TABERNACLE (Tent) of meeting — Above: Plan of the Tent of meeting: A court; B Holy Place; C Most Holy Place; a altar of burnt offerings; b bronze basin; c altar of incense; d golden lampstand; e table of the bread of the Presence; f Ark of the Covenant. Below: model of the Tent with the two outer coverings removed, showing the framework: aa covering with figures of cherubim; bb covering of goats’ hair; c corner frame; ddd crossbars; e veil; f front curtain.
It consisted of a wooden framework of acacia overlaid with gold, supporting a precious inner curtain and protected by outer coverings. The framework was composed of 48 boards, 10 cubits high × 1½ wide, each resting on 2 silver bases and having 2 fittings for attachment: arranged 20 × 20 on the south and north sides, 6 on the west, and 2 reinforced and perhaps projecting at the rear western corners; bound all around with 15 crossbars (of acacia overlaid with gold), 5 per side (only the middle one binding the entire wall), inserted into golden rings fixed to the boards. Inside, two woven pieces were hung, like the curtain of the court but with figures of cherubim, each 5 cubits wide, made from ten panels sewn together (28 cubits long × 4 wide), fastened with 50 cords and 50 golden clasps above the veil separating the « Holy Place » from the « Most Holy Place ».
There were three outer coverings. The first was a fabric of goats’ hair, 30 × 4 cubits (divided into two pieces, one of 5 and the other of 6 panels, = 11), joined with cords and clasps (of bronze) like the upper panel. Since it was longer and wider than the other (by 4 and 2 cubits), its edges fell to the ground, covering the inner veil, and were folded over the front. The second covering was of ram skins dyed red, and the third of skins of nabal (badger, dolphin, dugong?). The veil separating the « Holy Place » from the « Most Holy Place » was like the inner veil: hung on 4 acacia columns overlaid with gold, with golden hooks and silver bases. A curtain hung at the entrance to the « Holy Place » and was like the preceding one: woven work, but without cherubim; it was hung on 5 columns as above.
The T. contained the furnishings of worship. In the “Holy of Holies” Ark of the Covenant (v.). In the “Holy Place”: 1) the table of the bread of the Presence (v.), rectangular (2 cubits long × 1 wide × 1½ high), made of acacia wood overlaid with gold: with a gold molding to hold the feet in place, or with a gold rim around the edges of the table; the poles were inserted into 4 gold rings; 12 loaves were placed upon it (corresponding to the number of the 12 tribes); then shovels, dishes, bowls, and cups, all of gold, for the libations; 2) the seven-branched lampstand (v.) on the south side; 3) the altar of incense (v. ALTARE) between the table and the lampstand. The incense was composed of stacte (styrax officinalis), onycha (unguis odoratus), galbanum, and frankincense (bosucellia thurifera). Finally, in the court, there was the altar of burnt offerings and the bronze basin (“sea”), with a basin beneath it for the water used in the ablutions of the officiating priests (Ex. 30, 17-21; 38, 8). The symbolism of the T. is evident (cf. Hebr. 8-9; Apoc. 13, 6; 15, 5; 21, 3). Every object had its own symbolism.
The individual parts were constructed separately over six months, and on the first day of nisan in the second year of the Exodus the T. was erected and consecrated by Moses: the cloud-glory of Jahweh enveloped it, taking possession of it (Ex. 40). The T. followed the Israelites through their fortunes from the desert to the Holy Land: at Galgala (Ios. 4, 19; 5, 10; 9, 6; 10, 6 ff. 9, 15, 43; 14, 6); at Silo (ibid. 18, 1; 19, 51; Iudc. 18, 31; 21, 19; I Sam. 1-4; 14, 3; Ps. 78, 60); at Nobe (I Sam. 21, 1); at Gabaon (I Par. 16, 39; 21, 29; II Par. 1, 3); on Sion (I Reg. 3, 4). Once the Temple had been built, it was preserved as a relic in one of its upper rooms. Jeremiah is said to have hidden it, together with the ark, in a cave on M. Nebo before the fall of Jerusalem (587); after the exile it was never found again (II Mach. 2, 4-5).
The historicity of the T. was denied by the Wellhausen school (it would have originated in the P document and reproduced the model of the Temple of Jerusalem). But its construction was demanded by the requirements of worship. Today, traditions predating the Temple of Jerusalem are recognized in it (C. R. North, J. Engnell, etc.), and the existence is conceded of the amphictyony of the 12 tribes around a central sanctuary (M. Noth, A. Alt, M. Frank, J. Cross) or around a sacred tent (T. H. Robinson).
61; T. H. Robinson, A hist. of Israel, I. Oxford 1951, p. 110; C. R. North, in The Old Test. and modern Study by H. H. Rowley, there 1951, p. 69; W. F. Albright, De l'âge de la pierre à la chrétienté, French trans., Paris 1951, p. 195.