put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses. 22 ¶ And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. 25 And they made 'bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses. 27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and 'linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses. 30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses. 32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. 33¶And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets, 34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering, 35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat, 36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread, 37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, 38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, 40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, 41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office. 42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work. 43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it :' and Moses blessed them. 5 Chap. 28. 33. Chap. 28. 42. 7 Chap. 28. 36. 8 Heb. the incense of sweet spices. Verse 3. "And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, &c."-This is the most ancient notice of the preparation of gold in wires, or extended threads to be interwoven in cloths, and it is quite in conformity with all the information we can collect from ancient writings on the subject. Works made with threads of metal are rarely mentioned at all, and whenever they are spoken of, the wire appears to have been wholly made on the anvil. The metals were beaten with a hammer into thin plates, then cut with a pair of scissors or other instrument, into narrow slips, which were afterwards rounded with the hammer and file, so as to form wires or threads. Most of this process is described in the text. A very similar process of fabrication is described by Homer as being used by Vulcan, who repaired to his forge and formed upon his anvil a net so fine, that it could be perceived by no one, not. even by the gods, being more delicate than the web of a spider. Abating the hyperbole, we may gather from this, as well as from the fact that the threads of metal were, in the instance before us, interwoven with, or employed to embroider cloths, that very fine wire was formed by this tedious and laborious process. It is not exactly clear how the gold threads were applied to ornament the ephod of the high-priest. We rather think they were not interwoven in the cloth, as in chap. xxxv. 34, it seems to be said that the colours in the enriched cloth were the work of the embroiderer as distinguished from the weaver, who is afterwards mentioned. So also the robe of the ephod, which was all of blue, is said to have been of woven work (verse 22), probably to denote its simplicity. The same is also said of the innermost coat (verse 27); while in speaking of the ephod, the girdles, &c., which were highly ornamented, embroidery and needlework are mentioned. Beckmann thinks that the earliest application of gold to dress was to sew on slips of the metal, particularly on the seams, as is now done with gold lace. As there is no mention in the text of any process subsequent to that of cutting the me tallic plate into slips, necessarily flat, it is possible that they were embroidered on the dress or otherwise applied without being rounded into wires or threads. Beckmann supposes that gold stars and other figures cut from thin plates of the metal were very early applied to dresses much in the same manner as spangles at present, being either sewed to the cloth, or fastened by some adhesive composition. To this would seem to have succeeded the arts of embroidering and interweaving with threads of gold, and ultimately the progress of uncomfortable luxury led to the formation of clothes entirely of gold threads without any other material. This was indeed "cloth of gold"-a name which in more modern times has been given to cloth, the threads of which are of silk wound about with silver wire flattened and gilded. Silver does not seem for a long time to have been employed for similar purposes, and accordingly it is not mentioned in Scripture as being so applied. Beckmann, in evidence of its being unknown at so comparatively late a period as the time of Aurelian, quotes a passage from Vopiscus, who states that this emperor was desirous of entirely abolishing the use of gold in gilding and weaving, because, though there was more gold than silver (this is in itself a curious fact), the former had become scarcer, as much of it was continually lost by being applied to such purposes, whereas every thing that was silver continued so. This seems to render it clear that silver was not used for such purposes. Yet, as Beckmann himself observes in a note, it is barely possible that Vopiscus speaks of gilt silver; for as the ancients were not acquainted with the art of separating these metals, the gold would be entirely lost when they melted the silver. He adds, however, that he had met with no passage in ancient authors where weaving or embroidering with threads of gilt silver is mentioned. Neither have we. There is no notice of silver thread being interwoven in cloth earlier than the times of the later Greek emperors. It is really surprising to find so much use made of threads of precious metal while it continued to be formed by the hammer. Beckmann declares himself unable to determine when attempts were first made to draw into threads metal, cut or beat into small slips, by forcing them through holes in a steel plate placed perpendicularly on a table. But the art was not known in Italy in the time of Charlemagne; and our author, from the best evidence he was able to obtain, is disposed to attribute the invention of the drawing-plate to the fourteenth century. Since then the arts of forming and applying threads of gold have received much improvement. It is not known when wire first began to be spun round thread, as it now usually is in application to dress. This branch of the art is not ancient. The threads found among the ruins of Herculaneum are of massy gold. When the fine wire first began to be spun round thread it was round; the art of first flattening the wire, by means of which tassels and other ornaments have been rendered much cheaper-in consequence of much less metal being required to cover the silk-and at the same time more brilliant and beautiful, is of modern but unascertained date. The different degrees of ductility of gold and silver have led to the beautiful invention of plating silver wire with gold. 7, 14. "Onyx-stones enclosed in ouches of gold, graven as signets are graven.