Misplaced Pages

#321678

60-597: This episode is described in the Book of Exodus . The Israelites under Moses have come from the Wilderness of Sin . At Rephidim, they can find no water to drink, and angrily demand that Moses give them water. Moses, fearing they will stone him, calls on Jehovah for help and is told to strike a certain "rock in Horeb ," in God's name which causes a stream to flow from it, providing ample water for

120-571: A fifth column . He hardens their labor and orders the killing of all newborn boys. A Levite woman named Jochebed saves her baby by setting him adrift on the Nile in an ark of bulrushes . Pharaoh's daughter finds the child, names him Moses , and brings him up as her own. Later, a grown Moses goes out to see his kinsmen. He witnesses the abuse of a Hebrew slave by an Egyptian overseer. Angered, Moses kills him and flees into Midian to escape punishment. There, he marries Zipporah , daughter of Jethro ,

180-461: A Midianite priest. While tending Jethro's flock, Moses encounters God in a burning bush . Moses asks God for his name, to which God replies with three words, often translated as " I Am that I Am ." This is the book's explanation for the origin of the name Yahweh , as God is thereafter known. God tells Moses to return to Egypt, free the Hebrews from slavery and lead them into Canaan , the land promised to

240-515: A binding covenant with their God , who chooses Israel, and the establishment of the life of the community and the guidelines for sustaining it. The consensus of modern scholars is that the Pentateuch does not give an accurate account of the origins of the Israelites, who appear instead to have formed as an entity in the central highlands of Canaan in the late second millennium BCE (around the time of

300-486: A candelabrum, lighted during services, near a spot similar to the position of 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 gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in

360-690: A heavily Canaanite origin for Israel, with little suggestion that a group of foreigners from Egypt comprised early Israel. They also argue that the exodus narrative perhaps evolved from vague memories of the Hyksos expulsion, spun to encourage resistance to the 7th century domination of Judah by Egypt. However, a majority of scholars believe that the story has an historical core, though disagreeing widely about what that historical kernel might have been. Kenton Sparks refers to it as "charter myth" and "mythologized history". Biblical scholar Graham I. Davies notes that several literary texts from Ancient Egypt document

420-576: A history of God's saving actions that give identity to Israel – the promise of offspring and land to the ancestors, the Exodus from Egypt (in which God saves Israel from slavery), the wilderness wandering, the revelation at Sinai, and the hope for the future life in the Promised Land . A theophany is a manifestation (appearance) of a god – in the Bible, an appearance of the God of Israel, accompanied by storms –

480-410: A preamble, historical prologue, stipulations, deposition and reading, list of witnesses, blessings and curses, and ratification by animal sacrifice. Biblical covenants, in contrast to Eastern covenants in general, are between a god, Yahweh, and a people, Israel, instead of between a strong ruler and a weaker vassal. God elects Israel for salvation because the "sons of Israel" are "the firstborn son" of

540-457: A small band of wandering Israelites living in the Sinai: "The conclusion – that Exodus did not happen at the time and in the manner described in the Bible – seems irrefutable [...] repeated excavations and surveys throughout the entire area have not provided even the slightest evidence". Instead, they argue how modern archaeology suggests continuity between Canaanite and Israelite settlements, indicating

600-465: Is physically present, where, through the priesthood, Israel could be in direct, literal communion with him. The heart of Exodus is the Sinaitic covenant . A covenant is a legal document binding two parties to take on certain obligations towards each other. There are several covenants in the Bible, and in each case they exhibit at least some of the elements in real-life treaties of the ancient Middle East:

660-607: Is referred to fifteen times in the Hebrew Bible ; 13 of these refer to the roof coverings. There is a strict set of rules to be followed for transporting the tabernacle laid out in the Hebrew Bible . For example: You must put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever

SECTION 10

#1732852561322

720-522: The Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), based on earlier written sources and oral traditions, with final revisions in the Persian post-exilic period (5th century BCE). American biblical scholar Carol Meyers , in her commentary on Exodus, suggests that it is arguably the most important book in the Bible, as it presents the defining features of Israel's identity—memories of a past marked by hardship and escape,

780-553: The Holy of Holies , created by the veil suspended by four pillars. This sanctuary contained the Ark of the Covenant , with its cherubim -covered mercy seat . An outer sanctuary (the "Holy Place") contained a gold lamp-stand or candlestick. On the north side stood a table, on which lay the showbread . On the south side was the Menorah , holding seven oil lamps to give light. On the west side, just before

