Tabernacle

The Bible uses two naming systems to designate the Tabernacle:

• one is based on the name ha-Mishkan (“המשכן” - “abode”, “the abode” [of God]) and includes the Mishkan ha-edut (“משכן העדות” - “the abode of testimony”, that is, the Tablets of the Testament, which were in the Ark of the Covenant) and Mishkan hashem (“משכן השם” - “the abode of the Name [of God]”), that is, the place where the Shekhinah of the Creator dwells on earth, among the people of Israel;
• the other is based on the name of hel (“אוהל” - “marquee”, “tabernacle”) and includes hel э ed (אוהל מועד - - “tabernacle of the congregation” or “tabernacle of revelation”) and оhel ha-edut (אוהל העדות »-“ marquee of evidence ”).

In several places in the Bible, both names are combined into one Mishkan hhel moed (“the seat of the tabernacle of the congregation”) ( Exodus 39:32 ).

This is explained by the fact that both of these words Mishkan and Ohel are synonymous in Hebrew . So, both of these words are used in one phrase: “How beautiful are your tents ( ohaleh ), Jacob, your dwellings ( Mishkenotekh ), Israel” ( Num. 24: 5 ).

Much less often in the Bible can be found other names of the Tabernacle: mikdash (“Sanctuary”) and ha-kodesh (“holy place”).

Commandment for the construction of the Tabernacle and Temple

In Jewish Halacha, the commandment to build the Temple is a command from generation to generation to build a building that will become a center of worship of the Jewish people and in which sacrifices will be offered to the One God .

In Judaism, there are two main opinions on the appointment of the Temple. On the one hand, the construction of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, is seen as a kind of condescension to human nature, at best, a means; on the other hand, on the contrary, the Temple represents the pinnacle of all conceivable perfections . Both of these approaches are directly related to the disagreement regarding the dating of the commandment to build the Tabernacle ^[3] .

• According to the first version ( Midrash Tanhuma ), the commandment to build the Tabernacle was given in Yom Kippur , that is, on the day when the Most High forgave the sin of the Golden Calf to the Jews. Prior to this sin, there was no need for a Temple, since Shekhinah (Glory of God) lived among the people.

• At the same time, another authoritative source ( Midrash Shir ha-Shirim Raba ) states that the laws on the construction of the Tabernacle were given on Mount Sinai , that is, in this case the Scripture adheres to the chronological order of presentation. According to this opinion, the Temple is the point of contact of the earth with the sky and the initially necessary component of the universe.

Thus, in Judaism, there are two ways of understanding the purpose and meaning of the Temple: one regards it as an applied value, the second as unconditional.

One way or another, the Creator, without any doubt, is higher than any building - He does not need a “living space”, does not need sacrifices, incense, libations, etc. Everywhere in the text of the Scripture, where it says: “My sacrifice”, “ My bread, "meaning:" the sacrifice dedicated to Me, "" the bread dedicated to Me. " ^[four]

“It should be noted that the Torah does not say“ I will dwell in it “, but“ I will dwell in the midst of them “, that is, among people. This means that the Glory of God is manifested not so much through the Temple itself, but through the people who built it. Not the Temple is the reason for revealing the Glory of God, but the selfless desire of people to feel the hand of the Most High, who rules the world everywhere and everywhere. "

- Soncino

.

“It is said: “ May they make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them [or: inside] ” ( Exodus 25: 8 ) - in them, people, and not in him, in the sanctuary. We must all erect the Tabernacle in our hearts so that God may dwell there. ”

- Malbim

Thus, the Jewish prophets ^[5] and lawmakers repeatedly emphasized the fact that the Temple is needed not by God, but by the people themselves.

In Christianity, the Tabernacle is regarded exclusively as an applied value, it is considered one of the Old Testament types of the Church ^[6] . Perhaps the Christian understanding of the meaning and purpose of the Tabernacle is somewhat in tune with Midrash Tanchum , that the Tabernacle is only a kind of condescension to human nature, at best, a means. Christianity agrees with the opinion of the prophets ^[5] that the Tabernacle is needed by people, not by God.

Opinions on the Meaning of the Tabernacle and Temple

“The twelve loaves of bread there correspond to twelve months; seven lamps [lamps] - to the Sun, the Moon and five [known then] planets [Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn]; and the four kinds of materials from which the curtain was woven, to the four elements [earth, sea, air and fire]. "

- Josephus , "Jewish Antiquities" III, 7: 7

“The Temple, the prototype of the universe, is called the“ gate of heaven, ”for the Divine light emanates from the upper world to the lower one and fills the Temple, and from the Temple spreads throughout the earth, and each element of the world receives the light assigned to it from the corresponding part of the Temple.”

