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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
The Antiquities of the Jews
Written by Flavius Josephus
Translated by William Whiston
Book Three
Chapter 6
Concerning The Tabernacle Which Moses Built
In The Wilderness For The Honor Of God And Which Seemed To Be A
Temple
1. Hereupon the Israelites rejoiced at what they had seen and
heard of their conductor, and were not wanting in diligence
according to their ability; for they brought silver, and gold,
and brass, and of the best sorts of wood, and such as would not
at all decay by putrefaction; camels' hair also, and
sheep-skins, some of them dyed of a blue color, and some of a
scarlet; some brought the flower for the purple color, and
others for white, with wool dyed by the flowers aforementioned;
and fine linen and precious stones, which those that use costly
ornaments set in ouches of gold; they brought also a great
quantity of spices; for of these materials did Moses build the
tabernacle, which did not at all differ from a movable and
ambulatory temple. Now when these things were brought together
with great diligence, (for every one was ambitious to further
the work even beyond their ability,) he set architects over the
works, and this by the command of God; and indeed the very same
which the people themselves would have chosen, had the election
been allowed to them. Now their names are set down in writing in
the sacred books; and they were these: Besaleel, the son of Uri,
of the tribe of Judah, the grandson of Miriam, the sister of
their conductor and Aholiab, file son of Ahisamach, of the tribe
of Dan. Now the people went on with what they had undertaken
with so great alacrity, that Moses was obliged to restrain them,
by making proclamation, that what had been brought was
sufficient, as the artificers had informed him; so they fell to
work upon the building of the tabernacle. Moses also informed
them, according to the direction of God, both what the measures
were to be, and its largeness; and how many vessels it ought to
contain for the use of the sacrifices. The women also were
ambitious to do their parts, about the garments of the priests,
and about other things that would be wanted in this work, both
for ornament and for the divine service itself.
2. Now when all things were prepared, the gold, and the silver,
and the brass, and what was woven, Moses, when he had appointed
beforehand that there should be a festival, and that sacrifices
should be offered according to every one's ability, reared up
the tabernacle (12) and when he had measured the open court,
fifty cubits broad and a hundred long, he set up brazen pillars,
five cubits high, twenty on each of the longer sides, and ten
pillars for the breadth behind; every one of the pillars also
had a ring. Their chapiters were of silver, but their bases were
of brass: they resembled the sharp ends of spears, and were of
brass, fixed into the ground. Cords were also put through the
rings, and were tied at their farther ends to brass nails of a
cubit long, which, at every pillar, were driven into the floor,
and would keep the tabernacle from being shaken by the violence
of winds; but a curtain of fine soft linen went round all the
pillars, and hung down in a flowing and loose manner from their
chapiters, and enclosed the whole space, and seemed not at all
unlike to a wall about it. And this was the structure of three
of the sides of this enclosure; but as for the fourth side,
which was fifty cubits in extent, and was the front of the
whole, twenty cubits of it were for the opening of the gates,
wherein stood two pillars on each side, after the resemblance of
open gates. These were made wholly of silver, and polished, and
that all over, excepting the bases, which were of brass. Now on
each side of the gates there stood three pillars, which were
inserted into the concave bases of the gates, and were suited to
them; and round them was drawn a curtain of fine linen; but to
the gates themselves, which were twenty cubits in extent, and
five in height, the curtain was composed of purple, and scarlet,
and blue, and fine linen, and embroidered with many and divers
sorts of figures, excepting the figures of animals. Within these
gates was the brazen laver for purification, having a basin
beneath of the like matter, whence the priests might wash their
hands and sprinkle their feet; and this was the ornamental
construction of the enclosure about the court of the tabernacle,
which was exposed to the open air.
3. As to the tabernacle itself, Moses placed it in the middle of
that court, with its front to the east, that, when the sun
arose, it might send its first rays upon it. Its length, when it
was set up, was thirty cubits, and its breadth was twelve [ten]
cubits. The one of its walls was on the south, and the other was
exposed to the north, and on the back part of it remained the
west. It was necessary that its height should be equal to its
breadth [ten cubits]. There were also pillars made of wood,
twenty on each side; they were wrought into a quadrangular
figure, in breadth a cubit and a half, but the thickness was
four fingers: they had thin plates of gold affixed to them on
both sides, inwardly and outwardly: they had each of them two
tenons belonging to them, inserted into their bases, and these
were of silver, in each of which bases there was a socket to
receive the tenon; but the pillars on the west wall were six.
