TABERNACLE (TENT) OF MEETING (Heb. 'ōhel, mostly followed by mē'ēdh: "t. of meeting"). - A dismantlable and transportable sanctuary (Septuagint: σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου; Vulg. Tabernaculum testimoni or foederis) built by Moses at the divine command for the worship of the people of Israel and officiated until the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem.
It was probably preceded by a sacred tent (Ex. 33:7-11), a provisional sanctuary, carried by Moses outside the camp as a punishment for the adoration of the golden calf. When Moses went there the cloud rested at its entrance and the people prostrated themselves at the entrances of the tents. In Ex. 16:33-34, there occurs a place "before Jahweh" called ha-ēdhuth ("precept," perhaps indicating the tablets of the law), where an 'ōmer of manna was kept; it is not clear whether it should be identified with the said provisional t. or with the T.
The description of the T. is in Ex. 25-27; its execution ibid., 36-38; its erection and consecration ibid. 40 (cf. Flavius Josephus, Antiq. Iud., III, 6). The principal craftsman was Bezalel (v.), son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, assisted by Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, who for that purpose were filled with the spirit of God (Ex. 31:1-11; 36-38). God showed its model to Moses on Sinai. The people contributed to it with spontaneous offerings, and 29 talents of gold (1,400 kg.) and 730 shekels, 100 talents of silver (4,300 kg.) and 1,775 shekels were employed in it. It consisted of the court and the t. or tent and its furnishings.
The court was rectangular (100 cubits on the north-south sides, by 50 east-west), bounded by curtains of twisted fine linen hooked to columns (20 x 10 per side, 5 cubits high), with capitals of acacia (v.) and silver plating and bases
It consisted of a framework of acacia wood overlaid with gold, supporting a precious curtain on the inside and protected by coverings on the outside. The framework was composed of 48 planks, 10 cubits high x 1½ wide, each resting on 2 silver bases and with 2 sockets for joining: arranged 20 x 20 on the south-north sides, 6 on the west, 2 reinforced and perhaps projecting at the rear west corners: bound all around with 15 crossbars (of acacia overlaid with gold), 5 per side (only the middle one binding the whole wall), inserted into gold rings fixed to the planks. On the inside were hung two pieces woven like the curtain of the court, but with figures of cherubim, of 5 cubits each, obtained with ten strips sewn together (28 cubits long x 4 wide), fastened with 50 loops and 50 gold clasps above the veil that separated the "Holy" from the "Holy of Holies."
The exterior coverings were three. The 1st was a fabric of goat's hair of 30 x 4 cubits (divided into two pieces, one of 5, the other of 6 strips, = 11) and joined with loops and clasps (of bronze) like the strip above. Being longer and wider than the other (by 4 and 2 cubits), its edges fell to the ground covering the inner veil and folded over at the front. The 2nd covering was of ram's skin dyed red, and the 3rd of skins of nabal (badger, dolphin, dugong?). The veil separating the "Holy" from the "Holy of Holies" was like the inner veil: hung on 4 columns of acacia overlaid with gold and gold hooks and with silver bases. A curtain hung at the entrance of the "Holy" and was like the preceding one: woven work, but without cherubim; hung on 5 columns as above.
The T. contained the furnishings of worship. In the "Holy of Holies" was the Ark of the Covenant (v.). In the "Holy": 1) the table of the bread of the Presence (v.), rectangular (2 cubits long × 1 wide × 1½ high), of acacia wood overlaid with gold: with a gold molding to hold the feet steady or with a gold border at the edges of the table; into 4 gold rings the poles were inserted; on it were placed 12 loaves (corresponding to the number of the 12 tribes); then shovels, dishes, bowls and cups, all of gold, for the libations; 2) the lampstand (v.) with seven branches on the south side; 3) the altar of incense (v. ALTAR) between the table and the lampstand. The incense was composed of stacte (styrax officinalis), onycha (unguis odoratus), galbanum, frankincense (boswellia thurifera). In the court, finally, there were the altar of holocausts and the bronze basin ("sea"), with a stand for the water of the ablutions of the officiating priests (Ex. 30:17-21; 38:8). The symbolism of the T. is evident (cf. Heb. 8-9; Rev. 13:6; 15:5; 21:3). Each object had its own symbolism.
In six months the individual parts were built separately, and on the 1st day of nfsān of the 2nd 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 in their vicissitudes from the desert to the Holy Land: at Gilgal (Josh. 4:19; 5:10; 9:6; 10:6 ff. 9:15, 43; 14:6); at Shiloh (ibid. 18:1; 19:51; Judg. 18:31; 21:19; 1 Sam. 1-4; 14:3; Ps. 78:60); at Nob (1 Sam. 21:1); at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chron. 1:3); on Zion (1 Kings 3:4). After the Temple was built, it was preserved as a relic in an upper room of it. Jeremiah would have hidden it together with the ark in a cave of Mt. Nebo before the fall of Jerusalem (587); after the exile it was no longer found (2 Macc. 2:4-5).
The historicity of the T. was denied by the school of Wellhausen (it would derive from the document P, and would reproduce the model of the Temple of Jerusalem). But its manufacture was required by the needs of worship. Today traditions earlier than the Temple of Jerusalem are recognized in it (C. R. North, J. Engnell, etc.), and the existence of the amphictyony of the 12 tribes around a central sanctuary is conceded (M. Noth, A. Alt, M. Frank, J. Cross) or around a sacred tent (T. H. Robinson).