The following close translation of Exod. xxvi will set the subject generally before the reader. We have indi- cated, by the use of italics, marked variations from the A. V. :
1. And the tabernacle ("S'j^) thon shalt make— ten cur- tains: twisted linen, and violet and pmple and crimson of cochineal : cherubs, work of (an) artiticer, thou shalt
2. make them. (The) lenirlh <>f the one curtain (shall be) eight and twenty by the cubit, and (the breadth) four by the cubit, the oiie curtain: one measure (shall be)
3. to all the curtains. Five of the ctu'tains shall be join- ing each to its fellow, and tive of the curtains joining
4. eacli to its fellow. And thou shalt make loops (31P) of violet upon (the) edge of the one curtain from (the) end in the joining, and so shalt thou make in (\\\e)e(lge
5. of the endmost curtain in tlie necnnd joining : fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and tifly loops shalt thou make in (the) end of the curtain which is in tlie second joining, the loops standing opposite (ri1?3p^)
6. the one to its fellow. And thou shalt make fifty tachcs (D"i|r) of gold, and thou shalt join the curtains one to its fellow with the tacbes, and the tabernacle shall be one.
7. And thou shalt make curtains of goats (' hair) for a tent (bnX) upon the tabernacle, eleven curtains shalt
8. thon make them. (The) length of the one curtain (shall be) thirty by the cubit, and (the) breadth four by the cubit, the one curtain : one measure (shall be) to
9. (the) eleven curtains. And thou shalt join five of the curtains separately, and six of the curtains separately; and thou shalt double the sixth curtain townrd-t (the)
10. forefront of the lent. And thou shalt make tjl'ty loops upon (the) edire of the one curtain — the endmost in the joining, and fifty loops upon (the) edge of the cur-
11. tain — the secntid joining. And thou shalt make taches of copper — fifty; and shalt bring the taches in the loops, and thou shalt join the tent, and (it) shall be
12. one. And (the) overplus hang in (tlie) curtains of the tent — lialf of the overplus curtain !,hall hang upcjn
13. the back of the tabernacle; and the cubit from this (side) and the cubit from that (side) in the overplus in (the) leiiijth of (the) curtains of the tent shall be huiicr upon (the) sides of the tabernacle from this (side) and from that (side), to cover it
130 TABERNACLE
14. And thon shalt m.ikc (:i) covering to the tent, skins of rams reddened, and (a) covering of skius of tach- asUes from above.
15. And thou shalt make the planks (O^i^) for the tab- ernacle, frees [icood'i of acacias (D'lSUJ), standing.
10. Ten cubits (shall "be the) length of the plank, and (a) culiil and (the) half of the ciiliit (the) breadth of the
17. one plank. Two hands [te .oas] (shall there be) to the one plank, joined (nisr^i^'S, others corresponding) [comp. xxxvi, 22] each to its fellow: so shalt thou
18. inakelor(/(>] for all (the) planks of the tabernacle. And thou shall make the planks for the tabernacle, twen- ty planks for (the) Negeb isouth] quarter towards Tey-
19. m;m [the .touth]. And forty bases ("|"1X) of silver shalt th<ni make under the twenty planks, two bases under the one plank for its two hands, and two bases under
20. the one Inext] plank for its two hands. And for the second rib [tiank] of the tabernacle to (the) Tsaphon
21. [dor^/i] quai'ter (there shall be) twenty planks; and their forty bases of silver, two bases under the one plank, and two bases under the (uie Inext] plank.
22. And for (the) thighs [rear;i of the tabernacle seaward
23. [west] thou shalt'make six planks. And two planks shalt thou make for (the) angles (S"i:ip72, cwMmgi of)
24. of the tabernacle in the thighs [rear] : and (they) shall be twinned (D^^^T\,\^evha\)e jointed, hinged, or bolted) from below toL'ether, and shall be twins upon its head Uop] towards the one ring: so shall (it) be to both of them ; for the two angles shall (they) be.
25. And (there) shall be eight planks, and their bases of silver— sixteen bases, two bases under the one plauk, and two bases under the one [next] plank.
26. And thou shalt make bars (n"'~2) of trees [wood] of acacias [_Shittini]; five for (the) planks of the one rib
27. I flank] of the tabei-nacle, and five bars for (the) planks of the second rib [jlank] of the tabernacle, and five bars for (the) planks of (the) rib.[_r?a«fc] of the taber-
28. nacle for the thighs [rear] seaward [west]. And the middle bar in (the) middle of the planks (shall) bar (tr^ia^.be bolting throngh) from the end to the end.
29. And the planks thou shalt overlay (with) gold, and the rings thon shalt make (of) gold, (as) houses [jilaeps] for the" bars; and thou shalt overlay the bars (with) gold.
30. And thou shalt rear the tabernacle like its judg- ment [stgle] which I made thee see iu the mountain.
1. The court C^^n) was a large rectangular enclosure, open to the sky, and with its entrance at the east end. Its dimensions are given more than once, being 100 cubits long and 50 broad. Its construction was very simple, being composed of a frame of four sides of distinct pil- lars, with curtains hung upon them. In other words, it was surrounded by canvas screens — in the East called kanndts, and still universally used to enclo.se the pri- vate apartments of important personages. The pillars were proliably of shit tim-wood (that is, the desert acacia), a light, close-grained, imperishable wood, easily taking on a tine natural polish, though it is nowhere directly intimated of what material they were; they were five cubits in height (sufficient to prevent a person from look- ing over them into the enclosure), but their other di- mensions are not given, so that we cannot be sure whether they were round (Ewald) or four-cornered (Bithr), probably the latter. At the bottom these pil- lars were ])rofected or shod by sockets of brass (copper). It is not quite easy to say whether these sockets were merely for protection, and perha])S ornament, or if they also helped to give stability to the pillar. In the latter case, we may conceive the socket to have been of the shape of a hollow wedge or pointed funnel driven into the ground, and then the end of the pillar pushed down into its cavity; or they may have been simply plates laid on the ground, with a hole for the reception of tho tenoned foot of the pillar, as in the case of the " boanks" noticed below. Other appliances were used to give the structure firmness, viz. tlie common articles of tent ar- chitecture, ropes and pins (Exod. xxxv, 18). At the top these pillars had a capital or head (xxxviii, 17, "chapiter"), which was overlaid with silver; but wheth- er the body of the pillar was plated with any metal is not said. Connected with tlie head of the pillar were two other articles, huoks, and things called D^p'I.'n,