Now all these tenons and sockets accurately fitted one another,
insomuch that the joints were invisible, and both seemed to be
one entire and united wall. It was also covered with gold, both
within and without. The number of pillars was equal on the
opposite sides, and there were on each part twenty, and every
one of them had the third part of a span in thickness; so that
the number of thirty cubits were fully made up between them; but
as to the wall behind, where the six pillars made up together
only nine cubits, they made two other pillars, and cut them out
of one cubit, which they placed in the corners, and made them
equally fine with the other. Now every one of the pillars had
rings of gold affixed to their fronts outward, as if they had
taken root in the pillars, and stood one row over against
another round about, through which were inserted bars gilt over
with gold, each of them five cubits long, and these bound
together the pillars, the head of one bar running into another,
after the nature of one tenon inserted into another; but for the
wall behind, there was but one row of bars that went through all
the pillars, into which row ran the ends of the bars on each
side of the longer walls; the male with its female being so
fastened in their joints, that they held the whole firmly
together; and for this reason was all this joined so fast
together, that the tabernacle might not be shaken, either by the
winds, or by any other means, but that it might preserve itself
quiet and immovable continually.
4. As for the inside, Moses parted its length into three
partitions. At the distance of ten cubits from the most secret
end, Moses placed four pillars, the workmanship of which was the
very same with that of the rest; and they stood upon the like
bases with them, each a small matter distant from his fellow.
Now the room within those pillars was the most holy place; but
the rest of the room was the tabernacle, which was open for the
priests. However, this proportion of the measures of the
tabernacle proved to be an imitation of the system of the world;
for that third part thereof which was within the four pillars,
to which the priests were not admitted, is, as it were, a heaven
peculiar to God. But the space of the twenty cubits, is, as it
were, sea and land, on which men live, and so this part is
peculiar to the priests only. But at the front, where the
entrance was made, they placed pillars of gold, that stood on
bases of brass, in number seven; but then they spread over the
tabernacle veils of fine linen and purple, and blue, and scarlet
colors, embroidered. The first veil was ten cubits every way,
and this they spread over the pillars which parted the temple,
and kept the most holy place concealed within; and this veil was
that which made this part not visible to any. Now the whole
temple was called The Holy Place: but that part which was within
the four pillars, and to which none were admitted, was called
The Holy of Holies. This veil was very ornamental, and
embroidered with all sorts of flowers which the earth produces;
and there were interwoven into it all sorts of variety that
might be an ornament, excepting the forms of animals. Another
veil there was which covered the five pillars that were at the
entrance. It was like the former in its magnitude, and texture,
and color; and at the corner of every pillar a ring retained it
from the top downwards half the depth of the pillars, the other
half affording an entrance for the priests, who crept under it.
Over this there was a veil of linen, of the same largeness with
the former: it was to be drawn this way or that way by cords,
the rings of which, fixed to the texture of the veil, and to the
cords also, were subservient to the drawing and undrawing of the
veil, and to the fastening it at the corner, that then it might
be no hinderance to the view of the sanctuary, especially on
solemn days; but that on other days, and especially when the
weather was inclined to snow, it might be expanded, and afford a
covering to the veil of divers colors. Whence that custom of
ours is derived, of having a fine linen veil, after the temple
has been built, to be drawn over the entrances. But the ten
other curtains were four cubits in breadth, and twenty-eight in
length; and had golden clasps, in order to join the one curtain
to the other, which was done so exactly that they seemed to be
one entire curtain. These were spread over the temple, and
covered all the top and parts of the walls, on the sides and
behind, so far as within one cubit of the ground. There were
other curtains of the same breadth with these, but one more in
number, and longer, for they were thirty cubits long; but these
were woven of hair, with the like subtilty as those of wool were
made, and were extended loosely down to the ground, appearing
like a triangular front and elevation at the gates, the eleventh
curtain being used for this very purpose. There were also other
curtains made of skins above these, which afforded covering and
protection to those that were woven both in hot weather and when
it rained. And great was the surprise of those who viewed these
curtains at a distance, for they seemed not at all to differ
from the color of the sky. But those that were made of hair and
of skins, reached down in the same manner as did the veil at the
gates, and kept off the heat of the sun, and what injury the
rains might do. And after this manner was the tabernacle reared.
