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{{short description|Temporary dwelling used by Israelites in the biblical Book of Exodus}}
{{dablink|For the Feast of Tabernacles, see ]. For other meanings see ].}}
{{other uses}}
The '''Tabernacle''' is known in ] as the '''''Mishkan''''' ( משכן "Place of dwelling"). It was to be a ] central place of worship for the Hebrews from the time they left ancient Egypt following the ], through the time of the ] when they were engaged in conquering the land of ], until the time its elements were made part of the final ] about the ].
], Israel]]
]'s 1683 translation of ].]]
According to the ], the '''tabernacle''' ({{langx|he|מִשְׁכַּן|miškan|residence, dwelling place}}), also known as the '''Tent of the Congregation''' ({{langx|he|link=no|אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד|ʔōhel mōʕēḏ}}, also '''Tent of Meeting'''), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the ] from ] until the conquest of ]. ] was instructed at ] to construct and transport the tabernacle<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|4:1-35|HE}}.</ref> with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their subsequent conquest of the ]. After 440 years, ] in ] superseded it as the dwelling-place of God.


The main source describing the tabernacle is the biblical ], specifically Exodus 25–31 and 35–40. Those passages describe an inner sanctuary, the ], created by the veil suspended by four pillars. This sanctuary contained the ], with its ]im-covered ]. An outer sanctuary (the "Holy Place") contained a gold lamp-stand or candlestick. On the north side stood a table, on which lay the ]. On the south side was the ], holding seven oil lamps to give light. On the west side, just before the veil, was the golden ].<ref name="ODCC self"/> It was constructed of 4 woven layers of curtains and 48 15-foot tall standing wood boards overlaid in gold and held in place by its bars and silver sockets and was richly furnished with valuable materials taken from Egypt at God's command.
The English word "tabernacle" is derived from the ] word ''tabernaculum'' meaning "tent, hut, booth". ''Tabernaculum'' itself is a diminutive form of the word ''taberna'', meaning "tavern". The word ] is also used as its name, as well as the phrase "the tent of meeting."


==Meaning==
]
The English word ''tabernacle'' derives from the ] ] (meaning "tent" or "hut"), which in ] was a ritual structure.<ref>{{cite book |first= William Warde |last= Fowler |author-link= William Warde Fowler |title= The Religious Experience of the Roman People |location= London |date= 1922 |page= 209}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first= John |last=Scheid |author-link=John Scheid |title=An Introduction to Roman Religion |url-access= registration |publisher= Indiana University Press |date= 2003|url= https://archive.org/details/introductiontoro00sche/page/113 |pages= 113–114}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Linderski |first= Jerzy|title= The Augural Law |work= Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt |volume= II |number= 16 |date= 1986 |pages= 2164–2288}}</ref> The Hebrew word ''mishkan'' implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in".<ref name=CathEn>{{Catholic Encyclopedia |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14424b.htm |title= Tabernacle |first=Charles Léon |last=Souvay}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strongs.cgi?file=hebrewlexicon&isindex=mishkan |title=Mishkan |work=Strong's Concordance |access-date=11 October 2018}}</ref> In ], including the ], the Hebrew is translated σκηνή ('']''), itself a ] loanword meaning "tent".<ref>
{{Cite OED|term = skene | id = 242211 | access-date= 24 October 2021 | publisher = Oxford University Press}}
</ref>


==Description==
==Hebrew ''mishkan''==


A detailed description of a tabernacle, located in ] and ], refers to an inner shrine, the ], housing the ark, and an outer chamber with the six-branch seven-lamp ], table for ], and an ].<ref name="ODCC self">{{cite news |title=Tabernacle |editor-last=Cross |editor-first=F. L. |work=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2005}}</ref> An enclosure containing the sacrificial altar and ] for the priests to wash surrounded these chambers.<ref name= "ODCC self" />
The Hebrew word, however, points to a different meaning. '''''Mishkan''''' is related to the Hebrew word to "dwell", "rest", or "to live in", referring to the " Presence of God", the '''''Shekhina''''' (or '''''Shechina''''') (based on the same Hebrew root word as '''''Mishkan'''''), that dwelled or rested within this divinely ordained mysterious structure.