- p. Yeshayahu Horowitz (16th century), “Shnei lukhot a-brit” ^[7]

“In the west stood the Ark of the Law with its lid decorated with cherubim; in the north - a table with bread offers; in the south - Menorah with lamps; the eastern side was facing the people, on the other side was the entrance, and there, one after another, there were altars, which, as it were, encouraged people to joyfully selflessly surrender to the Divine Torah, awaiting them in the west. We believe that we will not be mistaken in assuming that the western side was called to personify the Torah and the Presence of God, which she, and she alone, embodies; north side is material life; southern - spiritual life; the eastern is a concrete people, the people of Israel, called to selfless service to God and His Torah. "

- p. Samson Rafael Hirsch

“The tabernacle represented the Church of Christ.”

- Prot. Seraphim Slobodskoy. God's law. The sacred history of the Old Testament

Tabernacle Features

According to the text of the Scripture, the functions of the Tabernacle can be divided into several main categories, which are primarily based on the fact that the main and most important purpose of the Tabernacle is based on the name " Mishkan ", that is, the Tabernacle is the place where the Shekhinah of the Creator (Glory of God) resides land among the people of Israel.

Based on the words of the Pentateuch : “And they will build me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them” ( Exodus 25: 8 ), - the Tabernacle is:

• the place where God reveals His presence ^[8] and from where (more precisely, between the wings of cherubs on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant , which is in the Holy of Holies ) He speaks with Moses ^[9] after his stay on Mount Sinai ;
• a place of worship to God where regular ceremonies and sacrifices take place . It is also a place where everyone can draw near to God and make an atoning or thankful sacrifice;
• the place of manifestation of the Glory of God ( Shekhinah ). For all who lived in the time when the Tabernacle and the Temple existed, the presence of the Glory of God in the Temple was not a matter of faith; it was simple knowledge, a fact as obvious as being in the heavens of the sun and moon ^[10] .

According to Scripture ^[11] , in the desert, the cloud of the Glory of the Most High always covered the Tabernacle, but when it rose, it was a sign for departure. Besides this, the Tabernacle also served:

• the place of public meeting of the whole people;
• the repository of the highest national shrine, the Ark of the Covenant , and the scrolls of the Torah , which served as a standard for all other scrolls.

According to the book of Exodus , Moses received the command to build the Tabernacle on Mount Sinai , even before receiving the Tablets of the Covenant . This command is given in the Bible in its entirety, with a large number of details, and occupies about 7 chapters ( Exodus 25–31 ).

• The command begins with a description of the offerings ( Exodus 25: 3-7 ) that should be collected from the sons of Israel for the construction of the Tabernacle. The construction of the Tabernacle and its components required fifteen different materials:

• Then, the laws related to the three items that should be placed inside the Tabernacle are listed: the Ark of the Covenant (for keeping the Tablets) ( Exodus 25: 10-22 ), the table of the bread of the offer (for the bread offering) ( Exodus 25: 23-30 ) and Menorah (lamp) ( Exodus 25: 31-40 ).
• After this, the structure of the Tabernacle itself is described ( Exodus 26 ), which also includes the laws of " parochhet " (the curtain separating the Holy of Holies ) and " masach " (the curtain covering the entrance to the Tabernacle).
• After all this, God commands Moses to build the altar of burnt offering , which was supposed to be in the courtyard of the Tabernacle ( hatser ). And about the laws connected with the court of the Tabernacle itself ( Exodus 27 ).

This concludes the first part of the command to build the Tabernacle.

• The second part begins with the laws related to the oil for the lamp ( Menorah ) ( Exodus 27: 20,21 ), then the laws of the Coen priests are given: instructions for the priestly clothes ( Exodus 28 ), the ceremony of anointing priests and the consecration of the altar ( Ex. 29: 1-37 ). And finally, the laws of the daily burnt offering are given ( Exodus 29: 38-42 ).

• In the next chapter, the Bible adds to the main command a detailed description of the golden altar for incense ( Exodus 30: 1-10 ), laws on half a shekel ( Exodus 30: 11-16 ) and a description of the copper laver ( Exodus 30: 17-21 ) .

