. I will live among the people of Israel and be their god. They will know that I am Jehovah, their god, I, who have brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell amongst them and be Jehovah, their god.
Notes
1. Interesting and disturbing is it that the one cannot be sanctified as a Jehovan priest without a requisite ceremonial slaughter of animals. Although this and similar practices were almost universal in the ancient world, one wonders to what end. Why is the seemingly purposeless and ostensibly viscous killing of lesser forms of life regarded as a holy act? Why must worshipers, to get into the good graces of their god, slaughter the animals he has created? Is it merely to provide the priests with a good meal? The biblical texts certainly shed no light upon the matter.
2. The sacrificial killing of the calf and the rams would have furnished to modern eyes a disgustingly bloody spectacle of savage butchery and primitive superstition. Ancient peoples must have certainly had not only a different attitude toward such matters, but duller sensibilities. We celebrate a holiday in America during which a turkey is sacrificed for the dinner table, yet, when the high priest of the national religion is delivered the avian victim, he customarily spares it, granting the bird a pardon. (We haven't the heart to condemn to death a turkey that is a specific individual and are comfortable eating only some unknown, generic turkey we have never glimpsed when alive.)
3. The Tabernacle was build so that Jehovah could dwell among his people, or it is merely to visit them? In the spirit or in the flesh? It is unclear as yet how this is meant.
4. The concept of holiness, meaningless to nonbelievers, seems to be existent in most religions. What belongs to the god, what is valued by the god, sometimes what is invested with special power by the god becomes holy. In contrast, what is sacred is what men may regard with reverence, whether it may be holy or just personally valued.
5. One wonders how the ancient Israelites would have been able to clean up all that bloody mess resulting from the frequent sacrifices. What miracles were necessary to keep the priestly vestments cleaned and unstained and how, with probably not a lot of water available, were they able to hose down the altar to wash away all the blood? And maybe the burning flesh might have smelled pleasantly aromatic for a while, but later, wouldn’t the smell of butchered animals have made the holy Tabernacle reek like a abattoir?
Instructions for the Building of the Altar and the Courtyard
(Exodus 27:1-27:21)
You should also construct an altar of red acacia wood with the dimensions 4 1/2 feet high and 7 1/2 feet square. There should be horns at each of the four corners; they should be of one piece with the altar and overlaid with bronze. There should be made trays to collect the ashes, as well as utensils such as shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans, all of which are to be made of bronze. A screen-like grate of bronze, with four bronze rings at each of its four corners, should be made and placed beneath the rim of the altar so that it extends halfway down the side of the altar. Staves should be made for the altar out of red acacia wood overlaid with bronze. They are to be inserted through the rings on opposite sides of the altar so that it can be carried. The altar should not be solid, but hollow inside, in accordance with the design I have shown you on the mountain.
A courtyard should be made for the Tabernacle. On the south side there should be a partition of curtains made of finely loomed linen 150 feet long. They should be hung on silver curtain hooks and rods between 20 posts inserted into 20 plinths of bronze. The north side should be the same. On the west side of the courtyard, the partition of curtains should be 75 feet in length, with ten posts and ten plinths. That on the east side, where the entrance is, the curtains will also be 75 feet in length. On each side of the entrance the curtains should extend for 23 feet and be supported by three posts and three plinths. For the entrance there should be a 30 foot curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn of finely loomed, decorated linen, with 4 posts and the same number of plinths.
The posts that enclose the courtyard should have curtains rods and hooks of silver and plinths of bronze. The length of the courtyard should be 150 feet long by 75 feet wide with a perimeter of curtains 7 1/2 feet high. All the equipment used for services in the Tabernacle -- as well as the post dowels for the Tabernacle and the courtyard enclosure -- should be made of bronze.
Order the people of Israel to bring you the purest and finest quality olive oil so that the lamps of the menorah may burn continually. The menorah will be placed outside the curtains that veil the Inner Sanctum wherein the Chest of Sacred Records stands. It is the responsibility of Aaron and his sons to tend the flames to ensure they remain burning throughout the night, there before the holy presence. And this duty will be everlasting for future generations of Israel down through the ages.