]]]
The Hebrew word for a "neighbor" is '''''shakhen''''' from the same root as '''''mishkan.''''' The commandments for its construction are taken from the words in the ] when God says to ]: "They shall make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell (''ve-'''shakhan'''-ti'') among them. You must make the tabernacle ('''''mishkan''''') and all its furnishings following the plan that I am showing you." (Exodus 25:8-9). Thus the idea is that God wants this structure built so that it may be a "dwelling", so to speak, for his presence within the ] following the ].
Traditional scholars contend that it describes an actual tabernacle used in the time of Moses and thereafter.<ref name=CathEn/> This view is based on the existence of significant parallels between the biblical Tabernacle and similar structures from ancient Egypt during the Late Bronze Age.<ref>{{Cite book |title=On the Reliability of the Old Testament |last=Kitchen |first=Kenneth A. |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-8028-0396-2 |pages=275–283}}</ref>


The detailed outlines for the tabernacle and its priests are enumerated in the Book of Exodus:
It is a crucial component for understanding many of the foundations of ], such as the ] (Jewish Sabbath), the ] who were commanded to serve in it, and the meaning and atonement of the sin of the ].
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|25}}: Materials needed: the Ark, the table for 12 showbread, the menorah.
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|26}}: The tabernacle, the bars, partitions.
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|27}}: The copper altar, the enclosure, oil.
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|28}}: Vestments for the priests, '']'' garment, ring settings, the ], robe, head-plate, tunic, turban, sashes, pants.
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|29}}: Consecration of priests and altar.
* {{bibleref2|Exodus|30}}: Incense altar, washstand, anointing oil, incense.


==Tent of the Presence==
==Contents==
Some interpreters assert the Tent of the Presence was a special meeting place outside the camp, unlike the Tabernacle which was placed in the center of the camp.<ref>Clements, Ronald E. (1972). Exodus. New York: Cambridge University Press. Series: The Cambridge Bible Commentary: New English Bible. pp. 212–213.</ref><ref>Berlin, Adele and Brettler, Marc Zvi., editors. (2014). The Jewish Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press. 2nd edition. {{ISBN|9780190263898}}. p. 178.</ref> According to , this tent was for communion with ], to receive oracles and to understand the divine will.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Morgenstern |first=Julian |date=1918 |title=The Tent of Meeting |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/592593 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=38 |pages=125–139 |doi=10.2307/592593 |jstor=592593 |issn=0003-0279}}</ref> The ] were the subject of a remarkable prophetic event at the site of this tent in .<ref>Executive Committee of the Editorial Board, Eduard König. (1906). "Tabernacle". in the Kopelman Foundation's Retrieved 18 November 2019.</ref>


The detailed outlines for the Tabernacle and its leaders are enumerated in the ]:
*Chapter 25 : Materials needed, the Ark, the table for 12 showbread, the Menorah.
*Chapter 26 : The Tabernacle, the beams, partitions.
*Chapter 27 : The copper altar, the enclosure, oil.
*Chapter 28 : Vestments for the priests, ''ephod'' garment, ring settings, the breastplate, robe, head-plate, tunic, turban, sashes, pants.
*Chapter 29 : Consecration of priests and altar.
*Chapter 30 : Incense altar, washstand, anointing oil, incense.
Catholic Tabernacle
==Builders== ==Builders==
]
In Exodus 31, the main builder and maker of the ] is specified as ], son of Uri son of ] of the ], who was assisted by ] and a number of skilled artisans.<ref name="EncJewish">{{Jewish Encyclopedia |title=Tabernacle |edition=2nd |volume=19 |page=419 |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14184-tabernacle |no-prescript=1}}</ref>


==Plan==
In chapter 31 the main builder and architects are specified:
During the ], the ] and the ], the Tabernacle was in part a portable tent, and in part a wooden enclosure draped with ten curtains, of blue ('']'' תְּכֵלֶת), purple (''’argāmān'' אַרְגָּמָן), and scarlet (''šānî'' שָׁנִי) fabric. It had a rectangular, perimeter fence of fabric, poles and staked cords. This rectangle was always erected when the Israelite tribes would camp, oriented to the east as the east side had no frames. In the center of this enclosure was a rectangular sanctuary draped with goat-hair curtains, with the roof coverings made from rams' skins.<ref name="EncJewish" />
:"God spoke to Moses, saying: I have selected ] son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, by name. I have filled him with a divine spirit, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with all types of craftsmanship. He will be able to devise plans as well as work in gold, silver and copper, cut stones to be set, carve wood, and do other work. I have also given him ] son of Achisamakh of the tribe of Dan. I have placed wisdom in the heart of every naturally talented person. They will thus make all that I have ordered, the Communion Tent, the ], the ark cover to go on it, all the utensils for the tent, the table and its utensils, the pure menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, the sacrificial altar and all its utensils, the washstand and its base, the packing cloths, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest, the vestments that his sons wear to serve, the anointing oil, and the incense for the sanctuary. They will thus do all that I command." (Exodus 31:1-11)
==Organization==


