TABERNACLE
the
details
of
the
fabric
and
furniture
of
the
Taber-nacle,
and
to
the
arrangements
for
its
transport
from
station
to
station
in
the
wilderness,
fall
into
two
groups,
viz.
(o)
Ex
25-27.
30.
31,
which
are
couched
in
the
form
of
instructions
from
J"
to
Moses
as
to
the
erection
of
the
Tabernacle
and
the
maliing
of
its
furniture
according
to
the
'pattern'
or
model
shown
to
the
latter
on
the
holy
mount
(25=-
«);
(6)
Ex
35-40,
which
tell
inter
alia
of
the
carrying
out
of
these
instructions.
Some
additional
details,
particularly
as
to
the
arrange-ments
on
the
march,
are
given
in
Nu
Z^'"-
4<^-
and
In
these
and
other
OT
passages
the
wilderness
sanctu-ary
is
denoted
by
at
least
a
dozen
different
designations
(see
the
list
in
Hastings'
DB
Iv.
655).
The
most
fre-quently
employed
is
that
also
borne,
as
we
have
seen,
by
the
sacred
tent
of
the
Elohistic
source
(E),
'the
tent
of
meeting'
(so
EV
throughout).
That
this
is
the
more
correct
rendering
of
the
original
'Bhel
mS'M,
as
compared
with
AV's
'
tabernacle
of
the
congrega-tion,'
is
now
universally
aclsnowledged.
The
sense
in
which
the
Priestly
writers,
at
least,
understood
the
second
term
is
evident
from
such
passages
as
Ex
25^"^
where,
with
reference
to
the
mercy-seat
(see
7
(6)),
J"
is
represented
as
saying:
'there
I
will
meet
with
thee
and
commune
with
thee'
(cf.
Nu
7*').
This,
however,
does
not
exclude
a
possible
early
connexion
of
the
name
with
that
of
the
Babylonian
'mount
of
meeting'
(Is
14>»,
EV
'congregation'),
the
mB'M
or
assembly
of
the
gods.
3.
In
order
to
do
justice
to
the
Priestly
writers
in
their
attempts
to
give
literary
shape
to
their
ideas
of
Divine
worship,
it
must
be
remembered
that
they
were
following
m
the
footsteps
of
Ezelciel
(chs.
40-48),
whose
conception
of
a
sanctuary
is
that
of
a
dwelling-
place
of
the
Deity
(see
Ezk
37^').
Now
the
attribute
of
Israel's
God,
which
for
these
theologians
of
the
Exile
overshadowed
all
others,
was
His
ineffable
and
almost
unapproachable
holiness,
and
the
problem
for
Ezelsiel
and
his
priestly
successors
was
how
man
in
his
creaturely
weakness
and
sinfulness
could
with
safety
approach
a
perfectly
holy
God.
The
solution
is
found
in
the
restored
Temple
in
the
one
case
(Ezk
40
ff.),
and
in
the
Tabernacle
ui
the
other,
together
with
the
elaoorate
sacrificial
and
propitiatory
system
of
which
each
is
the
centre.
In
the
Tabernacle,
in
particular,
we
have
an
ideal
of
a
Divine
sanctuary,
every
detail
of
which
is
intended
to
symbolize
the
unity,
majesty,
and
above
all
the
holiness
of
J",
and
to
provide
an
earthly
habita-tion
in
which
a
holy
God
may
again
dwell
in
the
midst
of
a
holy
people.
'Let
them
make
me
a
sanctuary,
that
I
may
dwell
among
them
'
(Ex
25').
4.
Taking
this
general
idea
of
the
Tabernacle
with
us,
and
leaving
a
fuller
discussion
of
its
religious
significance
and
symbolism
to
a
later
section
(§
8),
let
us
proceed
to
study
the
arrangement
and
component
parts
of
P's
ideal
sanctuary.
Since
the
tents
of
the
Hebrew
tribes,
those
of
the
priests
and
Levites,
and
the
three
divisions
of
the
sanctuary
—
court,
holy
place,
and
the
holy
of
holies
—
represent
ascending
degrees
of
holiness
in
the
scheme
of
the
Priestly
writer,
the
appropriate
order
of
study
will
be
from
without
inwards,
from
the
perimeter
of
the
sanctuary
to
its
centre.
(a)
We
begin,
therefore,
with
'the
court
of
the
dwell-ing'
(Ex
27').
This
is
described
as
a
rectangular
enclosure
in
the
centre
of
the
camp,
measuring
100
cubits
from
east
to
west
and
half
that
amount
from
south
to
north.
If
the
shorter
cubit
of,
say,
18
inches
(for
con-venience
of
reckoning)
be
taken
as
the
unit
of
measure-ment,
this
represents
an
area
of
approximately
50
yards
by
25,
a
ratio
of
2:1.
The
entrance,
which
is
on
the
eastern
side,
is
closed
by
a
screen
(27"
RV)
of
em-broidered
work
in
colours.
The
rest
of
the
area
is
screened
off
by
plain
white
cvirtains
(EV
'
hangings
')
of
'fine
twined
linen'
5
cubits
in
height,
suspended,
like
the
screen,
at
equal
intervals
of
5
cubits
from
pillars
standing
TABERNACLE
in
sockets
(EV)
or
bases
of
bronze.
