The Tabernacle (Hebrew: משכן, mishkan, "residence" or "dwelling place"), according to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built to specifications revealed by God (Yahwe) to Moses at Mount Sinai, it accompanied the Israelites on their wanderings in the wilderness and their conquest of the Promised Land, and was eventually placed in the First Temple in Jerusalem, which superseded it as the dwelling-place of God among the Israelites. It is not mentioned after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.
The fullest description of the Tabernacle describes an inner shrine named Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) housing the Ark and an outer chamber (Holy Place), with a golden lampstand, table for showbread, and altar of incense.[1] This description is generally identified as part of the Priestly source (P),[1] written in the 6th or 5th century BC. Many scholars contend that it is of a far later date than Moses, and that the description reflects the structure of the Temple of Solomon, while some hold that the description derives from memories of a real pre-monarchic shrine, perhaps the sanctuary at Shiloh.[1] According to the 19th century "Higher Criticism" school of Julius Wellhausen, an earlier, pre-exilic source (E) describes the Tabernacle as a simple tent-sanctuary.[1]
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The English word "tabernacle" is derived from the Latin word tabernāculum meaning "tent." Tabernāculum itself is a diminutive form of the word taberna, meaning "hut, booth, tavern." The word sanctuary is also used as its name, as well as the phrase the "tent of meeting". The Hebrew word Mishkan implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in", referring to the "[In-dwelling] Presence of God", the Shekhina (or Shechina, based on the same Hebrew root word as Mishkan), that dwelt within this divinely ordained structure. The commandments for its construction are taken from the words in the Book of Exodus when God says to Moses: "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 25:8-10). 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 Children of Israel following the Exodus. It is a crucial component for understanding many of the foundations of Judaism, such as the Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath), the Jewish priesthood who were commanded to serve in it, and the meaning and atonement of the sin of the Golden calf.
There are two accounts of the Tabernacle in Exodus, a briefer account and a longer one. Scholars of the "Higher Criticism" school cite the briefer one as earlier and the longer one as later.
The first written description of the tabernacle is in Exodus 33:7-10.[1] The tabernacle would be set up outside of camp, and the pillar of cloud, symbolizing the divine presence, was visible at its door.[1] The people directed their worship toward this center.[1] "Higher Criticism" scholars attribute this description to the Elohist source (E),[1] which was written about 850 BC.[2]
The more detailed description is in Exodus 25-31 and 35-40. This description of the Tabernacle describes an inner shrine (Holy of Holies) housing the Ark and an outer chamber (Holy Place), with a seven-branched lampstand, table for showbread, and altar of incense.[1] An enclosure containing the sacrificial altar surrounded these chambers.[1] This description is generally identified as part of the Priestly source (P),[1] written in the 6th or 5th century BC. Many scholars contend that the description is of a far later date than Moses, and that it reflects the structure of the Temple of Solomon, while some hold that the description derives from memories of a real pre-monarchic shrine, perhaps the sanctuary at Shiloh.[1]
The detailed outlines for the Tabernacle and its leaders are enumerated in the Book of Exodus:
In chapter 31 [10] the main builder and architects are specified:
 thumb|left|Top view, parallel projection of tabernacle. |
 Tabernacle Tent dimensions according to the Book of Exodus |
 Tabernacle Tent and Courtyard dimensions according to the Book of Exodus |
The tabernacle of the Hebrews, during the Exodus, was a portable worship facility consisting of a tent draped with colorful curtains (see [first] diagram according to Talmud). 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, with the roof made from rams' skins, (see [second] diagram according to Talmud). Inside, it was divided into two areas, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (see [third] diagram according to Talmud). 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 box or cabinet called the Ark of the Covenant (aron habrit) (see diagram according to Talmud), inside of which were the two stone tablets brought down from Mt. Sinai by Moses, on which were written the "10 Commandments."
According to the Bible, when the Israelites settled in Canaan they set up the Tabernacle on Mount Shiloh. There it stayed until God requested a stationary abode: "And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in [any] house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle"..."And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." (2 Samuel 7:4-6, 12-13). Although King David himself was not allowed to build this temple, because he was a man of war, God promised that his son would build it. After King David died at Jerusalem his son King Solomon built the first Holy Temple known as Solomon's Temple, following the pattern revealed to Moses and incorporating all the elements of the Tabernacle into the newly built Temple in Jerusalem.
The concluding instructions for the Tabernacle's construction are stated at the end of the Book of Exodus, chapter 31 [11], and in that same chapter, immediately following the words about the Tabernacle, God reminds Moses about the importance of the Jewish Sabbath:
The rabbis of the Mishna 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." [13] is not pushed aside by the commandments to construct the Tabernacle. Not only that, but the very definition of what constitutes "work" or "activity" that must not be done by any Israelite, on pain of death (only when there was a Sanhedrin, and only with acceptable witnesses present), is defined by the 39 categories of activity needed for the construction of the Tabernacle and for its functioning as the center of the sacrifices enumerated in the Book of Leviticus.
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 which begins in the Book of Exodus 32:1-6 [14]. 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.
Synagogue(mishkan) 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, 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 this spot similar to 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, kohanim, gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in the Tabernacle from Aaron onwards.
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.
Within Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and in some congregations of Anglicanism and Lutheranism, a tabernacle is a box-like receptacle for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist. It is normally made of metal, stone or wood, is lockable and secured to its altar to prevent the consecrated elements within from being removed without authorization. The "reserved Eucharist" is secured there for distribution at services, for availability to bring Holy Communion to the sick, and, especially in the Western Church, as the center of attention for meditation and prayer. The term "tabernacle" arose for this item as a reference to the Old Testament tabernacle which was the locus of God's presence among the Jewish people - hence, it was formerly required (and is still generally customary) that the tabernacle be covered with a tent-like veil or curtains across its door when the Eucharist is present within.