===Holy of Holies===
The tabernacle of the Hebrews, during the Exodus, was a portable worship facility comprised of a tent draped with colorful curtains, see diagram: .
Beyond this curtain was the cube-shaped inner room, the ''Kodesh Hakedashim'' (]). This area housed the ], inside which were the two stone tablets brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses on which were written the ], a golden urn holding the '']'', and ]'s rod which had budded and borne ripe almonds ({{bibleverse||Exodus|16:33–34|ESV}}, {{bibleverse||Numbers|17:1–11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse||Deuteronomy|10:1–5|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Hebrews|9:2–5|ESV}}).
It had a rectangular, perimeter fence of fabric, poles and staked cords. This rectangle was always erected when they would camp, oriented to the east. In the center of this enclosure was a rectangular sanctuary draped with goats'-hair curtains, and the roof was made from rams' skins, see diagram: .
Inside, it was divided into two areas, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. See diagram: These two 'compartments were separated by a curtain or veil. Entering the first space, one would see 3 pieces of sacred furniture: a seven-branched oil lampstand on the left (south), a table for twelve loaves of show bread on the right (north) and straight ahead before the dividing curtain (west) was an altar for incense-burning. Beyond this curtain was the cube-shaped inner room known as the (''Holy of Holies'') or (''kodesh hakodashim''). This sacred space contained a single article called the ] (''aron habrit''), see diagram: .


===Tachash===
==Incorporated into Temple in Jerusalem==
''Tachash'' is referred to fifteen times in the ];<ref>{{cite web |title=Parsha in depth: You shall make a covering ... of tachash skins |url=https://www.chabad.org/parshah/in-depth/plainBody_cdo/AID/1315 |website=Chabad}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Solomon (Dr. Rabbi) |first=Norman |title=What Was the Tachash Covering in the Tabernacle? |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/what-was-the-tachash-covering-the-tabernacle |website=TheTorah.com}}</ref> 13 of these refer to the roof coverings.


<gallery>
When King ] conquered ] and his son King ] built the first temple known as ], all the elements of the tabernacle were incorporated into the newly built permanent temple.
File:Tabernacle Schematic.jpg|Top view, parallel projection of tabernacle.
File:The Desert Tabernacle (Mishkan) - Layout and Dimensions.jpg|Tabernacle Tent dimensions according to the Book of Exodus
File:The Desert Tabernacle (Mishkan) - Layout and Dimensions - Full.jpg|Tabernacle Tent and Courtyard dimensions according to the Book of Exodus</gallery>


==Restrictions==
==Significance for Sabbath==
{{Expand section|date=September 2020}}
* Wine forbidden to priests in the tabernacle:
* Individuals with the ] skin affliction were not permitted entry to the tabernacle: Leviticus 22:4
* Sacrifice only at the tabernacle:
* Priests could only enter into the third room of the tent once a year: Leviticus 16


There is a strict set of rules to be followed for transporting the tabernacle laid out in the ]. For example:
The concluding instructions for the Tabernacle's construction are stated at the end of the ], chapter 31 , and in that same chapter, immediately following the words about the Tabernacle, God reminds Moses about the importance of the ]:
{{Blockquote|You must put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the tabernacle will be executed.|{{bibleref2|Numbers|1:48-51 NLT}}}}
:"God told Moses to speak to the Israelites and say to them: You must still keep my sabbaths. It is a sign between me and you for all generations, to make you realize that I, God, am making you holy. Keep the Sabbath as something sacred to you. Anyone doing work shall be cut off spiritually from his people, and therefore, anyone violating it shall be put to death. Do your work during the six week days, but keep Saturday as a Sabbath of sabbaths, holy to God. Whoever does any work on Saturday shall be put to death. The Israelites shall thus keep the Sabbath, making it a day of rest for all generations, as an eternal covenant. It is a sign between me and the Israelites that during the six weekdays God made heaven and earth, but on Saturday, he ceased working and rested." (Exodus: 31: 12-17).
The rabbis of the ] derive from this juxtaposition of subject-matter, the fact that the commandment to rest on the Sabbath day, as stated in Genesis 2:1-3 "Heaven and earth, and all their components, were completed. With the seventh day, God finished all the work that He had done. He ceased on the seventh day from all the work that he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day, and he declared it to be holy, for it was on this day that God ceased from all the work that he
had been creating to function." is not pushed aside by the commandments to construct the Tabernacle. Not only that, but the very definition of what constitutes "work" or "actvity" that must not be done by any Israelite, on pain of death (only when there was a ], and only with acceptable witnesses present), is defined by the ] needed for the construction of the Tabernacle and for its functioning as the center of the sacrifices enumerated in the ].