--The stones were according to the names of the children of Israel....like engravings of a signet."-See also chap. xxviii. 9, "The work of an engraver in stone.”– There can be no doubt but that mankind were at this time well acquainted with the art of polishing and engraving precious stones; and the various texts relating to the jewelled ornaments of Aaron's dress are very interesting indications of the progress which had been made in lapidary and stone-engraving. It is to be observed, that the shoulders of the ephod were ornamented with two onyx-stones mounted on gold, and that these stones were engraved with the names of twelve tribes-six in each stone; and we may therefore suppose the work to have been of a rather minute character. Then from the breastplate we learn that twelve other sorts of precious stones were known, as well as the brilliant effect which they would produce by a proper arrangement on the same surface. Each of these stones also contained the name of a tribe; and, altogether, we are led to form no mean idea of the progress which art had thus early made in the treatment of precious stones. Any one at all acquainted with the arts is well aware that the engraving of precious stones demands no common measure of address, precision, and knowledge. There must be a considerable number of very fine and delicate tools, and great decision of hand and practice. It is indeed true that the engraving of names admits of no comparison with the skill and delicacy of execution required in cutting the figures of men and animals; but still, as to the essentials of the art, the process is the same in both, and the difference is only a question of more or less perfection. Goguet is astonished to see that, in the time of Moses, and doubtless earlier, men had made so much progress in art as to be able to execute such works. Considering the number of previous discoveries which it is necessary to suppose, as well as the degree of knowledge and attainment which it involves, the same author, not without reason, is disposed to regard the engraving of precious stones as a most marked evidence of the general progress which the arts had made, in certain countries, at a very early period. With regard to this particular branch of art, we may observe also, that in the course of time it attained such an advanced state among the ancients that the moderns have never been able to equal them in the exquisite delicacy and beauty of their performance on precious stones. The engraved gems which have been preserved are still the unapproached models of the art. CHAPTER XL. 1 The tabernacle is commanded to be reared, 9 and anointed. 13 Aaron and his sons to be sanctified. AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 1 Chap. 26, 35, 2 Heb. the order thereof. SANCTIFICATION, OR SETTING APART, OF THE SONS OF AARON TO THE PRIESTLY OFFICE.-RAFFAELLE. in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle. 6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein. 8 And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate. 9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy. 10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar "most holy. Il And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it. 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: 15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their genera tions. 16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he. 17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. 18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof and reared up his pillars. 19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses. 20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy scat above upon the ark: 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and 'set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses. 22 ¶ And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail. 23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 ¶ And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. 25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. 26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail: 27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses. 28 ¶ And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the "LORD commanded Moses. 30 ¶ And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal. 31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat: 32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: 37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. 7 Num. 9. 15. 1 Kings 8. 10. 8 Heb. journeyed. CHAPTER I. you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall 1 The burnt offerings. 3 Of the herd, 10 of the bring your offering of the cattle, even of the flocks, 13 of the fowls. ND the tabernacle 2 Speak Israel, and say unto them, If any man of herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish : he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 4 'And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 1 Exod. 29, 10, |