Tent worship center
Tent worship center
aka The Tabernacle
The Casual English Bible says the Tent Worship Center, also known as the Tabernacle, was a portable temple that the Israelites carried with them during their wanderings in the wilderness.
The Tabernacle was the center focus of their worship, and it played a crucial role in their religious and cultural identity. This is where they went to pray and to offer sacrifices to God.
Temple in a tent
The Bible describes the Tabernacle as a large tent, set up with its entrance facing the east.
Israelites divided the tent into sections. There was the Holy Place, where only the priests could go. They performed various rituals there, such as burning incense and lighting candles. There was also the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. This was the most sacred room, reserved for the High Priest.
Parked inside: Ten Commandments
Israelites kept the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments, in the Holy of Holies. The Bible describes the Ark as a symbol of God's covenant with Israel, and it was treated with great reverence and respect.
The Tabernacle was the site of all the main religious ceremonies, including sacrifices, offerings, and festivals. The Bible explains that the rituals were one way of helping maintain a connection with God and honoring His commands.
Temple  à la cart
The Casual English Bible explains that Israelites built the Tabernacle to be portable. This allowed the Israelites to carry it with on carts as they journeyed through the deserts and badlands south of what is now Israel.
They made the worship center with of durable materials, including hard acacia wood and animal hides.
Replacing the tent with a temple
As the Israelites settled in the Promised Land, the Tabernacle was eventually replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem. However, the Tabernacle remains an important symbol of God's presence and the Israelites' journey through the wilderness.
12 Tribes of Israel
12 Tribes of Israel
Map of the 12 Tribes of Israel
The 12 tribes of Israel came from the families of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 49:28). Jacob later in life became known as Israel. Each tribe was named after one of Jacob's sons, and they each got a specific chunk of land to call their own.
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The tribes were spread out across the land of Canaan, which is modern-day Israel and Palestine. On the east side of the Jordan River, you had the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. These guys got some wonderful pastoral land, which was great for grazing their animals, such as like the sheep and goats and camels.
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West of the Jordan River
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As for the other nine tribes, they were situated on the west side of the Jordan. From the north to the south, you had the tribes of Asher, Naphtali, Zebulun, Issachar, Manasseh (the other half, to be exact), Ephraim, Benjamin, Dan, and Simeon. These tribes were given land that stretched from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Jordan River.
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Oh, and let's not forget about the tribe of Levi. They were the ones who were in charge of the Temple and didn't really get a specific piece of land to call their own. Instead, they were spread throughout the communities of the other 12 tribes.
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The geography of the 12 tribes of Israel was quite diverse and spread out across a large swath of land of hills and fields and coastland and river land and desert. But, somehow, they managed to come together as a people and make a name for themselves as a powerful nation.
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Then they split in two. But that comes later.
Map Mt. Sinai
Map Mt. Sinai
Map Mt. Sinai
Legendary
Mount Sinai is the mountain where the Bible says God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and that was a game-changer in the history of religions.Geography of the hill
The mountain, also known as Jebel Musa, is located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It's a rugged, iconic peak standing at approximately 7,497 feet (2,285 meters) above sea level. The mountain is characterized by its barren, rocky terrain, with steep and winding paths leading to its summit. Surrounding it, you'll find a stark desert landscape, which adds to the mystique of this historically significant mountain. We'll find the story in the second book in the Bible, the book of Exodus. In Exodus 19, God told Moses to bring the Israelites to Mount Sinai.When God scared the people
The scene was dramatic. The mountain became shrouded in smoke and lightning, with God's voice booming like thunder. That's how he decided to introduce himself to the people. It made an impression. The people asked Moses to deal with God in the future. They didn't want to go through that again. When Moses climbed the mountain, he received God's instructions. It's captured there in Exodus 20:2-17. God said, "I am your God. You don't need any other gods or idols. Keep the Sabbath holy. Respect your parents. Don't lie or steal. And definitely don't murder." Those Ten Commandments became the blueprint for a just and moral society.Israel makes a golden calf idol
Let's not forget the famous incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32. While Moses was on Sinai talking with the Almighty, the Israelites got restless and built themselves a shiny new idol. Not a good move. When Moses came down, he was so upset that he smashed those stone tablets. God had him make the second copy himself.Elijah goes to Sinai
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah headed to Mount Horeb, another name for Sinai. There, he had a chat with God in a cave. No fireworks this time, just a still, small voice reminding Elijah that he wasn't alone in his mission. So, Mount Sinai has become a symbol of divine revelation and a reminder of the moral code that's guided countless folks for millennia. It's like the spiritual heart of the Bible, where God's wisdom was etched in stone and passed down for all of us regular folks to follow.For more about Mount Sinai and other places and people in the Bible: Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible, by Stephen M. Miller
Mt. Sinai
Tent worship center
Tent worship center
Promised Land
Promised Land
Promised Land
Land covered in milk and honey
"The Promised Land" is a term Bible writers used to talk about the land that God promised to the Israelites, ancient ancestors of today's Jewish people. People also knew it as Canaan, and described it as "a fertile land where milk and honey flow like rivers" (Exodus 3:17, Casual English Bible).
Boundary descriptions vary
Bible writers describe boundaries of the Promised Land in different ways. In Genesis 15:18-21, God made a covenant with Abraham and gave him the following description of the boundaries: "Everything from the river along the border with Egypt to the great Euphrates River. "
This description covers a vast area, including parts of modern-day Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria. The Casual English Bible explains that this description was probably more of a general outline, rather than precise borders.
Boundary in Numbers
Later in the book of Numbers, Moses gave a more detailed description of the Promised Land's boundaries.
South
"The Zin Desert will become your southern border. It will extend over to Edom’s border and up the southern tip of the Dead Sea...
West
You have a natural boundary on the west coast: the Mediterranean Sea.Â
North
For your northern border, draw a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor of the northland. Stretch that line from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath to Zedad. Keep the line going to Ziphron and all the way to Hazarenan. That’s your northern border.East
Now for your eastern border. Start your line at Hazar-enan. Run it south to Shepham. 11Take the line down to Riblah along Ain’s east side. Run it down into the hills east of the Sea of Galilee. Then take that line straight down the Jordan River, all the way to the Dead Sea. There you have it, the borders of your land on all four sides" (Numbers 32:3-12).
The Casual English Bible suggests that this description may have been a more precise boundary, but it is still not very specific regarding the southern and eastern borders.
Ezekiel's boundaries
The book of Ezekiel provides yet another description of the boundaries of the Promised Land. Ezekiel's description is more specific, saying that the land would be divided among the tribes of Israel and would include the land of Judea and Samaria. Some scholars say this description was meant to be symbolic, rather than actual borders.
Despite the differences in the descriptions of the Promised Land's boundaries, one point seemed clear to Bible writers: God promised this land to the Israelites as their inheritance, and he delivered on that promise. The Promised Land is a central theme in the Bible, representing a place of God's provision, where his people can live in peace and prosperity.
Tent worship center
Tent worship center
Map of Canaan: Land gets a year off
Map of Canaan: Land gets a year off
Map of Canaan. On the Sabbatical year in the Jewish homeland, the land gets a year off. No farming.
Land gets a year off
They were warned
They were warned
Tent worship center
Tent worship center
40 years in timeout