==Rituals==
==Relationship to the Golden Calf==
{{See also|Korban|Animal sacrifice#Judaism|Holocaust (sacrifice)}}
]
Twice a day, a priest would stand in front of the golden prayer altar and burn fragrant incense.<ref>.</ref> Other procedures were also carried out in the tabernacle:
* The daily ]:
* ]s and ]s:
* ]:
* Octave of Ordination:
* ]:
* ] for suspected adulteresses:
* Dedication of ]s:
* Preparation of the ashes of a ] for the ]:


An Israelite healed of '']'' would be presented by the priest who had confirmed his healing "at the door of the tabernacle of meeting",<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|14:11|NKJV}}.</ref> and a woman healed of prolonged ] would present her offering (two turtledoves or two young pigeons) to the priest "at the door of the tabernacle of meeting".<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|15:29|NKJV}}.</ref>
Some rabbis have commented on the proximity of the narrative of the Tabernacle with that of the episode known as the sin of the ] which begins in the ] 32:1-6 . ] asserts that the Tabernacle and its accoutrements, such as the golden ] and the golden ] were meant as "alternates" to the human weakness and needs for physical idols as seen in the Golden Calf episode. Others scholars, such as ] disagree and maintain that the Tabernacle's meaning is not tied in with the Golden Calf but instead symbolizes higher mystical lessons that symbolize God's constant closeness to the Children of Israel.


It was at the door of the tabernacle that the community wept in sorrow when all the chiefs of the people were ] and the men who had joined in worship to the ] were killed on God's orders.<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|25:6}}.</ref>
==Blueprint for synagogues==


==Subsequent history==
] construction over the last two thousand years has followed the outlines of the original Tabernacle, which was of course also the outline for the temples in Jerusalem until they were destroyed. Every synagogue has at its front an ark, ''aaron kodesh'', containing the ] scrolls comparable to the ] which contained the tablets with ]. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue equivalent to the ].
], 2019]]
]
{{Religious text primary|section|date=September 2020}}
There is also usually a constantly lighted lamp, ''ner tamid'', or a candelabrum lighted during services, near this spot similar to the original ]. At the center of the synagogue is a large elevated area, known as the ''bimah'' where the Torah is read. This is equivalent to the Tabernacle's altars upon which incense and animal sacrifices were offered. On the main holidays the ], ''kohanim'', gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in the Tabernacle from ] onwards.
During the conquest of ], the main Israelite camp was at ] ({{bibleverse ||Joshua|4:19|ESV}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Joshua|5:8–10|ESV}}) and the tabernacle was probably erected within the camp: {{bibleverse||Joshua|10:43ESV}} "…and returned into the camp" (''see'' {{bibleverse ||Numbers|1:52–2:34|ESV}} "…they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side").

After the conquest and ] among the tribes, the tabernacle was moved to ] in ] territory (Joshua's tribe) to avoid disputes among the other tribes ({{bibleverse||Joshua|18:1|ESV}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Joshua|19:51|ESV}}; {{bibleverse-nb ||Joshua|22:9|ESV}}; {{bibleverse ||Psalm|78:60|ESV}}). It remained there during most of the ].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The New American Bible, Old Testament |publisher=Catholic Book Publishing Company |year=1987 |editor=Confraternity of Christian Doctrine |location=New York, New York |page=236 |language=en-us}}, '']'', prefatory notes: "…The twelve judges of the present book, however, very probably exercised their authority, sometimes simultaneously, over one or another tribe of Israel, never over the entire nation."</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary |publisher=Holman Bible Publishers |year=2003 |editor=Brand |editor-first=Chad |location=Nashville, Tennessee |pages=961–965 "Judges, Book of" |language=en-us |editor2=Draper |editor-first2=Charles |editor3=England |editor-first3=Archie}} "Because of the theological nature of the narrative and the author's selective use of data, it is difficult to reconstruct the history of Israel during the period of the judges from the accounts in the heart of the book (3:7–16:31)."</ref> According to a possible translation of {{bibleverse||Judges|20:26-28|ESV}}, the Ark, and thus the tabernacle, was at ] while Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, was alive.

After the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the ], the subsequent history of the tabernacle is separate from that of the Ark, even after the latter was returned. Under King ], the tabernacle was eventually moved to ], near Saul's his home town of ], but after he massacred the priests there ({{bibleverse|1|Samuel|21-22|HE}}), it was moved to ], a hill-shrine ({{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|16:39|HE}}; {{bibleverse-nb|1|Chronicles|21:29|HE}}; {{bibleverse |2|Chronicles|1:2–6|HE}}, 13).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eichrodt |first=Walther |url=http://archive.org/details/theologyofoldtes01eich |title=Theology of the Old Testament |date=1961 |publisher=Westminster Press |others=Internet Archive |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |page=111 |language=en-us}}</ref> Just prior to ]'s moving the ark to Jerusalem, the ark was located in ] ({{bibleverse |1|Chronicles|13:5-6|HE}}).