• After completing the description of the laws on temple utensils, there is a command to prepare the anointing oil and the need to anoint all the utensils before use ( Exodus 30: 22-33 ), as well as to prepare a mixture for incense and the laws of its incense ( Exodus 30: 34-38 ).

• In conclusion, the Almighty summarizes:

• The description of the laws of the Tabernacle completes the Shabbat command , from which commentators conclude that Shabbat laws cannot be violated even for the construction of the Tabernacle, and the work on its construction, in turn, is a prototype of the Sabbath prohibitions.

• The following is the speech of Moses, in which he conveys God's instructions to the people of Israel, after which a description of the construction of the Tabernacle and its utensils is given in great detail.

They worked on the construction of the Tabernacle for about six months (from 11 tishri to 1 Nisan ) ^[20] . When the work was completed and all the accessories of the Tabernacle were ready, God was instructed to erect the Tabernacle, consecrate its utensils and anoint the priests of Aaron and his sons on the first day of the Nisan month (in which the Exodus of Jews from Egypt took place), in the second year after the Exodus ^[21] . Sanctification consisted of anointing with the sacred composition of myrrh, self-flowing , cinnamon , incense cane, cassia and oil .
The construction of the Tabernacle is described in the last verses of the book of Exodus and ends with a description of the descent of the Glory of the Lord ( Shekinah ) to the Tabernacle:

Since then, the cloud covered the Tabernacle throughout the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert. Each time the cloud separated from the Tabernacle, the Israelites took off their tents and went on a journey, and where it stopped, there they placed their camp.

• The first chapters of the book of Numbers describe in detail the duties of the Levites and the rules for disassembling and loading the Tabernacle and its utensils during transitions. The Levites were also to set up the Tabernacle during the stops and guard it from all sides.

As soon as the Tabernacle was built, it took center stage among the people of Israel - in the literal and figurative sense - both when crossing the desert, and during parking. The distance in the desert between the people and the Tabernacle was never more than 2000 cubits, so that on Saturday everyone had the opportunity to come to her for prayer ^[22] .

A detailed description of the structure of the Tabernacle is found in Exodus. 25 - 31 and Ex. 35 to 40 .

Brief description of the location of the tent and courtyard

The tabernacle was located in accordance with the cardinal points. A marquee of 31 × 10 cubits was located in the western part of a large courtyard ( hazer ), 120 cubits long and 60 cubits wide.

The distance from the curtains of the courtyard to the walls of the tent was 25 cubits from the north, south and west. The entrance to the Tabernacle was located on the east side and was closed by a special canopy called the Masach , with a total length of 20 cubits. The canopy was knitted from blue, purple and scarlet wool, as well as from fine linen. The canopy was a patterned work.

Tabernacle Courtyard ( Hatzer ) ( Exodus 27: 9-19 )

Around the Tabernacle was built a rectangular courtyard ( Hatzer ) of rather large size 120 × 60 cubits (about 1985 m², if you take an elbow for 52.5 cm), fenced with sixty (60) hollow pillars of shittim wood with copper foots. “ The length of the yard is one hundred cubits, and the width over the whole length is fifty, the height is five cubits ” ( Exodus 27:18 ). Between the pillars were embroidered curtains ( Klayim ), skillfully woven from fine linen, forming walls 5 cubits high (about 2, 6 m). Each such curtain was 5x5 cubits, and there were 56 in all.

Opposite the tent entrance, the five central pillars of the eastern side of the courtyard formed the gates of the Tabernacle. These pillars were covered with special canopies of blue, purple and scarlet wool, as well as twisted fine linen, which was called masach . The canopy gates consisted of four parts, 5 × 5 cubits each, with a total length of 20 cubits.

From the north and south of the courtyard there were 20 pillars, in the west - ten, in the east - three on each side of the entrance and four more supported the canopy ( masach ).

In the courtyard, opposite the entrance, was a large altar of burnt offering , made of copper-clad wood (therefore it was also called the “copper altar”). Sacrifices were made on it, and fire was constantly to burn on it.

In the very center of the courtyard stood a copper washstand ( kyor ) for priests ^[23] . All accessories of the yard were made of copper.