840-657: The Israelites leaving slavery in Biblical Egypt through the strength of their deity named Yahweh , who according to the story chose them as his people. The Israelites then journey with the legendary prophet Moses to Mount Sinai , where Yahweh gives the Ten Commandments and they enter into a covenant with Yahweh, who promises to make them a " holy nation , and a kingdom of priests" on condition of their faithfulness. He gives them their laws and instructions to build

900-521: The Late Bronze Age collapse ) from the indigenous Canaanite culture. The English name Exodus comes from the Ancient Greek : ἔξοδος , romanized :  éxodos , lit.   'way out', from ἐξ- , ex- , 'out' and ὁδός , hodós , 'path', 'road'. In Hebrew the book's title is שְׁמוֹת, shemōt , "Names", from the beginning words of the text : "These are

960-455: The Tabernacle , the means by which he will come from heaven and dwell with them and lead them in a holy war to conquer Canaan (the " Promised Land "), which has earlier, according to the myth of Genesis , been promised to the "seed" of Abraham , the legendary patriarch of the Israelites. Traditionally ascribed to Moses himself, modern scholars see its initial composition as a product of

1020-613: The Wadi esh-Sheikh . When they leave Rephidim, the Israelites advance into the Sinai Wilderness, possibly marching through the passes of the Wadi Solaf and the Wadi esh-Sheikh, which converge at the entrance to the er-Rahah plain (which would then be identified with the "Sinai Wilderness"), which is three kilometers long and about eight hundred metres wide. Wadi Feiran was an oasis, which would explain

1080-539: The Ark, even after the latter was returned. Under King Saul , the tabernacle was eventually moved to Nob , near Saul's his home town of Gibeah , but after he massacred the priests there ( 1 Samuel 21–22 ), it was moved to Gibeon , a hill-shrine ( 1 Chronicles 16:39 ; 21:29 ; 2 Chronicles 1:2–6 , 13). Just prior to David 's moving the ark to Jerusalem, the ark was located in Kiriath-Jearim ( 1 Chronicles 13:5–6 ). The Ark

1140-558: The Book of Exodus: Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible , the tabernacle ( Hebrew : מִשְׁכַּן , romanized :  miškan , lit.   'residence, dwelling place'), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (Hebrew: אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד , romanized:  ʔōhel mōʕēḏ , also Tent of Meeting ), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from

1200-581: The Egyptians with ten terrible plagues , such as a river of blood , an outbreak of frogs , and the thick darkness . Moses is commanded by God to fix the spring month of Aviv at the head of the Hebrew calendar . The Israelites are to take a lamb on the 10th day of the month, sacrifice the lamb on the 14th day, daub its blood on their mezuzot—doorposts and lintels, and to observe the Passover meal that night, during

1260-545: The Exodus until the conquest of Canaan . Moses was instructed at Mount Sinai to construct and transport the tabernacle with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their subsequent conquest of the Promised Land . After 440 years, Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem superseded it as the dwelling-place of God. The main source describing the tabernacle is the biblical Book of Exodus , specifically Exodus 25–31 and 35–40. Those passages describe an inner sanctuary,

SECTION 20

#1732852561322

1320-616: The God of Israel, descended through Shem and Abraham to the chosen line of Jacob whose name is changed to Israel. The goal of the divine plan in Exodus is a return to humanity's state in Eden , so that God can dwell with the Israelites as he had with Adam and Eve through the Ark and Tabernacle, which together form a model of the universe; in later Abrahamic religions Israel becomes the guardian of God's plan for humanity, to bring "God's creation blessing to mankind" begun in Adam. List of Torah portions in

1380-590: The Hebrews and repeats to them the commandments he has received from God, which are to keep the Sabbath and to construct the Tabernacle. The Israelites do as they are commanded. From that time God dwells in the Tabernacle and orders the travels of the Hebrews. Jewish and Christian tradition viewed Moses as the author of Exodus and the entire Torah , but by the end of the 19th century the increasing awareness of discrepancies, inconsistencies, repetitions and other features of

1440-440: The Israelites complain and long for Egypt, but God miraculously provides manna for them to eat and water to drink. The Israelites arrive at the mountain of God, where Moses's father-in-law Jethro visits Moses; at his suggestion, Moses appoints judges over Israel. God asks whether they will agree to be his people – They accept. The people gather at the foot of the mountain, and with thunder and lightning, fire and clouds of smoke,

