Israel and Humanity - The Tabernacle of the desert

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II.

Role of Gentiles in the construction of the tabernacle
and two temples.

§ 1.

THE TABERNACLE OF THE DESERT.

The history of the construction of the Tabernacle first, then the temple of Solomon, and finally the Second Temple which was to be the last, is no less instructive. These include above all a remarkable provision that enhances the eminently peaceful and humanitarian of these houses of God. The law had required that the use of iron was banished to the cutting of stones, at least in the sacred precincts, because Moses said: "the mere contact of your sword on the stone profane [1] "which means, according to rabbinic interpretation very fair," that he would not be proper that the sword which shortens human life should serve to build the altar that is intended to extend < ref> Raschi in the passage quoted </ref> "If we want to remember that the Prophets from their vows hasten the day when swords will be converted into casings and spears into sickles, and where the war will be banished from the face of the earth [2], and that David was denied the glory of the Temple building, which he had gathered the materials, simply because he had been much bloodshed and undertook major wars [3], without which Scripture makes no distinction between the blood of Gentiles and the Israelites, we do not doubt for a moment that the exclusion of iron in the work of the sanctuary has been well meaning given by the rabbis. In their commentary on the words of Moses: "Whoever touches the body of one who was killed by the sword [4] "Doctors make contact with the sword as that of a corpse because of impurity that makes a man unworthy to touch the sacred things and even enter the Temple precincts. [5] Now the big part played by gentiles in the building of the sanctuary. We have already noticed that the precious objects that were used for this opportunity all came from Egypt. An oppressed people as was Israel could obviously have other riches than he had from his persecutors [6] and if the text says about this subject, carried to Egypt: "You will put them on your son and your daughters [7], it does not they were used for the manufacture of accessories of the Temple, because when it came to building the golden calf, we see that each brought to this effect to Aaron jewelry he was carrying. Whether there had amulets and other items of a religious character, it suggests that the Aramaic paraphrase [8] and it is likely that they have been taken as trophies of the victory of the God of Israel and the gods of the Egyptians that would be used later to build his sanctuary. We know that also in Egypt and the desert many converts were committed to a more or less complete in the religion of Israel and it is natural to assume that they have voluntarily provided their assistance in this circumstances. Do not we see Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh formal request to make, too, the God of Israel, they would have offered burnt offerings on his behalf? If the two leaders of Israel dared take this language to the Egyptian monarch, which proves that there was nothing that was not perfectly consistent with the beliefs of either country or of the principles Jews themselves, there is no doubt the multitude of converts who followed the Hebrews in the desert has been invited to cooperate in building the Tabernacle.

He is also obvious that the workers, designers and artists of every kind have been used for various works of the sanctuary had acquired in Egypt and perfected their knowledge and skills respectively. It is true that the sacred text speaks of a special science that God would have communicated, but it is also explicitly discussed previously trained artists, already experts in the exercise of their professions. If one recalls the surprising similarities that modern archeology has found between the shrines and objects [9] religious of Egypt on the one hand and on the other hand, the tabernacle and sacred vessels described in Exodus, doubt no longer possible and the cooperation of the Gentiles enters into the general rule that we see from one end to another of the Bible and that is to distinguish between true and false in the various religions of mankind and to select and retain whatever they contained good and legitimate.

References

  1. Exodus xxv, 20 .
  2. Isaiah II, 4.
  3. I Chron XXII 8.
  4. XIX16 numbers.
  5. Page 532
  6. Exodus III, 22.
  7. Exodus III, 22.
  8. Exodus XXXII, 2. The word she uses to designate these objects is Kadasché dahab
  9. Page 533