Tent Construction

The tent was a frame made of gold-plated wooden boards, covered with four bedspreads. Its device allowed to disassemble the entire structure into parts suitable for wearing. The dimensions of the tent were 31 cubits long, 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits high. The tent was divided into two parts by a curtain ( parohet ). The back of it (the western part, measuring 10x10x10 cubits) was called the Holy of Holies ( Kodesh kodeshim ). In front of the Holy of Holies was the sacred space, the Sanctuary ( Kodesh ), separated by a curtain ( masach ) from the front of the fenced yard ( Hatzer ). Thus, the tent consisted of three wooden walls: two lateral, to the north and south, and a back, to the west and was covered with a curtain on the east side. Both dividing curtains were 10 × 10 cubits in size.

Covering the tent ( Exodus 26: 1-14 )

Veils were poured onto the walls and the top of the tabernacle, representing its most important part and giving it the appearance of a tent. There were four of them.

1. The first, lower layer, which served as the ceiling of the tent, consisted of ten separate strips ( yeriot ) of twisted fine linen, blue, purple and scarlet wool. On the strips, each of which was 28 cubits long and 4 cubits wide, cherubs were skillfully woven. The stripes were sewn together in five. The two halves of the cover thus formed were joined together by means of 50 golden hooks. The length of the entire cover was 40 cubits and a width of 28 cubits. This cover, covering the top of the tent, also covered the walls of the tent: 9 cubits from the top of the tent on the north and south sides and 8 cubits on the western side ( Exodus 26: 12-13 6 ).
2. The second cover, which was laid on top of the first, was made of goat hair, the usual material for the tents. It consisted of 11 panels, each of which was also 4 cubits wide, however, the length of each was already 30 cubits. These panels were sewn five and six together, and the resulting two pieces were fastened together using copper hooks. As a result, the dimensions of this bedspread were 44 cubits long and 30 cubits wide.
3. The third cover was made of red sheepskin and was 42 cubits in length and 30 cubits in width.
4. The fourth cover was made up of the skin of an animal called “ tahash ” in the text, most likely covering only the top of the tent.

Corner Planks of the Western Wall of the Tabernacle ( Ex. 26: 23-24 )

Two special corner boards consisted of two boards of the same length, height, thickness and design as all other boards of the tent. These two boards were bent in the form of two identical hollow half-cylinders, and when they were joined together, they formed a single hollow cylinder, which became the angular board. Each of these boards was 10 cubits in height, with an outer diameter of 1 cubit, with an inner diameter of 3 / π = 0.9549 cubits and a thickness of 0.5- (1.5 / π) = 0.0225 cubits.

Boards for the walls of the Tabernacle ( Exodus 26: 15-30 )

The walls consisted of perpendicularly placed boards with a height of 10 cubits and a width of 1.5 cubits, with the side (south and north) walls having 20 boards, and the rear (western) - six, except for two special boards for the corners connecting it to side walls. The thickness of the boards is easily calculated: it was 0.5- (1.5 / π) = 0.0225 elbows.

All boards were lined with gold. In total there were 48, 46 straight and four curved boards making up two corner boards.

From below, each board was inserted into two silver foots ( adanim ), which served to hold the boards in place. Each foot was ³ ⁄ ₄ cubits long, with the exception of four curved foots, 1.5 cubits each, under two corner boards for the western wall.

Bolts for the walls of the Tabernacle ( Ex. 26: 26-29 )

The boards were also fastened with five horizontal transverse bolts from below, above and in the middle on each side.

On the north and south sides, at an altitude of 1 and 9 cubits from the top of the walls, four bars passed in two rows: two bars of 10 cubits from the western part of the walls and two bars of 19 cubits from the eastern part of the walls, with an interval of 1 elbow exactly in the middle each wall. On the western side, at a height of 2 and 8 cubits from the top of the wall, four bolts passed in two rows, 4 cubits each, with a gap of 1 elbow exactly in the middle of the wall. The fifth, middle bolt, passed along the entire length of each wall, at a height of 5 cubits from the top of the walls. All the bolts were inserted into the golden rings on the boards on the outside of the tabernacle. Each board had two rings for each deadbolt. The thickness of the bolts and rings is not clear.

All bolts were lined with gold. The bolt rings were made of gold.

The internal structure of the tent ( Exodus 26: 31-37 )

At the entrance to the tent, five acacia pillars were installed, covered with gold leaf and mounted on copper foots, on which a curtain ( masach ) was fastened, covering the entrance. This curtain was similar to the one that closed the gates of the courtyard of the Tabernacle.