Notes
1. One continually gets the impression in reading all these precise instructions from Jehovah that the authors were simply recording details that had been passed down to them and probably applicable to a much later date. Religious practices and customs regularly grow and establish themselves over a period of time. But by asserting that they were all dictated by the divinity lends them legitimacy, if not sanctity and thwarts any challenge to their appropriateness. To traditional societies, based on stability, change is an anathema. Religion is often the most reliable guardian and most zealous enforcer of tradition, for its priesthood can credibly assert God's will -- "this is how it must be, for God says so."
2. The curtains that enclosed the Tabernacle courtyard were probable hung from hooks attached to curtain rods -- how else? But the vagueness and ambiguity of the Hebrew words in this account has led many translators to very confusing, if not incomprehensible, descriptions of this simple matter.
3. Olive oil has been considered sacred by early civilizations bordering on the Mediterranean. It was considered so by the ancient Greeks who used it to burn lamps in their temples and to fuel the famous Olympic torch. Although the olive tree is native to Arabia as well as Palestine, one questions whether the wandering Israelites would have found sufficient numbers of wildly growing olive trees in the barren Sinai for the oil they needed. After all, if olive trees could have been readily found there, why would the Israelites have needed manna from heaven to feed themselves? (On the other hand, the red acacia tree, the source of the wood needed for all the lumber in the Tabernacle, does grow wild in the Sinai.)
You should also construct an altar of red acacia wood with the dimensions 4 1/2 feet high and 7 1/2 feet square. There should be horns at each of the four corners; they should be of one piece with the altar and overlaid with bronze. There should be made trays to collect the ashes, as well as utensils such as shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans, all of which are to be made of bronze. A screen-like grate of bronze, with four bronze rings at each of its four corners, should be made and placed beneath the rim of the altar so that it extends halfway down the side of the altar. Staves should be made for the altar out of red acacia wood overlaid with bronze. They are to be inserted through the rings on opposite sides of the altar so that it can be carried. The altar should not be solid, but hollow inside, in accordance with the design I have shown you on the mountain.
A courtyard should be made for the Tabernacle. On the south side there should be a partition of curtains made of finely loomed linen 150 feet long. They should be hung on silver curtain hooks and rods between 20 posts inserted into 20 plinths of bronze. The north side should be the same. On the west side of the courtyard, the partition of curtains should be 75 feet in length, with ten posts and ten plinths. That on the east side, where the entrance is, the curtains will also be 75 feet in length. On each side of the entrance the curtains should extend for 23 feet and be supported by three posts and three plinths. For the entrance there should be a 30 foot curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn of finely loomed, decorated linen, with 4 posts and the same number of plinths.
The posts that enclose the courtyard should have curtains rods and hooks of silver and plinths of bronze. The length of the courtyard should be 150 feet long by 75 feet wide with a perimeter of curtains 7 1/2 feet high. All the equipment used for services in the Tabernacle -- as well as the post dowels for the Tabernacle and the courtyard enclosure -- should be made of bronze.
Order the people of Israel to bring you the purest and finest quality olive oil so that the lamps of the menorah may burn continually. The menorah will be placed outside the curtains that veil the Inner Sanctum wherein the Chest of Sacred Records stands. It is the responsibility of Aaron and his sons to tend the flames to ensure they remain burning throughout the night, there before the holy presence. And this duty will be everlasting for future generations of Israel down through the ages.
Notes
1. One continually gets the impression in reading all these precise instructions from Jehovah that the authors were simply recording details that had been passed down to them and probably applicable to a much later date. Religious practices and customs regularly grow and establish themselves over a period of time. But by asserting that they were all dictated by the divinity lends them legitimacy, if not sanctity and thwarts any challenge to their appropriateness. To traditional societies, based on stability, change is an anathema. Religion is often the most reliable guardian and most zealous enforcer of tradition, for its priesthood can credibly assert God's will -- "this is how it must be, for God says so."