Since
the
perimeter
of
the
court
measured
300
cubits,
60
pillars
in
all
were
required
for
the
curtains
and
the
screen,
and
are
reckoned
in
the
text
in
groups
of
tens
and
twenties,
20
for
each
long
side,
and
10
for
each
short
side.
The
pillars
are
evidently
intended
to
be
kept
upright
by
means
of
cords
or
stays
fastened
to
pins
or
pegs
of
bronze
stuck
in
the
ground.
(6)
In
the
centre
of
the
court
is
placed
the
altar
of
bumt-oflfering
(27
'-*),
called
also
'
the
brazen
altar
'
and
'the
altar'
par
excellence.
When
one
considers
the
purpose
it
was
intended
to
serve,
one
is
surprised
to
find
this
altar
of
burnt-offering
consisting
of
a
hollow
chest
of
acacia
wood(so
RV
throughout,
for
AV
'
shittim
')
—the
only
wood
employed
in
the
construction
of
the
Tabernacle
—
5
cubits
in
length
and
breadth,
and
3
in
height,
overlaid
with
what
must,
tor
reasons
of
transport,
have
been
a
comparatively
thin
sheathing
of
bronze.
From
the
four
corners
spring
the
four
horns
of
the
altar,
'of
one
piece'
with
it,
while
half-way
up
the
side
there
was
fitted
a
projecting
ledge,
from
which
depended
a
network
or
grating
(AV
'grate')
of
bronze
(27'
38«RV).
The
meshes
of
the
latter
must
have
been
sufficiently
wide
to
permit
of
the
sacrificial
blood
being
dashed
against
the
sides
and
base
of
the
altar
(cf.
the
sketch
in
Hastings'
DB
iv.
658).
Like
most
of
the
other
articles
of
the
Tabernacle
furniture,
the
altar
was
provided
with
rings
and
poles
for
convenience
of
transport.
(c)
In
proximity
to
the
altar
must
be
placed
the
bronze
layer
(30"-^'),
containing
water
for
the
ablutions
of
the
priests.
According
to
38',
it
was
made
from
the
'
mirrors
of
the
women
which
served
at
the
door
of
the
tent
of
meeting
'
(RV)
—
a
curious
anachronism.
6.
(o)
It
has
already
been
emphasized
that
the
dominant
conception
of
the
Tabernacle
in
these
chapters
is
that
of
a
portable
sanctuary,
which
is
to
serve
as
the
earthly
dwelling-place
of
the
heavenly
King.
In
harmony
therewith
we
find
the
essential
part
of
the
fabric
of
the
Tabernacle,
to
which
every
other
structural
detail
is
subsidiary,
described
at
the
outset
by
the
characteristic
designation
'
dwelling.'
'
Thou
shalt
make
the
dwelling
(EV
'tabernacle')
of
ten
curtains'
(26').
It
is
a
funda-mental
mistake
to
regard
the
wooden
part
of
the
Taber-nacle
as
of
the
essence
of
the
structure,
and
to
begin
the
study
of
the
whole
therefrom,
as
is
still
being
done.
The
ten
curtains
of
the
dwelling
(mishkan),
each
28
cubits
by
4,
are
to
be
of
the
finest
linen,
adorned
with
inwoven
tapestry
figures
of
cherubim
in
violet,
purple,
and
scarlet
(see
Colguks),
'the
work
of
the
cunning
workman'
(26"-
RV).
They
are
to
be
sewed
together
to
form
two
sets
of
five,
which
again
are
to
be
'
coupled
together
'
by
means
of
claspsKR
V
;
AV
'
taches
'
)
and
loops,
so
as
to
form
one
large
surface
40
(10x4)
cubits
by
28
(7x4),
'for
the
dwelling
shall
be
one'
(26').
Together
the
curtains
are
designed
to
form
the
earthly,
and,
with
the
aid
of
the
attendant
cherubim,
to
symbolize
the
heavenly,
dwelling-place
of
the
God
of
Israel.
(5)
The
next
section
of
the
Divine
directions
(26'-")
provides
for
the
thorough
protection
of
these
delicate
artistic
curtains
by
means
of
three
separate
coverings.
The
first
consists
of
eleven
curtains
of
goats'
hair
'
for
a
tent
over
the
dwelling,'
and
therefore
of
somewhat
larger
dimensions
than
the
curtains
of
the
latter,
namely
30
cubits
by
4,
covering,
when
joined
together,
a
surface
of
44
cubits
by
30.
The
two
remaining
coverings
are
to
be
made
respectively
of
rams'
skins
dyed
red
and
of
the
skins
of
a
Red
Sea
mammal,
which
is
probably
the
dugong
(v.",
RV
'sealskins,'
Heb.
tachash).
(c)
At
this
point
one
would
have
expected
to
hear
of
the
provision
of
a
number
of
poles
and
stays
by
means
of
which
the
dwelling
might
be
pitched
like
an
ordinary
tent.
But
the
author
of
Ex
26'-"
does
not
apply
the
term
'tent'
to
the
curtains
of
the
dwelling,
but,
as
we
have
seen,
to
those
of
the
goats'
hair
covering,
and
instead
of
poles
and
stays
we
find
a
different
and
alto-