Inside the tent, it was divided into two unequal parts by another veil ( parochhet ), which consisted of the same two-layer woven fabric (yarn and fine linen of blue, purple and scarlet colors) as the lower cover, and was 10 × 10 cubits in size. The parohet was fastened with golden hooks on four pillars of acacia, covered with sheet gold and mounted on silver feet.

• The smaller room in the depths was 10 × 10 × 10 cubits and was called the “ Holy of Holies ” ( Kodes ha-kodeshim ), it contained only the Ark of the Covenant ( Aron ha-brit ), the holiest object of the Tabernacle, and in it - the Tablets of the Covenant ( Luhot ha-brit ).

Near the Ark was a Torah scroll written by Moses himself ^[24] . A vessel of manna and the rod of Aaron were also kept in the Holy of Holies ^[25] .

One High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies only once a year, on Yom Kippur ^[26] .

• The second part, 21 × 10 × 10 cubits in size, was called the Sanctuary ( ha-Kodesh ) or the “Marquee of the Date” ( Ohhel moed ) and was the main place of worship . In the Sanctuary were located:

1. to the left of the entrance, at a distance of 10.5 cubits from the Masach - a seven-barreled golden lamp - Menorah ;
2. to the right of the entrance, at a distance of 10.5 cubits from the Masach - A table of tender bread , made of acacia and lined with gold, with 12 breads of tender;
3. in the middle of the Sanctuary, at a distance of 20 cubits from the entrance ( masach ) and 5 cubits from the north and east walls - The altar of incense , also made of acacia and lined with gold, for smoking incense incense (also called the "golden altar").

A detailed description of the structure of the Tabernacle is found in Exodus. 25 - 31 and Ex. 35 to 40 . However, many of the individual parts associated with it (some materials, the dimensions of some elements, methods of assembly and fastening) remain unclear.

Tent and Courtyard Location

The tabernacle was located in accordance with the cardinal points. A tent of 30 × 10 cubits was located in the western part of a large courtyard ( hazer ), 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide. The distance from the yard fence to the tent was 20 cubits from the north, south, and west, and 50 from the east ^[27] . The entrance to the Tabernacle was located on the eastern side and was closed by a special canopy, which was called the Masach , 20 cubits long. The canopy was crocheted of twenty-four parts of the thread, on both sides of which were embroidered cherubs ( cherubs ).

Tabernacle Courtyard ( Hatzer ) ( Exodus 27: 9-19 )

Around the Tabernacle was built a rectangular courtyard ( Hatzer ) of rather large size 100 × 50 cubits (about 1370 m²), fenced with posts ^[28] on copper bases. Embroidered curtains ( Klayim ) were stretched between the pillars, skillfully woven from a canvas like a net, forming walls about 2.6 m high.

The gates of the courtyard of the Tabernacle were located on the east side, opposite the entrance to the tent. They were covered with a special canopy of wool, painted in blue, purple, scarlet and white, which was called masach and was 20 cubits long.

From the north and south of the courtyard there were 20 pillars, in the west - 10, in the east - 3 on each side of the entrance, and 4 more supported the canopy ( masach ) ^[29] .

In the courtyard, opposite the entrance, there was a large burnt altar, made of acacia and bound with copper (therefore it was also called the “copper altar”). An unquenchable fire burned on it and sacrifices were made. Behind the altar was a copper laver ( cior ) for priests ^[23] . All accessories of the yard were made of copper.

Entrance to the tent was allowed only to priests ( Levites and Coens ), while the rest of the Jews could only enter the courtyard.

The courtyard in the Temple of Jerusalem was called Azarah .

Tent Construction

The tent was a structure that combined both the shape of the tent and the shape of a rectangular hut with a frame of wooden boards and a flat roof ( succa ) without windows. Its device allowed to disassemble the entire structure into parts suitable for wearing. The dimensions of the tent were 30 cubits in length, 10 cubits in width ^[30] and 10 cubits in height (about 16 × 5.4 × 5.4 m), and in the rear there was another, inner, tabernacle, 5 × 5 × 5 m, separated from the rest of the building by a curtain ( parohet ) and called the Holy of Holies ( Kodesh kodeshim ). In front of the Holy of Holies was the sacred space, the Sanctuary ( Kodesh ), separated by a curtain ( masach ) from the front of the fenced yard ( Hatzer ). Thus, the tent consisted of three wooden walls: two lateral, to the north and south, and a back, to the west and was covered with a curtain on the east side.