1500-596: The Israelites gained the upper hand, but when they are down the Amalekites prevail. He sits with his hands held up by Aaron and Hur until sunset, securing the Israelite victory. The image of Moses raising his arms in battle against Amalek has been seen by allegorical Christian commenters as a prefiguration of Jesus's arms extended on the cross battling sin. One proposal places Rephidim in the Wadi Feiran , near its junction with

1560-596: The Late Bronze Age. The detailed outlines for the tabernacle and its priests are enumerated in the Book of Exodus: Some interpreters assert the Tent of the Presence was a special meeting place outside the camp, unlike the Tabernacle which was placed in the center of the camp. According to Exodus 33:7–11 , this tent was for communion with Yahweh , to receive oracles and to understand the divine will. The people's elders were

1620-573: The Pentateuch had led scholars to abandon this idea. In approximate round dates, the process which produced Exodus and the Pentateuch probably began around 600 BCE when existing oral and written traditions were brought together to form books recognizable as those we know, reaching their final form as unchangeable sacred texts around 400 BCE. Although patent mythical elements are not so prominent in Exodus as in Genesis , ancient legends may have an influence on

1680-400: The Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the tabernacle will be executed. 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: An Israelite healed of tzaraath would be presented by the priest who had confirmed his healing "at

1740-614: The Temple ( 1 Kings 8:4 ). There is no mention of the tabernacle in the Tanakh after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in c. 587 BCE. 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 recounted in Exodus 32:1–6 . Maimonides asserts that the tabernacle and its accoutrements, such as

1800-501: The altar and its appurtenances, procedures for the ordination of priests, and the daily sacrifice offerings. Aaron becomes the first hereditary high priest . God gives Moses the two tablets of stone containing the words of the ten commandments, written with the "finger of God" . While Moses is with God, Aaron casts a golden calf , which the people worship. God informs Moses of their apostasy and threatens to kill them all, but relents when Moses pleads for them. Moses comes down from

1860-516: The battle with the Amalekites in terms of a struggle for control of water sources. Another proposed location for Rephidim is in northwestern Saudi Arabia north of the town of al-Bad , the ancient city of Midian . Some researchers suggest that Mount Sinai was not in the Sinai Peninsula, but in Midian, which is modern-day Saudi Arabia, and subsequently place Rephidim here as well. Jabal Maqla has been

Rephidim - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-610: The book's form or content: for example, the story of the infant Moses's salvation from the Nile is argued to be based on an earlier legend of king Sargon of Akkad , while the story of the parting of the Red Sea may trade on Mesopotamian creation mythology . Similarly, the Covenant Code (the law code in Exodus 20:22–23:33) has some similarities in both content and structure with the Laws of Hammurabi . These potential influences serve to reinforce

1980-516: The conclusion that the Book of Exodus originated in the exiled Jewish community of 6th-century BCE Babylon , but not all the potential sources are Mesopotamian: the story of Moses's flight to Midian following the murder of the Egyptian overseer may draw on the Egyptian Story of Sinuhe . Biblical scholars describe the Bible's theologically motivated history writing as " salvation history ", meaning

2040-507: The conquest of Canaan , the main Israelite camp was at Gilgal ( Joshua 4:19 ; 5:8–10 ) and the tabernacle was probably erected within the camp: Joshua 10:43ESV "…and returned into the camp" ( see Numbers 1:52–2:34 "…they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side"). After the conquest and division of the land among the tribes, the tabernacle was moved to Shiloh in Ephraimite territory (Joshua's tribe) to avoid disputes among

2100-455: The covenant between them (chapters 20–40). The text of the Book of Exodus begins after the events at the end of the Book of Genesis where Jacob 's sons and their families joined their brother Joseph in Egypt , which Joseph had saved from famine. It is 400 years later and Egypt's new Pharaoh , who does not remember Joseph, is fearful that the enslaved and now numerous Israelites could become

2160-479: The door of the tabernacle of meeting", and a woman healed of prolonged menstruation would present her offering (two turtledoves or two young pigeons) to the priest "at the door of the tabernacle of meeting". It was at the door of the tabernacle that the community wept in sorrow when all the chiefs of the people were impaled and the men who had joined in worship to the Baal of Peor were killed on God's orders. During