The Ark was eventually brought to Jerusalem, where it was placed "inside the tent David had pitched for it" ({{bibleverse|2|Samuel|6:17|HE}}; {{bibleverse |1|Chronicles|15:1|HE}}), not in the tabernacle, which remained at Gibeon. The altar of the tabernacle at Gibeon was used for sacrificial worship ({{bibleverse |1|Chronicles|16:39|HE}}; {{bibleverse-nb|1|Chronicles|21:29|HE}}; {{bibleverse |1|Kings|3:2-4|HE}}), until Solomon brought the structure and its furnishings to Jerusalem to furnish and dedicate the Temple ({{bibleverse|1|Kings|8:4|HE}}).<ref> Compare Guy Darshan, in: The Pentateuch and Its Readers, Tübingen 2023, 123–143 </ref>

There is no mention of the tabernacle in the Tanakh after the ] by the Babylonians in c. 587 BCE.

==Relationship to the golden calf==
Some rabbis have commented on the proximity of the narrative of the tabernacle with that of the episode known as the sin of the ] recounted in {{bibleref2|Exodus|32:1-6}}. ] asserts that the tabernacle and its accoutrements, such as the golden Ark of the Covenant and the golden Menorah were meant as "alternates" to the human weakness and needs for physical idols as seen in the golden calf episode.<ref>Maimonides (Rambam) Rabbi Mosheh ben Maimon (c. 1190) ''Delalatul Ha'yreen (Arabic), Moreh Nevukhim (Hebrew), Guide for the Perplexed'', Part 3:32, Part 11:39, Part 111:46.</ref> Other scholars, such as ], disagree and maintain that the tabernacle's meaning is not tied in with the golden calf, but instead symbolizes higher mystical lessons that symbolize God's constant closeness to the Children of Israel.<ref>Naḥmanides (Ramban) Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi Bonastruc ça (de) Porta (c. 1242) ''Bi'ur'', or ''Perush 'al ha-Torah, Commentary on the Torah, Exodus 25:1'' and '']'' 35a.</ref>

==Blueprint for synagogues==
] is a ]]]
] construction over the last two thousand years has followed the outlines of the original tabernacle.<ref>{{Catholic|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14379b.htm |title=Synagogue |author=Walter Drum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Synagogues, Shuls and Temples – Judaism 101 (JewFAQ) |url=https://www.jewfaq.org/shul.htm |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=www.jewfaq.org}}</ref> Every synagogue has at its front an ark, ''aron kodesh'', containing the ] scrolls, comparable to the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets with Ten Commandments. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue, equivalent to the Holy of Holies.


There is also usually a constantly lighted lamp, '']'', or a candelabrum, lighted during services, near a spot similar to the position of the original Menorah. At the center of the synagogue is a large elevated area, known as the ''bimah'', where the Torah is read. This is equivalent to the tabernacle's altars upon which incense and animal sacrifices were offered. On the main holidays the ] gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in the tabernacle from Aaron onwards ({{bibleverse||Numbers|6:22-27}}).<ref>{{Catholic|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12407b.htm|title=High Priest|prescript=|author= John J. Tierney}}</ref>
==Prayer in the Tabernacle==


==Inspiration for churches==
Twice a day a priest would stand in front of the golden prayer altar and burn fragrant incense. Other procedures were also carried out in the Tabernacle.
], ], completed 1964]]
Some Christian churches are built like a tent, to symbolize the tent of God with men, including ], Brazil, ] (To the Holy Angels), ], Germany and the ], Christchurch, New Zealand.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Anders
| first = Johanna
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=94SbBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA102
| title = Neue Kirchen in der Diaspora
| publisher = Kassel University Press
| year = 2014
| isbn = 978-3-86-219682-1
| language = de
| pages = 102–103
}}</ref>


==Mandaeism==
{{main|Mandi (Mandaeism)}}
]
A ''mashkhanna'' {{lang|myz|ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡍࡀ}} {{transliteration|myz|maškna}} (hebrew cognate {{lang|he|מִשְׁכַּן}} {{transliteration|he|mishkān}}),<ref>Secunda, Shai, and Steven Fine. {{cite book |last1=Secunda |first1=Shai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QdjGEVo0bVEC&pg=PA1 |title=Shoshannat Yaakov. |last2=Fine |first2=Steven |date=3 September 2012 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-9004235441}} p. 345.</ref> ''Beth Manda'' {{lang|myz|ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ}}, ''Beit Manda'', or ] ('house of knowledge'),<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref> is a cultic hut and place of worship for followers of ]. A ''Mashkhanna'' must be built beside a river in order to perform ] (]) and other ceremonies because ] is an essential element in the ] faith.<ref name="Buckley 2002"/>