By way of metaphor, Catholics and Orthodox alike also refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Tabernacle in their devotions (such as the Akathist Hymn or Catholic Litanies to Mary), as she carried within her the body of Christ in her role as Theotokos.
For Christians, the tabernacle no longer has physical significance, but spiritual meaning. The tabernacle is regarded as a shadow and symbol of Jesus Christ. For example, The door of the tabernacle facing east represents entering into Christ who said He was the door. The east entrance represents the turning of the believer's back against the rising sun (Egypt), which for Christians means sin.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a tabernacle was historically a multipurpose religious building, used for church services, conferences, and as community centers. They differ from meetinghouses and temples in design, scale, and purpose. There were 79 total tabernacles build during the mid-to-late nineteenth and early twentieth century, usually within areas of the Mormon Corridor that had predominantly Latter-day Saint populations.[3] The largest such tabernacle is in Salt Lake City on Temple Square. While some tabernacles are still used for a few ecclesiastical and community cultural activities, stake centers are now normally used in their place. Some tabernacles have also been repurposed, such as the one in Vernal, Utah, which was extensively remodeled to become the Vernal Utah Temple.
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There is more than one meaning of Tabernacle discussed in the 1911 Encyclopedia. We are planning to let all links go to the correct meaning directly, but for now you will have to search it out from the list below by yourself. If you want to change the link that led you here yourself, it would be appreciated.
Categories: Disambiguation | Judaism
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Singular |
Plural |
Tabernacle (plural Tabernacles)
A particular account of the materials which the people provided for the erection and of the building itself is recorded in Ex. 25-40. The execution of the plan mysteriously given to Moses was intrusted to Bezaleel and Aholiab, who were specially endowed with wisdom and artistic skill, probably gained in Egypt, for this purpose (Ex 35:30-35). The people provided materials for the tabernacle so abundantly that Moses was under the necessity of restraining them (36:6). These stores, from which they so liberally contributed for this purpose, must have consisted in a great part of the gifts which the Egyptians so readily bestowed on them on the eve of the Exodus (12:35, 36).
The tabernacle was a rectangular enclosure, in length about 45 feet (i.e., reckoning a cubit at 18 inches) and in breadth and height about 15. Its two sides and its western end were made of boards of acacia wood, placed on end, resting in sockets of brass, the eastern end being left open (Ex 26:22). This framework was covered with four coverings, the first of linen, in which figures of the symbolic cherubim were wrought with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet threads, and probably also with threads of gold (Ex 26:1-6; 36:8-13). Above this was a second covering of twelve curtains of black goats'-hair cloth, reaching down on the outside almost to the ground (Ex 26:7-11). The third covering was of rams' skins dyed red, and the fourth was of badgers' skins (Heb. tahash, i.e., the dugong, a species of seal), Ex 25:5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19; 39:34.
The order as well as the typical character of the services of the tabernacle are recorded in Heb. 9; 10:19-22.
The holy of holies, a cube of 10 cubits, contained the "ark of the testimony", i.e., the oblong chest containing the two tables of stone, the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded.
The holy place was the western and larger chamber of the tabernacle. Here were placed the table for the shewbread, the golden candlestick, and the golden altar of incense.
The whole tabernacle was completed in seven months. On the first day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus, it was formally set up, and the cloud of the divine presence descended on it (Ex 39:22-43; 40:1-38). It cost 29 talents 730 shekels of gold, 100 talents 1,775 shekels of silver, 70 talents 2,400 shekels of brass (Ex 38:24-31).
The tabernacle was so constructed that it could easily be taken down and conveyed from place to place during the wanderings in the wilderness. The first encampment of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan was at Gilgal, and there the tabernacle remained for seven years (Josh 4:19). It was afterwards removed to Shiloh (Josh 18:1), where it remained during the time of the Judges, till the days of Eli, when the ark, having been carried out into the camp when the Israelites were at war with the Philistines, was taken by the enemy (1 Sam. 4), and was never afterwards restored to its place in the tabernacle. The old tabernacle erected by Moses in the wilderness was transferred to Nob (1Sam 21:1), and after the destruction of that city by Saul (22:9; 1Chr 16:39, 40), to Gibeon. It is mentioned for the last time in 1Chr 21:29. A new tabernacle was erected by David at Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:17; 1Chr 16:1), and the ark was brought from Perez-uzzah and deposited in it (2 Sam 6:8-17; 2Chr 1:4).
The word thus rendered ('ohel) in Ex 33:7 denotes simply a tent, probably Moses' own tent, for the tabernacle was not yet erected.
what mentions this? (please help by turning references to this page into wiki links)
   | Tabernacle model Christian Perspective - Exemplariness of tabernacle and pictures |
| | Tabernacle Model and Free Tabernacle Lessons - Tabernacle Model Kit, Tabernacle of Moses Videos and Free Sunday School lessons |
| | An excellent study of the Tabernacle in everyday English - Tabernacle Study 1 Guide to the Tabernacle |
| | The offerings of the Tabernacle - The Feasts of the Tabernacle |
| | Symbolic Tabernacle - TABERNACLE - Alternative view on art, architecture and religion |
| | Blue Dye used in Curtains & Preistly Garments - Tekhelet - Biblical Blue Dye for Tzitzit |
| | An exact, full-scale replica of the Tabernacle is under construction! - Leslie Hale - Tabernacle in the Wilderness |
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