2. The curtains that enclosed the Tabernacle courtyard were probable hung from hooks attached to curtain rods -- how else? But the vagueness and ambiguity of the Hebrew words in this account has led many translators to very confusing, if not incomprehensible, descriptions of this simple matter.
3. Olive oil has been considered sacred by early civilizations bordering on the Mediterranean. It was considered so by the ancient Greeks who used it to burn lamps in their temples and to fuel the famous Olympic torch. Although the olive tree is native to Arabia as well as Palestine, one questions whether the wandering Israelites would have found sufficient numbers of wildly growing olive trees in the barren Sinai for the oil they needed. After all, if olive trees could have been readily found there, why would the Israelites have needed manna from heaven to feed themselves? (On the other hand, the red acacia tree, the source of the wood needed for all the lumber in the Tabernacle, does grow wild in the Sinai.)
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Instructions for the Building of the Tabernacle
(Exodus 26:1 - 26:37)
You should make for the framework of the Tabernacle 10 curtains of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. The length of the curtains should be 42 feet by 6 feet wide, with each curtain of the same dimensions. Five of the curtains should sewn together with the other five also sewn together. Attach hooks of blue yarn on the outside curtain of each set. There should be 50 hooks on outside curtain of the first set matching 50 hooks on the inner curtain of the second set. There should be 50 golden clasps by which to fasten the hooks of the curtains so that they may form a single tented enclosure.
Also, you need to make 11 curtains of goat hair to cover the top of the Tabernacle. Each curtain should be 45 feet long and 6 feet wide, each curtain being of the same dimensions. Five of the curtains should be joined together and the other 6 joined, with 3 feet of the latter set folded over double at the entrance to the Tabernacle. On the edge of first set of curtains there should be 50 hooks and 50 hooks on the second set. Make 50 bronze clasps to connect the hooks from each set, making a single covering. The extra material, a half curtain in length, should hang over the rear of the Tabernacle. The extra 18 inches on the first curtain and the extra 18 inches on the last curtain should hang over the sides of the Tabernacle to cover it. As an additional protective covering for the roof of Tabernacle you should lay down tanned sheep skins and, over them, fine goat leather.
Make a framework for the Tabernacle out of red acacia wood. Each framing panel should be 180 inches high by 27 inches wide. There should be two dowels at the bottom of each panel. Every board should be prepared in this manner. On the side of the Tabernacle facing south there should be 20 panels and for them 40 plinths of silver, 2 plinths for each panel into which the 2 dowels may be inserted. On the north side there should be 20 more panels with 40 plinths of silver, 2 for each panel. There should be 6 panels for the rear of the Tabernacle facing west. Two panels should be used for the corners in the rear of the Tabernacle. They should be doubled, separated at the bottom, but joined at the top at with a single ring. Both corners should be prepared this way. There should be 8 panels with plinths of silver, 16 in number -- 2 plinths under the first panel, 2 plinths under the next panel, and so on.
You should make crossbars of red acacia wood, 5 to support the panels on the north side of the Tabernacle frame, 5 for the south side, and 5 for the west side, at the rear of the Tabernacle. The middle crossbar, positioned half way up the height of the panels, should stretch from one end of the frame to the other. The panels should be overlaid with gold and fitted with rings of gold by which to attach the supporting crossbars, which should also be overlaid with gold.
You should thus set up the Tabernacle according to this pattern, shown to you on the mountain.
You should make a veil of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It should be hung by rings of gold around four posts of red acacia wood, which should be overlaid with gold and set into plinths of silver. Place behind the veil the Chest of Records. This veil, hung under the clasps of the Tabernacle curtains, will serve to separate the Sanctum from the Inner Sanctum. (You should put the lid on the Chest of Records when you place it in the Inner Sanctum.) The table should stand on the north side of the Tabernacle outside the veil, opposite the menorah on the south side.