==Catholic== ==See also==
{{Portal|Judaism}}
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==References==
Within ] a tabernacle is a cuboard or boxlike receptical for the exclusive reservation of the blessed ] - the bread and wine used during the rite of ]. In the ] times such tabernacles containing the ''sacred species'' were kept within private houses where ] met for church, for fear of possible persecution.
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Tabernacle}}
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Latest revision as of 17:01, 4 November 2024

Temporary dwelling used by Israelites in the biblical Book of Exodus For other uses, see Tabernacle (disambiguation).
Model of the tabernacle in Timna Valley Park, Israel
The tabernacle, engraving from Robert Arnauld d'Andilly's 1683 translation of Josephus.

According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (Hebrew: מִשְׁכַּן, romanizedmiškan, lit.'residence, dwelling place'), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (Hebrew: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, romanized: ʔōhel mōʕēḏ, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instructed at Mount Sinai to construct and transport the tabernacle with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their subsequent conquest of the Promised Land. After 440 years, Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem superseded it as the dwelling-place of God.

The main source describing the tabernacle is the biblical Book of Exodus, specifically Exodus 25–31 and 35–40. Those passages describe an inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, created by the veil suspended by four pillars. This sanctuary contained the Ark of the Covenant, with its cherubim-covered mercy seat. An outer sanctuary (the "Holy Place") contained a gold lamp-stand or candlestick. On the north side stood a table, on which lay the showbread. On the south side was the Menorah, holding seven oil lamps to give light. On the west side, just before the veil, was the golden altar of incense. It was constructed of 4 woven layers of curtains and 48 15-foot tall standing wood boards overlaid in gold and held in place by its bars and silver sockets and was richly furnished with valuable materials taken from Egypt at God's command.

Meaning

The English word tabernacle derives from the Latin tabernāculum (meaning "tent" or "hut"), which in ancient Roman religion was a ritual structure. The Hebrew word mishkan implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in". In Greek, including the Septuagint, the Hebrew is translated σκηνή (skēnē), itself a Semitic loanword meaning "tent".

Description

A detailed description of a tabernacle, located in Exodus chapters 25–27 and Exodus chapters 35–40, refers to an inner shrine, the Holy of Holies, housing the ark, and an outer chamber with the six-branch seven-lamp Temple menorah, table for showbread, and an altar of incense. An enclosure containing the sacrificial altar and bronze laver for the priests to wash surrounded these chambers.

Layout of the tabernacle with the Holy of Holies

Traditional scholars contend that it describes an actual tabernacle used in the time of Moses and thereafter. This view is based on the existence of significant parallels between the biblical Tabernacle and similar structures from ancient Egypt during the Late Bronze Age.

The detailed outlines for the tabernacle and its priests are enumerated in the Book of Exodus:

  • Exodus 25: Materials needed: the Ark, the table for 12 showbread, the menorah.
  • Exodus 26: The tabernacle, the bars, partitions.
  • Exodus 27: The copper altar, the enclosure, oil.
  • Exodus 28: Vestments for the priests, ephod garment, ring settings, the breastplate, robe, head-plate, tunic, turban, sashes, pants.
  • Exodus 29: Consecration of priests and altar.
  • Exodus 30: Incense altar, washstand, anointing oil, incense.

Tent of the Presence

Some interpreters assert the Tent of the Presence was a special meeting place outside the camp, unlike the Tabernacle which was placed in the center of the camp. According to Exodus 33:7–11, this tent was for communion with Yahweh, to receive oracles and to understand the divine will. The people's elders were the subject of a remarkable prophetic event at the site of this tent in Numbers 11:24–30.

Builders

The erection of the tabernacle and the Sacred vessels, as in Exodus 40:17–19; from the 1728 Figures de la Bible

In Exodus 31, the main builder and maker of the priestly vestments is specified as Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah, who was assisted by Oholiab and a number of skilled artisans.

Plan

During the Exodus, the wandering in the desert and the conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was in part a portable tent, and in part a wooden enclosure draped with ten curtains, of blue (tekhelet תְּכֵלֶת), purple (’argāmān אַרְגָּמָן), and scarlet (šānî שָׁנִי) fabric. It had a rectangular, perimeter fence of fabric, poles and staked cords. This rectangle was always erected when the Israelite tribes would camp, oriented to the east as the east side had no frames. In the center of this enclosure was a rectangular sanctuary draped with goat-hair curtains, with the roof coverings made from rams' skins.