Covering the tent ( Exodus 26: 1-14 )

Covers were cast on the walls and the top of the tabernacle, representing its most important part and giving it the appearance of a tent. There were four of them.

1. The first, lower layer, which served as the ceiling of the tent, consisted of 10 separate strips ( yeriot ) of two-layer woven fabric (yarn and fine linen) of sky blue color ^[31] , each of which was 28 cubits long and 4 cubits wide, and sewn together five stripes together. The two halves of the cover thus formed were joined together by means of 50 golden hooks. The length of the entire cover was 28 cubits, the width of 20 cubits. This cover, which covered the top of the tent, also covered the walls to the silver foots, which remained uncovered below (with the exception of the western wall, where they were covered to the ground). It is called the Mishkan in the Bible ^[32] , which means a front tent covered with expensive fabrics, while an ordinary, simple tent is called Ohel .
2. The second cover, which was laid on top of the first, was made of goat wool that did not allow dampness, the usual material for the tents, and was called the “tent ( Ohel ) over the Mishkan” ^[33] . It consisted of 11 panels, each of which was also 4 cubits wide, but its length was 30 cubits. These panels were fastened in 5 and 6 together with copper hooks.
3. The third cover is made of mutton skins painted in red.
4. The uppermost layer was made up of the skin of an animal, referred to in the text as “ tahash ” ^[16] .

The third and fourth covers, apparently, covered only the top of the tent. The Bible does not indicate the size of these panels. According to some opinions, the tachash skins formed a roof over the tent, and the lamb skins attached to them hung on both sides, covering the bars.

All these materials were considered very expensive, which is confirmed by the biblical text - Ez. 16:10 .

Bars for the walls of the Tabernacle ( Exodus 26: 15-30 )

The material for the Tabernacle was probably the acacia tree ( shita , plural shittim ), the most common in the desert around the Red Sea . To make all parts of the Tabernacle from trees of this type is rather difficult, since it is difficult to find the right amount of straight trunks, which are usually short and strongly curved.

The walls consisted of perpendicularly placed beams with a height of 10 cubits and a width of 1.5 cubits, with the side walls having 20 bars and the back one having 6, except for 2 bars for the corners connecting it to the side walls. The thickness of the bars is not indicated, but, according to the Talmud ^[34] , it was equal to 1 elbow. All bars were covered with gold leaf.

Bottom bars were cut so that they could be inserted into two silver foots ( adanim ), which served to hold the entire structure in place even on an uneven surface. The feet were 3/4 cubits wide, 1 cubit in length and height.

The bars were probably also cut from above, so that additional adanim fastened them together. In addition, each beam was attached to the adjacent one using the upper and lower wooden spikes that protruded from each board and inserted into the hole made in the adjacent board. The bars were also fastened with five horizontal transverse bolts on each side. From below and from above (at a distance of 2.5 cubits) in four rows passed four bolts half the length of the wall each. These bolts were inserted into gold rings on the outside of the tabernacle. An additional, middle bolt, passed through holes made in the middle of the boards. According to one opinion ^[35] , this bolt went horizontally from end to end of the Tabernacle (70 cubits) and miraculously supported its entire structure. The bolts were also plated with gold leaf.

The internal structure of the tent ( Exodus 26: 31-37 )

At the entrance to the tent, five acacia pillars were installed, covered with gold leaf and mounted on copper foots, on which a curtain ( masach ) was fastened, covering the entrance. This curtain was similar to the one that closed the gates of the courtyard of the Tabernacle.

Inside the tent, it was divided into two unequal parts by another veil ( parochhet ), which consisted of the same two-layer woven fabric (yarn and fine linen of blue, purple and scarlet colors) as the lower cover, and was 14 × 12 m in size. Parokhet was attached with golden hooks on four pillars of acacia, covered with sheet gold and mounted on silver feet.

• The smaller room in the depths was 10 × 10 × 10 cubits in size and was called the “ Holy of Holies ” ( Kodes ha-kodeshim ), it contained only the Ark of the Covenant ( Aron ha-brit ) - the holiest object of the Tabernacle, and in it the Tablets of the Covenant ( Lukhot ha-brit ) ^[36] - the first are broken, and the second are whole ^[37] .

Near the Ark was a Torah scroll written by Moses himself ^[24] . Also in the Holy of Holies was kept a vessel with manna , Aaron’s blossomed rod , anointing oil ^[38] , and later also the golden gifts of the Philistines ^[39] .

Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year, on Yom Kippur .

• The second part, measuring 20 × 10 × 10 cubits, was called the Sanctuary ( ha-Kodesh ) or the “Marquee of the Date” ( Ohhel moed ) and was the main place of worship . In the Sanctuary were located:

1. to the left of the entrance, at a distance of 5 cubits from Parohet and 2.5 cubits from the south wall - a seven-barreled golden lamp with an inextinguishable flame - Menorah ;
2. to the right of the entrance, at a distance of 5 cubits from Parohet and 2.5 cubits from the north wall - Offer bread table made of acacia and covered with leaf gold, with 12 offer breads;
3. in the middle of the Sanctuary, at a distance of 10 cubits from the masks and parochhet and 5 cubits from each of the walls - an altar of incense , also made of acacia and covered with gold leaf, for incense (also called the "golden altar").

The internal layout of the Solomon Temple was created similar to the layout of the Tabernacle, temple utensils are similar to the utensils of the Tabernacle, both sanctuaries have the same shape as altars, menorahs, etc.
Subsequently, similar elements passed into the layout of Jewish synagogues and Christian churches. ^[40]

In the Land of Israel, the Tabernacle was repeatedly transported from place to place ^[41] .

With the beginning of the conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was probably in the camp of the Israelites in Gilgal , opposite Jericho ^[42] for 14 years. From there, the Tabernacle moved to Shiloh (Shiloh) ^[43] , where it remained in the period of Judges ^[44] until the death of High Priest Elijah (Eli) ^[45] . Apparently ^[46] , over time, the walls of the sanctuary in Shiloh were built of stones covered with veils ^[47] . After the destruction of the Tabernacle in Shiloh ^[48] , the Tabernacle was built in Nove ^[49] , the city of priests, where it remained 13 years. Perhaps at that time the Tabernacle was already a completely stone building, but the Ark was no longer in it. After the destruction of Nova Tabernacle and most of its vessels moved to Gibeon (Givon) ^[50] , where at that time the spiritual center of the country was located.

During this period, however, sacrifices were made not only in the Tabernacle. So Joshua (Jehoshua bin Nun) placed an altar on Mount Eval near Shechem (Scheme), Gideon in Ofrah , Samuel (Shmuel) in Mitzpe and Ram ^[51] . Saul built the altar on the battlefield ^[52] , David - on the threshing floor of Ornah (the site of the future Temple ) ^[53] . National meetings also took place in various cities: under Joshua - in Shechem , under Samuel - in Mitzpe , Gibe , Gilgale , while the Tabernacle stood in Silom, Nova, Gibeon.

After the conquest of Jerusalem, King David built a new tabernacle there for the Ark in order to move the spiritual center to Jerusalem. The ark was solemnly delivered there ^[54] , where it was placed in a special tent made of precious carpets. However, the Tabernacle of Moses and its copper altar remained as before in Gibeon, and it was this altar that was considered the main one at that time ^[55] .

After the construction of the Temple by King Solomon (around 950 BC), the Ark of the Covenant with all the accessories of the Tabernacle was solemnly moved there ^[56] . Since that time, the tabernacle is no longer mentioned. According to legend ^[57] , she was sheltered in an underground cache under the Temple.

The further fate of the Tabernacle with the Ark of the Covenant is still the subject of controversy, their traces have not been found ^[58] . In the Second Temple there was neither the Ark nor its accessories ^[59] , although the ritual of incense incense burning in the Holy of Holies in Yom Kippur associated with it continued to be observed. Josephus , speaking of the Second Temple, like the book of Ezra (Ezra), speaks only of the construction of the altar and the Temple, but not of the Holy of Holies.

• Tabernacle // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.
• The Tabernacle (Soncino, 1969). Detailed tabernacle descriptions

• Tabernacle - article from the Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia
• Tabernacle . Dr. Peter S. Ruckman.
• Shiloh is the city where the Tabernacle of the Covenant stood for 369 years . Photoreport.
• Tabernacle (Mishkan) . Jewish Education Center of Ukraine.
• The Temple Institute .
• An exact, full-scale replica of the Tabernacle is under construction
• The Tabernacle model at Glencaírn museum
• An excellent study of the Tabernacle in everyday English
• The Tabernacle and its contents, in Hebrew, with many diagrams
• Tabernacle Shadows