2220-442: The earth trembles, the mountains quake, the heavens pour rain, thunder peals and lightning flashes. The theophany in Exodus begins "the third day" from their arrival at Sinai in chapter 19: Yahweh and the people meet at the mountain, God appears in the storm and converses with Moses, giving him the Ten Commandments while the people listen. The theophany is therefore a public experience of divine law. The second half of Exodus marks

2280-448: The full moon. The 10th plague comes that night, causing the death of all Egyptian firstborn sons, prompting Pharaoh to expel the Israelites. Regretting his decision, Pharaoh commands his chariot army after the Israelites, who appear trapped at the Red Sea . God parts the sea , allowing the Israelites to pass through, before drowning Pharaoh's pursuing forces. As desert life proves arduous,

2340-494: 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 construction over

2400-498: The last two thousand years has followed the outlines of the original tabernacle. 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

2460-412: The mountain and writes down God's words, and the people agree to keep them. God calls Moses up the mountain again, where he remains for forty days and forty nights, after which he returns, bearing the set of stone tablets . God gives Moses instructions for the construction of the tabernacle so that God may dwell permanently among his chosen people , along with instructions for the priestly vestments ,

Rephidim - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-462: The mountain, smashes the stone tablets in anger, and commands the Levites to massacre the unfaithful Israelites. God commands Moses to construct two new tablets. Moses ascends the mountain again, where God dictates the Ten Commandments for Moses to write on the tablets. Moses descends from the mountain with a transformed face ; from that time onwards he must hide his face with a veil . Moses assembles

2580-423: The names of the sons of Israel" ( Hebrew : וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמֹות בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ). Most mainstream scholars do not accept the biblical Exodus account as historical for a number of reasons. It is generally agreed that the Exodus stories were written centuries after the apparent setting of the stories. Archaeologists Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman argue that archaeology has not found evidence for even

2640-515: The other tribes ( Joshua 18:1 ; 19:51 ; 22:9 ; Psalm 78:60 ). It remained there during most of the rule of the Judges . According to a possible translation of Judges 20:26–28 , the Ark, and thus the tabernacle, was at Bethel while Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, was alive. After the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines , the subsequent history of the tabernacle is separate from that of

2700-471: The people. He names the place Massah and Meribah (meaning "testing" and "quarreling"). In the Book of Numbers a similar event is described as taking place near Kadesh . Afterwards, the Amalekites attack the Israelites encamped at Rephidim, but are defeated. The Israelites are led in the battle by Joshua , while Moses, Aaron and Hur watch from a nearby hill. Moses notices that when his arms are raised

2760-458: The point at which, and describes the process through which, God's theophany becomes a permanent presence for Israel via the Tabernacle . That so much of the book (chapters 25–31, 35–40) describes the plans of the Tabernacle demonstrates the importance it played in the perception of Second Temple Judaism at the time of the text's redaction by the Priestly writers: the Tabernacle is the place where God

2820-440: The presence of Semitic peoples working for building projects under the 19th Dynasty of Egypt , suggesting a possible historical basis for the account of Israelite servitude to the Egyptians. However, there is an increasing trend among scholars to see the biblical exodus traditions as the invention of the exilic and post-exilic Jewish community, with little to no historical basis. There is no unanimous agreement among scholars on

2880-527: The seed of Abraham in Genesis. On the journey back to Egypt, God seeks to kill Moses. Zipporah circumcises their son and the attack stops. (See Zipporah at the inn .) Moses reunites with his brother Aaron and, returning to Egypt, convenes the Israelite elders, preparing them to go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses to release the Israelites from their work for the festival, and so God curses

2940-466: The six-branch seven-lamp Temple menorah , table for showbread , and an altar of incense . An enclosure containing the sacrificial altar and bronze laver for the priests to wash surrounded these chambers. Traditional scholars contend that it describes an actual tabernacle used in the time of Moses and thereafter. This view is based on the existence of significant parallels between the biblical Tabernacle and similar structures from ancient Egypt during

3000-533: The sound of trumpets, and the trembling of the mountain, God appears on the peak, and the people see the cloud and hear the voice (or possibly sound) of God. God tells Moses to ascend the mountain. God pronounces the Ten Commandments (the Ethical Decalogue ) in the hearing of all Israel. Moses goes up the mountain into the presence of God , who pronounces the Covenant Code of ritual and civil law and promises Canaan to them if they obey. Moses comes down from

