Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Sunday Sermonette: Bez does it all

Yep, he's not just a carpenter and a goldsmith and a perfumer, he's a tailor and a jeweler . . .

Thank God [sic] Exodus is almost over. There's one more chapter after this, then we get into Leviticus, which is maybe slightly more interesting than all of these specifications. However, the narrative doesn't start up again until Numbers. We're going to spend the next few months mired in the intricacies of various categories of rules, including believe it or not a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Skin Diseases. The interesting thing about these last few chapters of Exodus is that nobody pays any attention to them any more. The priestly garments described here in 39 are long forgotten. The whole thing seems pointless to us now but obviously it seemed very important to the people who took the trouble to write all of this down, and possibly to actually make this stuff although we can't know that it was ever real. Leviticus is different however. Both Jews and Christians basically pick and choose from it, although they choose differently. But which parts are still observed today and which are not seems largely arbitrary. Anyway, here is the description of the priestly garments. What it all means I cannot say. Well, one thing. Back in Exodus 28 we learned that the bell and pomegranate are to warn God that the priest is entering the holy place so that God doesn't kill him. God just isn't very aware, it seems.

39 Of the blue, purple, and crimson yarns they made finely worked vestments, for ministering in the holy place; they made the sacred vestments for Aaron; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen. Gold leaf was hammered out and cut into threads to work into the blue, purple, and crimson yarns and into the fine twisted linen, in skilled design. They made for the ephod shoulder-pieces, joined to it at its two edges. The decorated band on it was of the same materials and workmanship, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The onyx stones were prepared, enclosed in settings of gold filigree and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. He set them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, like the work of the ephod, of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen. It was square; the breastpiece was made double, a span in length and a span in width when doubled. 10 They set in it four rows of stones. A row of carnelian,[a] chrysolite, and emerald was the first row; 11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire,[b] and a moonstone; 12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14 There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of the sons of Israel; they were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15 They made on the breastpiece chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; 16 and they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece; 17 and they put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18 Two ends of the two cords they had attached to the two settings of filigree; in this way they attached it in front to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. 19 Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 20 They made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, at its joining above the decorated band of the ephod. 21 They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it should lie on the decorated band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose from the ephod; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue yarn; 23 and the opening of the robe in the middle of it was like the opening in a coat of mail,[c] with a binding around the opening, so that it might not be torn. 24 On the lower hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen. 25 They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the lower hem of the robe all around, between the pomegranates; 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate all around on the lower hem of the robe for ministering; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
27 They also made the tunics, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 and the turban of fine linen, and the headdresses of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, 29 and the sash of fine twisted linen, and of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, embroidered with needlework; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 They made the rosette of the holy diadem of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.” 31 They tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it on the turban above; as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Work Completed

32 In this way all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished; the Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 34 the covering of tanned rams’ skins and the covering of fine leather,[d] and the curtain for the screen; 35 the ark of the covenant[e] with its poles and the mercy seat;[f] 36 the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37 the pure lampstand with its lamps set on it and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; 38 the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; 39 the bronze altar, and its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 the finely worked vestments for ministering in the holy place, the sacred vestments for the priest Aaron, and the vestments of his sons to serve as priests. 42 The Israelites had done all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 When Moses saw that they had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded, he blessed them.

Footnotes:

  1. Exodus 39:10 The identification of several of these stones is uncertain
  2. Exodus 39:11 Or lapis lazuli
  3. Exodus 39:23 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. Exodus 39:34 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. Exodus 39:35 Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
  6. Exodus 39:35 Or the cover

2 comments:

Don Quixote said...

At first I thought, we're not supposed to worship idols, and god threw a furious fit when the Hebrews fashioned the golden calf ... but then I figured, well, He did say only to worship HIM. So this is some serious worship! Twisted linens, blue and crimson yarns, fragrant oils and pure gold ...

Cervantes said...

Yes, as I say it's kind of -- ironic, is that the word? Jewish worship today is fairly unostentatious. The buildings are fairly modest, as are the Rabbi's garments. You don't see all of this gold and jewelry and fancy fabric. Catholic churches, on the other hand, and especially the cathedrals, have this ultra-pretentious style, even though the apostles worshiped in a very plain space. But in any case, these particular specifications quickly became inoperative, if they were ever real.