There should be a screen at the entrance to the Tabernacle. It should be of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It should be hung from gold rings and supported by 5 posts of red acacia wood that are overlaid with gold and set into 5 plinths cast of bronze.
Notes
1. This detailed explanation of the design of the Tabernacle (though almost indecipherable in the early translations) is at least refreshingly literal and specific. The basic design was scarcely unique in its time. In all ancient religions, there are always devotional objects and vessels and an inner sanctum to which only the priests have access. The major difference is that instead of having a statue or idol of a god in the inner sanctum, its place is taken by the Chest of Records. But the idea that the god, either physically or in spirit, visits the inner sanctum to commune with his (or her) priests and devotees is preserved.
2. Some translations refer to the post plinths as being of brass. We define brass as an alloy of copper and zinc. Brass was not manufactured until Roman times. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, for whom a whole age takes it name, is more likely meant here. However, it is not that cut and dried. Bronzes, in ancient times were made with a variety of copper alloys, including what we would refer to as brass. Brass, though, was not intentionally made or regarded as a distinct metal until times A.D.
3. The building of the Tabernacle required sets of skills the Israelites certainly would not have had during the days of Abraham and Jacob. Expertise in carpentry, cloth making, sculpture, and metalworking may have been acquired by the brick-making slaves in Egypt. Apparently a number of Hebrews must have been something other than slaves, that is, if the Tabernacle described was actually built by Moses’ exiles. There is, however, a considerable body of opinion that asserts the Tabernacle detailed in Exodus is not at all the primitive Tabernacle of Moses’s time, but refers to one of a much later period, perhaps even to the Solomonic temple. This is likely since it just doesn’t seem possible that 2nd millennium B.C. Hebrews would possess the know-how, the skills, the technology, the materials to craft the building and the devotional objects described. Nor is their condition as desert nomads and exiles conducive to such an enterprise. And it always must be remembered that the Books of Moses were compiled from more than one source many hundreds of years after his time and, therefore, contain much that is anachronistic and added to the narrative at a later date.
4. Cherubims, whose statues adorn the lid of the Chest of Records, are also to be depicted on all the Tabernacle's drapery. This is one of the few instances in which anthropomorphic artistic representations are sanctioned by the Hebrews and by Jehovah -- assuming that the Cherubim were being depicted as humans with wings. It is unclear how the images were to be put on the cloth. Embroidery had not been yet developed.
You should make for the framework of the Tabernacle 10 curtains of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. The length of the curtains should be 42 feet by 6 feet wide, with each curtain of the same dimensions. Five of the curtains should sewn together with the other five also sewn together. Attach hooks of blue yarn on the outside curtain of each set. There should be 50 hooks on outside curtain of the first set matching 50 hooks on the inner curtain of the second set. There should be 50 golden clasps by which to fasten the hooks of the curtains so that they may form a single tented enclosure.
Also, you need to make 11 curtains of goat hair to cover the top of the Tabernacle. Each curtain should be 45 feet long and 6 feet wide, each curtain being of the same dimensions. Five of the curtains should be joined together and the other 6 joined, with 3 feet of the latter set folded over double at the entrance to the Tabernacle. On the edge of first set of curtains there should be 50 hooks and 50 hooks on the second set. Make 50 bronze clasps to connect the hooks from each set, making a single covering. The extra material, a half curtain in length, should hang over the rear of the Tabernacle. The extra 18 inches on the first curtain and the extra 18 inches on the last curtain should hang over the sides of the Tabernacle to cover it. As an additional protective covering for the roof of Tabernacle you should lay down tanned sheep skins and, over them, fine goat leather.
