The Tabernacle and its furniture

The Court

100cu x 50cu – Exodus 27:9-19

Pillars – 60 in total
20 pillars to North and South, 10 pillars to East and West.
Each pillar was held upright in a brass (copper) socket. The Pillars supported an external curtain of 5cu deep, hung on silver hooks and using silver fillets.

Sockets – 60 in total
Made of Brass (Copper)

Curtains – Linen
Manufactured of fine twined linen, to surround the court with the exception of the gate which was of similar material but containing coloured needlework.

Gate – 20 cubits wide – Linen
In the East side. Manufactured of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework hung on 4 pillars.

Fillets and hooks – Silver

Pins – Brass (Copper)

Court Furniture

Altar of Burnt Offering – 5cu square 3cu high – Exodus 27:1-8
Shittim wood overlaid with Brass (Copper) and Brass Netting and Brass Horns on each top corner.
A hollow square structure, in which a fire could be ignited and on which animal sacrifices could be made. At the upper edge there were 4 horns, 1 on each corner.
Associated instruments and vessels including ash pans, shovels, basons, fleshhooks and firepans were of Brass (copper).
4 Brass rings, one on each corner, into which were placed 2 staves of Shittim wood overlaid with Brass, used to manually carry the altar when in transit.

Laver – Brass (Copper) – Exodus 30:18-21
The laver, containing water, was placed in the court between the altar and the most holy place. The water was used for washing of the priest’s hands and feet.

Most Holy & Holy Place

Main Structure

Boards – 48 boards 10cu x 1.5cu – Exodus 26:16-25
Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold
2 tenons for each board, set in 2 sockets such that they could stand upright. The boards on each of the 3 sides – 20 to North, 20 to South and 6 to West with 2 corner boards were held in place by 5 bars on each side passing through Gold rings.

Bars – Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold – Exodus 26:16-29

Sockets – 96 Sockets – Silver – Exodus 26:16-25

Entry Door to Holy Place

Curtain – Woven linen – Exodus 26:36-37
Entry Door for the holy place on the East side, was of blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

Pillars – 5 – Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold

Sockets – 5 – Brass (copper)

Entry to Most Holy

Vail – Woven linen – Exodus 26:31-33
The vail that formed a curtain to divide between the holy and most holy places was supported on 4 pillars held in place by 4 sockets, being hung from gold hooks. The Vail was constructed of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims.

Pillars – 4 – Shittim wood overlaid with gold

Sockets – 4 – Silver

Covers

Woven linen – Exodus 26:1-6
10 curtains 28cu x 4cu Coupled together to give a 28cu x 40cu cover
Coupled with loops and gold taches
10 woven curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet with cherubims. Coupled as 2 sets of 5 curtains using 50 blue loops per side of the curtains and gold taches.

Goatshair – Exodus 26:7-13
11 curtains 30cu x 4cu Coupled together to give a 30cu x 4cu cover
11 curtains, coupled as 2 sets of 5 and 6 curtains. The 6^th curtain was doubled back at the front, the goatshair cover overhung the base cover of embroidered linen. The curtains were coupled with 50 loops per curtain side with brass (copper) taches.

Rams’ skins dyed red – Exodus 26:14

Badgers’ skins – Top cover – Exodus 26:14
The exact species that is translated as ‘badger’ is debated by lexicographers and commentators.

Holy Place Furniture

Altar of Incense – 1 cu square 2cu high – Exodus 30:1-10
Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold
There were 4 horns, 1 on each top corner used by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.
There was a Gold crown.
4 Gold rings were attached at the corners under the crown, such that 2 staves of Shittim wood overlaid with Gold could be inserted. These bars were used for carrying, such that the altar could be carried by hand. The altar was used daily for the burning of incense.

Candlestick – 1 talent of gold – Exodus 25:31-39
Gold
A 7 branch candlestick beaten out of a single portion of Gold. Ornamentation on each branch was in the form of; knops (capital style wreaths), flowers and bowls like almonds. Tongs and snuff dishes for use with the candlestick were of Gold.

Table of Shewbread – 2cu long 1cu wide 1.5cu high – Exodus 25:23-30
Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold
Table with Gold crown. 4 Gold rings were attached at the corners, such that 2 staves of Shittim wood overlaid with Gold could be inserted. These bars were used for carrying, such that the table could be carried by hand.
The table was used to display the Shewbread loaves, 1 for each of the 12 tribes.

Most Holy Place Furniture

Ark – 2.5cu long 1.5cu wide 1.5cu high – Exodus 25:10-16
Shittim wood, overlaid with Gold
Formed as an open box, to contain the stone tablets received from God at Sinai.
4 Gold rings were attached at the corners, such that 2 staves of Shittim wood overlaid with Gold could be inserted. These bars were used for carrying, such that the ark could be carried by hand. The staves were not removed during the wilderness journey, but were removed when the ark was placed in the permanent temple building constructed by Solomon. (1 Kings 8:8)

Mercy Seat – 2.5cu long, 1.5cu wide, height not given – Exodus 25:17-22
Gold
The mercy seat acted as a lid to the ark and out of this were formed 2 cherubim, one at each end of the mercy seat facing each other, with wings that stretched over the ark.