3060-449: The southwest Sinai. 28°43′N 33°39′E  /  28.717°N 33.650°E  / 28.717; 33.650 Book of Exodus The Book of Exodus (from Ancient Greek : Ἔξοδος , romanized :  Éxodos ; Biblical Hebrew : שְׁמוֹת Šəmōṯ , 'Names'; Latin : Liber Exodus ) is the second book of the Bible . It is a narrative of the Exodus , the origin myth of

SECTION 50

#1732852561322

3120-411: The structure of Exodus. One strong possibility is that it is a diptych (i.e., divided into two parts), with the division between parts 1 and 2 at the crossing of the Red Sea or at the beginning of the theophany (appearance of God) in chapter 19. On this plan, the first part tells of God's rescue of his people from Egypt and their journey under his care to Sinai (chapters 1–19) and the second tells of

3180-451: The subject of a remarkable prophetic event at the site of this tent in Numbers 11:24–30 . In Exodus 31, the main builder and maker of the priestly vestments is specified as Bezalel , son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah , who was assisted by Oholiab and a number of skilled artisans. During the Exodus , the wandering in the desert and the conquest of Canaan , the Tabernacle

3240-486: The subject of several explorations since the early 1980s. To the northwest of this mountain is a large plain and a massive split rock that shows signs of water erosion (Rephidim is also where Moses is recorded as striking a rock and water coming from it for the parched Hebrews). The plain, or wadi runs from this split rock all the way to Jabal Maqla. The name "Rephidim" ( Hebrew : רְפִידִם ) means place of rest . More recent scholarship identifies Rephidim with Wadi Refayid in

3300-600: The tabernacle from Aaron onwards ( Numbers 6:22–27 ). Some Christian churches are built like a tent, to symbolize the tent of God with men, including St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus , Brazil, Zu den heiligen Engeln (To the Holy Angels), Hanover , Germany and the Cardboard Cathedral , Christchurch, New Zealand. A mashkhanna ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡍࡀ maškna (hebrew cognate מִשְׁכַּן mishkān ), Beth Manda ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ , Beit Manda , or Mandi ('house of knowledge'),

3360-466: The veil, was the golden altar of incense . It was constructed of 4 woven layers of curtains and 48 15-foot tall standing wood boards overlaid in gold and held in place by its bars and silver sockets and was richly furnished with valuable materials taken from Egypt at God's command. The English word tabernacle derives from the Latin tabernāculum (meaning "tent" or "hut"), which in ancient Roman religion

3420-617: Was a rectangular sanctuary draped with goat-hair curtains, with the roof coverings made from rams' skins. Beyond this curtain was the cube-shaped inner room, the Kodesh Hakedashim ( Holy of Holies ). This area housed the Ark of the Covenant , inside which were the two stone tablets brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses on which were written the Ten Commandments , a golden urn holding the manna , and Aaron 's rod which had budded and borne ripe almonds ( Exodus 16:33–34 , Numbers 17:1–11 , Deuteronomy 10:1–5 ; Hebrews 9:2–5 ). Tachash

3480-524: Was a ritual structure. The Hebrew word mishkan implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in". In Greek , including the Septuagint , the Hebrew is translated σκηνή ( skēnē ), itself a Semitic loanword meaning "tent". A detailed description of a tabernacle, located in Exodus chapters 25–27 and Exodus chapters 35–40 , refers to an inner shrine, the Holy of Holies , housing the ark, and an outer chamber with

3540-402: Was eventually brought to Jerusalem, where it was placed "inside the tent David had pitched for it" ( 2 Samuel 6:17 ; 1 Chronicles 15:1 ), not in the tabernacle, which remained at Gibeon. The altar of the tabernacle at Gibeon was used for sacrificial worship ( 1 Chronicles 16:39 ; 21:29 ; 1 Kings 3:2–4 ), until Solomon brought the structure and its furnishings to Jerusalem to furnish and dedicate

3600-416: Was in part a portable tent, and in part a wooden enclosure draped with ten curtains, of blue ( tekhelet תְּכֵלֶת), purple ( ’argāmān אַרְגָּמָן), and scarlet ( šānî שָׁנִי) fabric. It had a rectangular, perimeter fence of fabric, poles and staked cords. This rectangle was always erected when the Israelite tribes would camp, oriented to the east as the east side had no frames. In the center of this enclosure

#321678