Make a framework for the Tabernacle out of red acacia wood. Each framing panel should be 180 inches high by 27 inches wide. There should be two dowels at the bottom of each panel. Every board should be prepared in this manner. On the side of the Tabernacle facing south there should be 20 panels and for them 40 plinths of silver, 2 plinths for each panel into which the 2 dowels may be inserted. On the north side there should be 20 more panels with 40 plinths of silver, 2 for each panel. There should be 6 panels for the rear of the Tabernacle facing west. Two panels should be used for the corners in the rear of the Tabernacle. They should be doubled, separated at the bottom, but joined at the top at with a single ring. Both corners should be prepared this way. There should be 8 panels with plinths of silver, 16 in number -- 2 plinths under the first panel, 2 plinths under the next panel, and so on.
You should make crossbars of red acacia wood, 5 to support the panels on the north side of the Tabernacle frame, 5 for the south side, and 5 for the west side, at the rear of the Tabernacle. The middle crossbar, positioned half way up the height of the panels, should stretch from one end of the frame to the other. The panels should be overlaid with gold and fitted with rings of gold by which to attach the supporting crossbars, which should also be overlaid with gold.
You should thus set up the Tabernacle according to this pattern, shown to you on the mountain.
You should make a veil of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It should be hung by rings of gold around four posts of red acacia wood, which should be overlaid with gold and set into plinths of silver. Place behind the veil the Chest of Records. This veil, hung under the clasps of the Tabernacle curtains, will serve to separate the Sanctum from the Inner Sanctum. (You should put the lid on the Chest of Records when you place it in the Inner Sanctum.) The table should stand on the north side of the Tabernacle outside the veil, opposite the menorah on the south side.
There should be a screen at the entrance to the Tabernacle. It should be of finely loomed linen, woven with yarn dyed blue, purple, and scarlet and skillfully decorated with the images of Cherubim. It should be hung from gold rings and supported by 5 posts of red acacia wood that are overlaid with gold and set into 5 plinths cast of bronze.
Notes
1. This detailed explanation of the design of the Tabernacle (though almost indecipherable in the early translations) is at least refreshingly literal and specific. The basic design was scarcely unique in its time. In all ancient religions, there are always devotional objects and vessels and an inner sanctum to which only the priests have access. The major difference is that instead of having a statue or idol of a god in the inner sanctum, its place is taken by the Chest of Records. But the idea that the god, either physically or in spirit, visits the inner sanctum to commune with his (or her) priests and devotees is preserved.
2. Some translations refer to the post plinths as being of brass. We define brass as an alloy of copper and zinc. Brass was not manufactured until Roman times. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, for whom a whole age takes it name, is more likely meant here. However, it is not that cut and dried. Bronzes, in ancient times were made with a variety of copper alloys, including what we would refer to as brass. Brass, though, was not intentionally made or regarded as a distinct metal until times A.D.
3. The building of the Tabernacle required sets of skills the Israelites certainly would not have had during the days of Abraham and Jacob. Expertise in carpentry, cloth making, sculpture, and metalworking may have been acquired by the brick-making slaves in Egypt. Apparently a number of Hebrews must have been something other than slaves, that is, if the Tabernacle described was actually built by Moses’ exiles. There is, however, a considerable body of opinion that asserts the Tabernacle detailed in Exodus is not at all the primitive Tabernacle of Moses’s time, but refers to one of a much later period, perhaps even to the Solomonic temple. This is likely since it just doesn’t seem possible that 2nd millennium B.C. Hebrews would possess the know-how, the skills, the technology, the materials to craft the building and the devotional objects described. Nor is their condition as desert nomads and exiles conducive to such an enterprise. And it always must be remembered that the Books of Moses were compiled from more than one source many hundreds of years after his time and, therefore, contain much that is anachronistic and added to the narrative at a later date.
4. Cherubims, whose statues adorn the lid of the Chest of Records, are also to be depicted on all the Tabernacle's drapery. This is one of the few instances in which anthropomorphic artistic representations are sanctioned by the Hebrews and by Jehovah -- assuming that the Cherubim were being depicted as humans with wings. It is unclear how the images were to be put on the cloth. Embroidery had not been yet developed.
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