Holy of Holies

Beyond this curtain was the cube-shaped inner room, the Kodesh Hakedashim (Holy of Holies). This area housed the Ark of the Covenant, inside which were the two stone tablets brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses on which were written the Ten Commandments, a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which had budded and borne ripe almonds (Exodus 16:33–34, Numbers 17:1–11, Deuteronomy 10:1–5; Hebrews 9:2–5).

Tachash

Tachash is referred to fifteen times in the Hebrew Bible; 13 of these refer to the roof coverings.

  • Top view, parallel projection of tabernacle. Top view, parallel projection of tabernacle.
  • Tabernacle Tent dimensions according to the Book of Exodus Tabernacle Tent dimensions according to the Book of Exodus
  • Tabernacle Tent and Courtyard dimensions according to the Book of Exodus Tabernacle Tent and Courtyard dimensions according to the Book of Exodus

Restrictions

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  • Wine forbidden to priests in the tabernacle: Leviticus 10:8–15
  • Individuals with the Tzaraat skin affliction were not permitted entry to the tabernacle: Leviticus 22:4
  • Sacrifice only at the tabernacle: Leviticus 17
  • Priests could only enter into the third room of the tent once a year: Leviticus 16

There is a strict set of rules to be followed for transporting the tabernacle laid out in the Hebrew Bible. For example:

You must put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the tabernacle will be executed.

— Numbers 1:48–51 NLT

Rituals

See also: Korban, Animal sacrifice § Judaism, and Holocaust (sacrifice)

Twice a day, a priest would stand in front of the golden prayer altar and burn fragrant incense. Other procedures were also carried out in the tabernacle:

An Israelite healed of tzaraath would be presented by the priest who had confirmed his healing "at the door of the tabernacle of meeting", and a woman healed of prolonged menstruation would present her offering (two turtledoves or two young pigeons) to the priest "at the door of the tabernacle of meeting".

It was at the door of the tabernacle that the community wept in sorrow when all the chiefs of the people were impaled and the men who had joined in worship to the Baal of Peor were killed on God's orders.

Subsequent history

Location and remains of the Tabernacle at Shiloh, 2019
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During the conquest of Canaan, the main Israelite camp was at Gilgal (Joshua 4:19; 5:8–10) and the tabernacle was probably erected within the camp: Joshua 10:43ESV "…and returned into the camp" (see Numbers 1:52–2:34 "…they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side").

After the conquest and division of the land among the tribes, the tabernacle was moved to Shiloh in Ephraimite territory (Joshua's tribe) to avoid disputes among the other tribes (Joshua 18:1; 19:51; 22:9; Psalm 78:60). It remained there during most of the rule of the Judges. According to a possible translation of Judges 20:26–28, the Ark, and thus the tabernacle, was at Bethel while Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, was alive.

After the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, the subsequent history of the tabernacle is separate from that of the Ark, even after the latter was returned. Under King Saul, the tabernacle was eventually moved to Nob, near Saul's his home town of Gibeah, but after he massacred the priests there (1 Samuel 21–22), it was moved to Gibeon, a hill-shrine (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chronicles 1:2–6, 13). Just prior to David's moving the ark to Jerusalem, the ark was located in Kiriath-Jearim (1 Chronicles 13:5–6).

The Ark was eventually brought to Jerusalem, where it was placed "inside the tent David had pitched for it" (2 Samuel 6:17; 1 Chronicles 15:1), not in the tabernacle, which remained at Gibeon. The altar of the tabernacle at Gibeon was used for sacrificial worship (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29; 1 Kings 3:2–4), until Solomon brought the structure and its furnishings to Jerusalem to furnish and dedicate the Temple (1 Kings 8:4).

There is no mention of the tabernacle in the Tanakh after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in c. 587 BCE.

Relationship to the golden calf

Some rabbis have commented on the proximity of the narrative of the tabernacle with that of the episode known as the sin of the golden calf recounted in Exodus 32:1–6. Maimonides asserts that the tabernacle and its accoutrements, such as the golden Ark of the Covenant and the golden Menorah were meant as "alternates" to the human weakness and needs for physical idols as seen in the golden calf episode. Other scholars, such as Nachmanides, disagree and maintain that the tabernacle's meaning is not tied in with the golden calf, but instead symbolizes higher mystical lessons that symbolize God's constant closeness to the Children of Israel.

Blueprint for synagogues

The Mishkan Shilo synagogue in Shilo is a replica of the Jewish Temple

Synagogue construction over the last two thousand years has followed the outlines of the original tabernacle. Every synagogue has at its front an ark, aron kodesh, containing the Torah scrolls, comparable to the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets with Ten Commandments. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue, equivalent to the Holy of Holies.

