Sacred Space, Sacred Thread

Perspectives across Time and Traditions

John W. Welch, Jacob Rennaker, John W. Welch, Jacob Rennaker

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781532635236
  9781532635250
• eBook ISBN:
  9781532635243
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

The insightful studies contained in this book will be of significant value to anyone interested in experiencing more deeply the intersections between materiality and spirituality. Part 1 introduces readers into Egyptian, Israelite, Christian, and Hindu temples, shrines, or sanctuaries. Part 2 helps readers understand how items of colored fabrics, clothing, robes, and veils, convey ritual meanings. Part 3 reports two panel discussions that exemplify the pathway of fruitful conversation. Matter and spirit might seem to some to be polar opposites. But as these studies by distinguished and diverse scholars demonstrate, spiritual experiences are constructively defined and refined within the coordinates of place and time. Sacred space, as well as sacred cloth, define borders, but not necessarily boundaries, between the sacred and the profane. These material coordinates physically enclose and also spiritually disclose. They both symbolize and synergize, as they encompass and expansively inspire. These original and enjoyable presentations will help all readers to hold tenaciously to the tenets and also the tensions inherent in physical spiritual experiences.

Sacred Space

1

Theology Enshrined in the Israelite Sanctuary

Roy E. Gane

As with other ancient Near Eastern (ANE) shrines, the layout, architecture, and furnishings of the Israelite wilderness sanctuary reflected theological concepts that correlated with activities performed there. A synchronic investigation of pentateuchal texts reveals that the physical sanctuary implicitly ascribed sovereignty, immanence, and transcendence to YHWH, Israel’s deity.

1. Sovereignty

The Israelites camped around the sanctuary during their journey from Egypt to Canaan (Num 2). Three tribes pitched their tents on each of four sides, in the form of a hollow square, at the center of which was the rectangular sanctuary courtyard around the two-room moveable tabernacle of YHWH. The fact that Numbers 1 records a census of Israelite males of fighting age indicates that their encampment was military in nature, on the way to conquer Canaan.

The ruler of the nation and commander-in-chief of its army was YHWH himself, who issued orders from his sanctuary headquarters (Exod 25:22; Lev 1:1–2; Num 7:89—8:2). Balaam recognized that YHWH’s role included that of a monarch when he looked down on the Israelite camp and exclaimed:

The LORD their God is with them, And their King’s acclaim in their midst. (Num 23:21)1

The Israelite war camp was strikingly similar to that of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II (1279–1213 BC) when he fought against the Hittites at Qadesh (about 1275 BC) in Syria. His rectangular camp is portrayed in a diagram etched on a stone wall inside a temple at Abu Simbel, in southern Egypt. Army divisions surrounded the palatial mobile tent-shrine of the pharaoh, which was comprised of two rooms.2 This military war camp was like Israel’s in that it was commanded by a god-king from centrally located portable headquarters.

In addition to the central position of the sanctuary in the Israelite camp, several other features evidenced YHWH’s sovereignty, some of which additionally related to his immanence and transcendence, which we will discuss below.

First, like the palace of a human king, YHWH’s tabernacle had a place of enthronement where there were guardian figures, in this case in the form of cherubim on the ark of the covenant (Exod 25:10–22; 1 Sam 4:4).3 Inside the ark were the tablets on which were inscribed covenant stipulations—the Ten Commandments—that he had given to the Israelite nation as its suzerain (Exod 34:28; Deut 10:1–5; 1 Kgs 8:9).4

Second, also like a human monarch, he had authorized house servants to maintain his residence (e.g., Exod 29–30) and guards to control activities and access there (e.g., Num 1:53; 3:6–10).

Third, his servants blew signal trumpets to control the movements of the camp, deploy the army to meet emergencies, and announce special occasions (Num 10:1–10). Two such signal trumpets have been discovered in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun.5

Fourth, costly materials used for construction of the tabernacle and the garments of its priests, including silver, gold, and expensive blue and purple dyes,6 as well as the fine craftsmanship of objects and ornate fabrics (Exod 25–28, 30–31, 35–39), testified to the royal status of its resident.

2. Immanence

The Israelite sanctuary structure was the earthly residence of YHWH (Exod 25:8), his miškan, “dwelling-place,” usually rendered “tabernacle” (v. 9; 26:1). Because he is divine, it was a miqdaš, “holy place,” i.e., “sanctuary” (25:8; Lev 12:4). Because he was Israel’s king, it was a portable palace, so it could also be called an ’ohel mo‘ed, “tent of meeting” (Exod 27:21), where his people could come for an audience with the divine monarch (29:42–43).7

As a compact palace, the tabernacle consisted of two apartments,8 separated by a veil (Exod 26:33). There was a square “throne room” and a rectangular “living room,” twice the size of the throne room. The former, called the “holy of holies,” contained the place where YHWH was enthroned: the ark of the covenant, a gold-covered box (25:10–22). However, unlike other ANE shrines, there was no material representation of the deity in the inner sanctum, either in anthropomorphic form or as a symbol because, according to the Pentateuch, his living, dynamic presence actually resided there among his people. An idol would have denied his real immanence.9

An ANE suzerainty treaty text could refer to the deposit of the treaty document in a shrine belonging to the vassal.10 Similarly, the ark in the sanctuary within the nation of Israel, YHWH’s vassal, contained the tablets of covenant stipulations, the Ten Commandments (Exod 25:16; Deut 10:1–5). However, uniquely in the ANE, the suzerain was a deity and he resided in the sanctuary that was located with the vassal, enthroned above the ark containing the covenant stipulations (Exod 25:22; Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4). In this way, he demonstrated his intimate connection with Israel and with the covenant principles of the Decalogue, which did not merely constitute his royal policies, but reflected his moral character.11

Located in the living room, i.e., the “holy place” or outer sanctum, were three items of furniture that were appropriate for a royal residence: a table for food and drink (Exod 25:23–30), a lampstand with lamps for light (vv. 31–40), and an incense burner to sweeten the atmosphere at mealtime (30:1–10).12 The branched lampstand was shaped like a stylized tree with “cups shaped like almond-blossoms” (25:33–34). The almond tree (šaqed) was associated with watching or wakefulness (verb from the same root š-q-d; Jer 1:11–12), due to the fact that it blossomed earlier in the year than other trees.13 This evokes the idea that the resident deity was watching over his people (cf. Zech 4:2, 10).14 Reinforcing the immanent presence of YHWH was the complex of regular (tamid) rituals by which his servants, the priests, placed bread on the table (Lev 24:1–9), poured out a libation (Num 28:7), burned incense, and tended and lit the lamps (Exod 30:7–8) in his living room.15

The presence of YHWH could remain among his people when they traveled because his sanctuary was portable, like similar tabernacle structures of which parts or depictions have been discovered in Egypt.16 All of the components of the tabernacle, including upright boards held together by horizontal crossbars to make a rigid framework, over which layers of curtains were draped (Exod 26), could be disassembled and transported when the Israelite camp moved (N...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• List of Contributors
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Sacred Space
• Sacred Thread
• Conversations