5. There was also an ark made, sacred to God, of wood that was
naturally strong, and could not be corrupted. This was called
Eron in our own language. Its construction was thus: its length
was five spans, but its breadth and height was each of them
three spans. It was covered all over with gold, both within and
without, so that the wooden part was not seen. It had also a
cover united to it, by golden hinges, after a wonderful manner;
which cover was every way evenly fitted to it, and had no
eminences to hinder its exact conjunction. There were also two
golden rings belonging to each of the longer boards, and passing
through the entire wood, and through them gilt bars passed along
each board, that it might thereby be moved and carried about, as
occasion should require; for it was not drawn in a cart by
beasts of burden, but borne on the shoulders of the priests.
Upon this its cover were two images, which the Hebrews call
Cherubims; they are flying creatures, but their form is not like
to that of any of the creatures which men have seen, though
Moses said he had seen such beings near the throne of God. In
this ark he put the two tables whereon the ten commandments were
written, five upon each table, and two and a half upon each side
of them; and this ark he placed in the most holy place.
6. But in the holy place he placed a table, like those at
Delphi. Its length was two cubits, and its breadth one cubit,
and its height three spans. It had feet also, the lower half of
which were complete feet, resembling those which the Dorians put
to their bedsteads; but the upper parts towards the table were
wrought into a square form. The table had a hollow towards every
side, having a ledge of four fingers' depth, that went round
about like a spiral, both on the upper and lower part of the
body of the work. Upon every one of the feet was there also
inserted a ring, not far from the cover, through which went bars
of wood beneath, but gilded, to be taken out upon occasion,
there being a cavity where it was joined to the rings; for they
were not entire rings; but before they came quite round they
ended in acute points, the one of which was inserted into the
prominent part of the table, and the other into the foot; and by
these it was carried when they journeyed: Upon this table, which
was placed on the north side of the temple, not far from the
most holy place, were laid twelve unleavened loaves of bread,
six upon each heap, one above another: they were made of two
tenth-deals of the purest flour, which tenth-deal [an omer] is a
measure of the Hebrews, containing seven Athenian cotyloe; and
above those loaves were put two vials full of frankincense. Now
after seven days other loaves were brought in their stead, on
the day which is by us called the Sabbath; for we call the
seventh day the Sabbath. But for the occasion of this intention
of placing loaves here, we will speak to it in another place.
7. Over against this table, near the southern wall, was set a
candlestick of cast gold, hollow within, being of the weight of
one hundred pounds, which the Hebrews call Chinchares,. if it be
turned into the Greek language, it denotes a talent. It was'
made with its knops, and lilies, and pomegranates, and bowls
(which ornaments amounted to seventy in all); by which means the
shaft elevated itself on high from a single base, and spread
itself into as many branches as there are planets, including the
sun among them. It terminated in seven heads, in one row, all
standing parallel to one another; and these branches carried
seven lamps, one by one, in imitation of the number of the
planets. These lamps looked to the east and to the south, the
candlestick being situate obliquely.
8. Now between this candlestick and the table, which, as we
said, were within the sanctuary, was the altar of incense, made
of wood indeed, but of the same wood of which the foregoing
vessels were made, such as was not liable to corruption; it was
entirely crusted over with a golden plate. Its breadth on each
side was a cubit, but the altitude double. Upon it was a grate
of gold, that was extant above the altar, which had a golden
crown encompassing it round about, whereto belonged rings and
bars, by which the priests carried it when they journeyed.
Before this tabernacle there was reared a brazen altar, but it
was within made of wood, five cubits by measure on each side,
but its height was but three, in like manner adorned with brass
plates as bright as gold. It had also a brazen hearth of
network; for the ground underneath received the fire from the
hearth, because it had no basis to receive it. Hard by this
altar lay the basins, and the vials, and the censers, and the
caldrons, made of gold; but the other vessels, made for the use
of the sacrifices, were all of brass. And such was the
construction of the tabernacle; and these were the vessels
thereto belonging.
Continue on to
Book
Three,
Chapter 7,
The Antiquities of the Jews
by
Flavius Josephus
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The Antiquities of the Jews - Table of Contents
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