There is also usually a constantly lighted lamp, Ner tamid, or a candelabrum, lighted during services, near a spot similar to the position of the original Menorah. At the center of the synagogue is a large elevated area, known as the bimah, where the Torah is read. This is equivalent to the tabernacle's altars upon which incense and animal sacrifices were offered. On the main holidays the priests gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in the tabernacle from Aaron onwards (Numbers 6:22–27).

Inspiration for churches

Zu den heiligen Engeln, Hanover, completed 1964

Some Christian churches are built like a tent, to symbolize the tent of God with men, including St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus, Brazil, Zu den heiligen Engeln (To the Holy Angels), Hanover, Germany and the Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mandaeism

Main article: Mandi (Mandaeism)
Mandaean Mashkhanna (Beth Manda) in Nasiriya, Iraq

A mashkhanna ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡍࡀ maškna (hebrew cognate מִשְׁכַּן mishkān), Beth Manda ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ, Beit Manda, or Mandi ('house of knowledge'), is a cultic hut and place of worship for followers of Mandaeism. A Mashkhanna must be built beside a river in order to perform maṣbuta (baptism) and other ceremonies because Living Water is an essential element in the Mandaean faith.

See also

References

  1. Numbers 4:1–35.
  2. ^ Cross, F. L., ed. (2005). "Tabernacle". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press.
  3. Fowler, William Warde (1922). The Religious Experience of the Roman People. London. p. 209.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. Scheid, John (2003). An Introduction to Roman Religion. Indiana University Press. pp. 113–114.
  5. Linderski, Jerzy (1986). "The Augural Law". Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt. Vol. II, no. 16. pp. 2164–2288.
  6. ^  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainSouvay, Charles Léon (1913). "Tabernacle". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  7. "Mishkan". Strong's Concordance. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  8. "skene". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 October 2021. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  9. Kitchen, Kenneth A. (2006). On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 275–283. ISBN 978-0-8028-0396-2.
  10. Clements, Ronald E. (1972). Exodus. New York: Cambridge University Press. Series: The Cambridge Bible Commentary: New English Bible. pp. 212–213.
  11. Berlin, Adele and Brettler, Marc Zvi., editors. (2014). The Jewish Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press. 2nd edition. ISBN 9780190263898. p. 178.
  12. Morgenstern, Julian (1918). "The Tent of Meeting". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 38: 125–139. doi:10.2307/592593. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 592593.
  13. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board, Eduard König. (1906). "Tabernacle". in the Kopelman Foundation's JewishEncyclopedia.com website Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  14. ^  Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Tabernacle". The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 19 (2nd ed.). New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 419.
  15. "Parsha in depth: You shall make a covering ... of tachash skins". Chabad.
  16. Solomon (Dr. Rabbi), Norman. "What Was the Tachash Covering in the Tabernacle?". TheTorah.com.
  17. Exodus 30:7–10.
  18. Leviticus 14:11.
  19. Leviticus 15:29.
  20. Numbers 25:6.
  21. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, ed. (1987). The New American Bible, Old Testament. New York, New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company. p. 236., The Book of Judges, prefatory notes: "…The twelve judges of the present book, however, very probably exercised their authority, sometimes simultaneously, over one or another tribe of Israel, never over the entire nation."
  22. Brand, Chad; Draper, Charles; England, Archie, eds. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers. pp. 961–965 "Judges, Book of". "Because of the theological nature of the narrative and the author's selective use of data, it is difficult to reconstruct the history of Israel during the period of the judges from the accounts in the heart of the book (3:7–16:31)."
  23. Eichrodt, Walther (1961). Theology of the Old Testament. Internet Archive. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press. p. 111.
  24. Compare Guy Darshan, “The Tent of Meeting in Samuel and Kings,” in: The Pentateuch and Its Readers, Tübingen 2023, 123–143
  25. Maimonides (Rambam) Rabbi Mosheh ben Maimon (c. 1190) Delalatul Ha'yreen (Arabic), Moreh Nevukhim (Hebrew), Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3:32, Part 11:39, Part 111:46.
  26. Naḥmanides (Ramban) Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi Bonastruc ça (de) Porta (c. 1242) Bi'ur, or Perush 'al ha-Torah, Commentary on the Torah, Exodus 25:1 and Exodus Rabbah 35a.
  27.  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainWalter Drum (1913). "Synagogue". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  28. "Synagogues, Shuls and Temples – Judaism 101 (JewFAQ)". www.jewfaq.org. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  29.  John J. Tierney (1913). "High Priest". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  30. Anders, Johanna (2014). Neue Kirchen in der Diaspora (in German). Kassel University Press. pp. 102–103. ISBN 978-3-86-219682-1.
  31. Secunda, Shai, and Steven Fine. Secunda, Shai; Fine, Steven (3 September 2012). Shoshannat Yaakov. BRILL. ISBN 978-9004235441. p. 345.
  32. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.

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