TABERNACLE
131
TABERNACLE
cfutshiil-im, rendered "fillets," i.e. Driiameiital chaplets in relief round the pillar (so Evvakl, Alter- f/uimcr, p. 335, note 5), but most probably meaning rods (so (ie- senius. Fiirst.and others), joining- one pillar to another. These rods were laid upon the hooks, and served to attach the hangings to
and susiiend them from. The hooks and rods were silver, though Knobel conjectures the latter must have been merely plated {Exod. p. 278). The mode of ad- justing these hangings was similar to that of the door- way screens and " vail" described below.
The circimiference of the enclos- ure thus formed was 300 cubits, and the number of pillars is said to have been 20 + 20 + 10 + 10=60, which would give between every two pillars a space of ^J'^" = 5 cu- bits. There has been consider- .— _^„ _ ^ -=- able ditHculty in accurately con- Curtain-wall of Entranr, ceiving the method adopted by
the writer in calculating these pillars. This difficulty arises from the corner ])illars, each of which, of course, belongs both to the side and to the end. It has been supposed by many that the author calculated each one corner pillar twice: that is, considered it, though one in itself, as a pillar of the side and also as a pillar of the end. This would make in all 50 actual pillars, and, of course, as many spaces (Biihr, Knobel, etc.); that is, nineteen spaces on each side, and nine on the end. Now since the side was 100 cubits and the end 50, this would give for each side space Yl>'=5i'gia"d for each end space ^"=50 cu- bits, spaces artiticial in themselves and unlike each other. It is certainly most probable that the spaces of side and end were of exacth' the same size, and that each of them was some exact, and no fractional, number of cubits. The difficulty may be completely removed by assuming the distance of 5 cubits to each space, and counting as in the accompanying ground-plan. Thus, since each .side was 100 cubits, this needs twenty spaces. But twenty spaces neetl twenty-one pillars. So that, sup- |)osing us to start from the south-east corner and go along the south side, we should have for 100 cubits twenty-one pillars and twenty spaces; but of these we should count twenty spaces and pillars for the south side, and call the south-west corner pillar, not the twen
Cmtrtiu-wall of durt. (Details suggested by Assyrian sculptures.)
going up the end, we should count ten pillars and spaces as end, but consider the north-west corner pillar not as eleventh of the end, but first of the north side; and so on. In this way we gain sixty pillars and as many spaces, and have each space exactly 5 cubits.
:ui sculptures.)
ty-tirst pillar of the side, but the first of the end. Then
The hangings (C^bp. krlnim') of the court were.of twined s/iesh; that is, a fabric woven out of twisted yarn of the material called shesh. This word, which properly means vJiife, is rendered by our version "tine linen," a .rendering with which most concur, wliile some decide for co/ton. At all events, the curtains were a strong fabric of this glancing white material, and were hung upon the pillars, most likely outside, though that is not known, being attached to the pillars at the top by the hooks and rods already described, while the whole was stayed by pins and cords, like a tent.
The entrance, which was situated in the centre of the east end, and was twenty cubits in extent, was formed also of a hanging (technically TjC^, masdk) of "blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, work of the Qpl"^, 7-ok-eiii" (A. V. "needle-work"). The last word has usually been considered to mean embroidei-er with the needle, and the curtain fancied to have had figures, flowers, etc., of the mentioned colors wrought into it. But such kinds of work have always a "wrong" side, and, most probalily, taking into account the meaning of the word in Arabic, and the fondness of the Arabs at this day for striped blankets, the word means " weaver of striped cloth," and the hanging is to be conceived as woven with lines or stripes of blue, purple, and scarlet
31
32
33
34
35 Sr, 37
38 39 40 41
42
4"
44
45
4fi
47
4S
49
50
.5
1
u ■
2
LJ 3
u 4
S 6 7 8 a 10 u
12
13
li
15 l(i 17
18
19
2U
1
30
310
iz
52
29
D9
3C
53
2S
:8
35
c
)
ip S 3 4
54
>i; \\i\\m«}).\^:^at»\
*iKt.st;\-i\s;4.\\K;i<<-K*x.NX'Nv
27
i n ^
]55
9
26
/
Jj6
26
n
:57
.,+ ■)"! 1 1 '' 1 '1, ( r v"j"i' !■ ;'i';i'":;!\*:
]4
1
23
:3
2C
59
22
32
3C
CO
1
20
n
19
IS
n
IT 10 15 U 13 12 11
n n. n n n n n
10
n
9
n
8
n
TAB
n n n
4
n
3
2
n
1
Plan of the Tabernacle and its Court. (From Riggenbach's Afo.iaisrhe Stiftshf/ite.)
Large enclosure— Cniirt (open overhead). Small enclosure— the Tahernacle (covered), a. Ark in the Holv of Holies. A. Tahle of show-hresd. r. Holden candlestick, rf. Altar of incense—^, c, d being in the holy place, e. Laver, or basin for washine:.' /. Altar of burnt-ofTerinc. g- Gang or ledife around this altar for the priests to stand upon. h. Sloping ascent from the ground to this ledge. (The last two articles are in the court.)