FURNISHINGS
OF MOSES’ TABERNACLE

All the object placed in the Tabernacle are described in detail in Exodus and Numbers. It is very important, in order to reconstruct them correctly, to keep in mind that the value of Moses’ cubit from the imprint on the ground at Har Karkom is of 29,2 cm, instead of 45 as currently assumed. Their size, therefore, is reduced by a 30%, making them at man’s size, much more suitable to the use for which they were designed.

 The vests also of the priests are described in detail, but we will limit ourselves to describe only the furnishings.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark was the most important item of the Tabernacle, that was built around it. It is described in Exodus 25, 10-22: 25,10-22 e 37,1-9:

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

Quite a lot has been written about the Ark and the presumed extraordinary powers it was endowed. Somebody thinks that the ark was a sort of incredibly powerful electrical condenser, being made up by two layers of gold, a fairly conductive metal, separated by an insulating material like wood.[1].

In reality, the description clearly shows that it was a simple wooden chest, covered inside and outside by a leaf of gold, measuring 2,5 x 1,5 x 1,5 cubits (that is, with the new value of the cubit, 73 x 44 x 44 cm); not very different in size from several chests found in the Egyptian tombs (in particular Tutankamon’s), intended to contain precious objects.

     

 

Egyptian chests found in Pharaohs’ tombs, containing valuable objects

Moses’ Ark probably was similar to the chests above, with the addition of four rings on the sides, through which to pass the staves for its transport, and two golden cherubs upon the cover.

There are in internet and the dedicated literature innumerable representations of the Ark of the Covenant. Many of them have the staves positioned at the top of the chest or in the middle, and some do not have feet.

    

Probably the real Ark had short feet and the rings through which the staves were inserted were fixed to them, like in the following images.

                    

The Ark was located in the Most Holy Place; inside it were kept Moses’ laws and the Tables of the Covenant with God.

 

The table for the offering of the bread

 It was a small wooden table, covered with a golden leaf, where the bread offered to God was put. It is described in Exodus 25,23-30:

23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me always.

The Table was placed in the right (back to the entrance) aisle of the Holy Place, just in front of a gap in the line of 20 stanchions of that side. It had four golden rings, fixed to the legs, through which the staves for the transport were inserted.

Its dimensions (with the new value of the cubit) were about 60 x 30 cm. the top, and 44 cm. the height.

            

 

 

The altar to burn incense

 It is described in Exodus 30, 1-10:

1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

The altar was made as usual by wood overlaid with gold, with golden rings and staves for the transport. It was positioned at the center of the Holy Place, just in front of the Ark, at the other side of the Veil.

         

 Its dimensions (with the new value of the cubit) were about 30 x 30 cm, with a height of 60 cm, therefore about 30% less than in the representations above.

 

The candlestick

It is described in Exodus 25, 31-40:

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

The size of this item is not indicated, only the weight: 1 kikkar (about 3 kg of gold ( see following: measures and weights). It was certainly much smaller than the candlestick captured by the Romans after the destruction of the second Temple, as represented in Titus’ triumph arch (on the right). On the left a representation inspired to the roman model, and in the center a stylized one.

         

The candlestick was put upon a boulder at the center of the left aisle of the Holy Place, in front of a gap in the line of 20 stanchions, exactly on the opposite side of the table of bread. (The exact placement of these items is marked on the imprint of the Tabernacle in Har Karkom - see following: the Tabernacle print on the ground )

 

Plates, dishes, bowls, pitchers, incense burners, lamps

They are mentioned in Exodus 25, 29 and several other verses, where only the information that they were made of pure gold is given.

29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

 

 The bronze basin for the ablutions

It is described in Exodus 30,17-21:

18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

It was placed at the entrance of the Tabernacle, on the left of the small antechamber (10x 20 cubits), surrounded by the 5 pillars and the linen curtain. The entrance to the Holy Place was allowed only on that side (information gathered from the imprint on the ground).

       

The washbasin’s aspect was more or less like in the above representations

The altar of burnt offerings

Besides the Ark, it was the most important object of the Tabernacle. It is described in Exodus 27, 1-8:

1 And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
5 And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.
6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
7 And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.
8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

It was a wooden box, certainly without a bottom. It was covered with a leaf of copper, at least inside. As usual it had rings and staves for the transport.

It is not clear where the fire was set alight; it doesn’t seem likely that it was lit inside the altar, because copper is a poor protection for the wood underneath. Probably the fire was lit on a brazier aside and the embers were then put on a grid inside the altar.

Dimensions (with the new value of the cubit): about 145 cm long and large, and 88 cm high. On the left side (looking at the tabernacle – information gathered from the imprint) , there was a round boulder, some 20 cm high, upon which stood the priest to reach more easily the meat, while burning it on the grid inside the altar.

                     

Artistic representations of the altar for the holocaust, with its utensils and the grid, almost certainly a separate item.

The Brazier

There are no descriptions of this piece, but we can assume as certain that it existed thanks to several precise indications.

To lead the Jews through the desert, Moses utilized a brazier with burning tar inside, put on a barrow at the head of the marching column. It produced a dense plume of smoke during the day, and a bright fire during the night, both well visible from a distance. Its position showed to the jewish people, spread throughout the desert for kilometers, the head of the column while marching, and the center of the camp during the stops at night, so everybody had always a precise reference point look at.

This object certainly was kept by Moses and positioned somewhere inside the inner courtyard of the Tabernacle, probably near the altar of the holocaust. It had an important function: its smoke indicated the position of the Tabernacle, when the Jews were camped somewhere; while it functioned as a guide during the journeys.

This can be assumed as certain on the base of Exodus 40, 34-38, Numbers 9, 15-23 and other verses alike:

15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Probably the brazier had another important function, that of producing the embers that were put under the grid, inside the altar, to burn the meat of the holocaust. [2]

  

The placement of all the Tabernacle’s furnishings