General Layout
The Tent of Meeting2. Tabernacle in the desert - photo
(http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm)
(Adapted from Great People of the Bible and How They Lived [Reader's Digest])
5. Simple floor plan of the Tabernacle
The floor plan of the Tabernacle reveals that the structure was oblong with three zones of holiness. In ascending order, the three zones were (1) the outer court yard often called the court of the congregation, (2) the holy place, and (3) the holy of holies.This floor plan shows that the Tabernacle - which was 50 cubits by 100 cubits - could be divided into two equal squares. The first zone of holiness - the outer courtyard - lie in the first square with the altar of sacrifice as the central sacred furnishing. The second and third zone of holiness - the holy place and holy of holies - lay in the second square with the ark of the covenant at the center of the square. (Nahum M. Sarna, Exodus [JPS Torah Commentary])(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
8. Tabernacle cutaway - dimensions and description
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
The courtyard surrounded the santuary which was a tent. The Hebrew word for this structure is sometimes called the ohel moed meaning "tent of meeting." It was an unusal tent made of boards covered with gold over which was laid a number of coverings. The following show how tent of meeting was structured.
1. The structure of the Tent of Meeting
The
Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant
The most important sacred furnishing was the ark of the covenant placed in the Holy of Holies. According to the biblical account, the ark was a box with a covering. On the covering were two cherubs. What were cherubs? The following are pictures of cherubs which have been found in archaeological sites in the Middle East.
1. CherubCherubs (cherubim in KJV) were multi-composite creatures. This 5-by-4-inch ivory plaque was found in at Arslan Tash in northern Syria and dates for the 9th or 8th centuries B. C. (Elie Borowski, "Cherubim: God's Throne" in Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 21, No. 4 [July/August 1995])2. CherubCherub discovered in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud (located in modern Iraq) and dates for the 8th or 7th centuries B.C. (Elie Borowski, "Cherubim: God's Throne" in Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 21, No. 4 [July/August 1995])3. CherubCherub from Carchemish in north Syria. Dates about 9th century B.C. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)4. CherubCherub from the doorway of Ashurnasirpal's palace in Assyria. Cherubs were often used as gaurdians as in this case. Two cherubs standing as guardians formed the entry way into the palace (the cherubs were the foundation of the arch that formed the entrance.) Dates about 9th century B.C. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)5. CherubIvory cherub from Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel). Dates the first half of the 9th century B.C. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)
This is King Ahriam's sacrcophagus. Notice that the King is portrayed sitting on his cherub throne (left). Dated about 13th century B.C. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)(James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)This is a celebration of victory with feasting and music before a Canaanite king. This piece of carved ivory was found in Megiddo in northern Israel and dates about 1350-1150 B.C. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)Notice the throne upon which King Nebuchadnezer sits in this painting found in the LDS Salt Lake Temple visitor center.
The god Anubis as a jackal lying on a funerary chest, fromthe tomb of Tut-ankh-Amon at Thebes (about 1361-1355 B.C.). Note that a god is pictured as sitting on an ark. This is what the Ark of the Covenant is portraying. (James Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament)("Angel" in The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible)
Using both the ark from King Tut's tomb and the cherubim from the "Cherubim guarding a tree of life", this is my rendition of the Ark of the Covenant using Exodus 25:10-22 in mind.
The
Holy Place
Three sacred furnishings were located in the Holy Place. The altar of incense was placed before the veil. The Menorah or candelabra was placed on the north side while the table of shewbread (Heb. "bread that was always present") was located on the south side.
(http://www.glencairnmuseum.org/tabernacle/hp.htm)
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)(http://www.wildernesstabernacle.com/items_directory.htm)(http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm)
3. Menorah
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)(http://www.wildernesstabernacle.com/items_directory.htm)(http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm)
The Courtyard
(http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm)
2. The gate
Entrance into the courtyard was through a multi-colored gate. (http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
4. The Laver
(http://www.templebuilders.com/tabernaclepictures/)
The
Priests and High Priest
1. The clothing of the Priests and High Priest
(Peter Connolly, Living in the
Time of
Jesus of
Nazareth)
