The roofing material was a canvas of goats' hair, the article still employed by the Bedawin for their tents. It consisted of eleven "curtains" (n*,""'"]^), i. e. breadths or
This, as Paine suggests, it would neatly do if folded in two thicknesses (like the rest of the goat's-hair cloth) across the lower part of the rear open space above the " boards," as it is just long enough (twice fifteen cubits; the surplus three cubits being employed exactly as in the case of the other sheets), and sufficiently wide (four cubits up the six of the perpendicular: leaving only a
pieces of (this camlet) cloth, each thirty cubits long and small triangle at the peak for ventilation) ; the gores fourcubits wide, which is as large, probably, as could well or corners probably being tucked in between the two
be woven in the loom at once. Ten of these were to be " coupled" (~i3n), i. e. sewed together, five in one sheet, and five in another, evidently by the selvage; thus making two large canvases of thirty cubits by twenty each. But as the building was only twelve cubits wide.
thicknesses of the roof-sheets. This sixth curtain, of course, was sewed endwise to one of the outer pieces of the inider canvas.
These roof- curtains were joined by means of fifty " loops" (rXPp, liil(ioth) of unspecified (probably the
one of them alone would more than suffice for a roof, same strong) material, and as many taches (E'^D'^;?, even with a peak. Hence most interpreters understand ' kerasim) of "brass." With most interpreters, Fergus- that the surplus width was allowed to hang down the : son imderstands these to be intended for connecting the sides. But what is to be done with the other sheet? Fergtisson (in Smith's Die/, of the Bible, s. v. " Temple") supposes (with interpreters in general) that the two sheets were thrown side by side across the ridge- pole, the extra length (some fifteen cubits) being extended at the eaves into a kind of wings, and the surplus width (ten cubits) furled along the slope of the gable, or per- haps stretched out as a porch. But there is no authority whatever for this disposal; and if the two pieces of canvas were intend- ed to be thus adjoined, there appears no good reason why they should not have been sewed together at the first, like the individ- ual breadths. Hence Paine suggests that tlicy were designed as a doiihle roof, so as the more effectually to shed rain, somewhat in the manner of a "fiy" or extra roof to a modern tent. For this the size is exactly adequate. If the angle at the peak were a right angle, as it natural!}' would be, the ga- ble, of course, being an isosceles triangle, eight and a half cubits woidd be re(iuired for each slope of the roof (they being the two legs of which twelve is the hypothenuse) ; thus leaving one cubit to cover each of the eaves (as specified in ver. 13), and one cubit for seams, and perhaps hems. Tlie seams, iii The Tabernacle as restored by Paii
TABERNACLE
135
TABERNACLE
Rear of the Tabernacle, sho\viu>T the arable curtaiu accordiuy; to Paine.
Copper Tache in the Tab- ernacle "Boards," with its Attachments. (After Paiue.)
edges of the two sheets to- gether so as to form one roof- canvas. But besides the iiselessness of this (as above
ftotnted out), on this plan the rain would find an easy inlet at this innperfect suture. Hence Paine more rea- sonably concludes that they were designed for button- ing down the double canvas at the eaves so as to form "one tent'' (xxvi, 11, inx si^X, i. e. the upper or tent part of the building). The taches, accordingly, were not hooks ( as most understand : Fergusson thinks " S hooks"), but knobs in the planks on the outside, placed one cubit below the top (ver. 12). The number of the taches would thus exactly correspond to the re- quirements of the " boards," i. e. twenty for each side and eight for the end, with one additional for each rear corner (where a tache would be needed for both edges of the board, the others being in the front edge, as the first board would necessarily have it there; in the rear boards the knob would be in the middle). See Tache. (2.) Another set of curtains was provided, consisting of ten pieces of stuff, each twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, to be sewed into two large cloths of five "curtains" or breadths each. From the general simi- larity of the description, interpreters have naturally in- ferred that they were to be joined and used in like man- ner; but the necessity or practicability of employing them overhead is far from obvious. Nor does tlie size in that case suit ; for besides the difficulty of disposing of the surplusage in breadth ( in length tliej'^ would be scant if double), we naturally ask. Why were thej' different in number and size from the other roofing material? Prof. Paine therefore thinks that they were sewed end to end (the original is ttrnx-bx n^N, one to the other, xxvi, 3; dif- ferent from 13P, separately, ver. 9, of the roof-curtains) in two long pieces (they would probably have been woven thus had it been possible), and then hung double in loose drapers' around the in- terior of the tabernacle, being just high enough (four cu- bits) to cover the joints of the