Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ian goldsmith <iangoldsmith1969 AT yahoo.co.uk>]

Trevor,
Sorry for the delay in replying.

Are you suggesting that there was another building
next to the tabernacle in which resided the ark that
Eli was sat outside in 1Samuel 1:9?

This seems to be the impression you're giving.
Although the weight of contextual evidence seems to
suggest that the "heykal" in question was the
tabernacle.

Since we don't seem to disagree that 'heykal' means
temple or palace, why cannot the tabernacle fall into
this catagory?
A. It's not an ordinary tent, the description given of
the tabernacle would make it a royal residence or
temple for any nomadic/tent dwelling people.
B. It's a royal residence in as much as it is the
'dwelling place' of the King of the Universe.
C. It is adorned with purple and costly fabrics, cedar
wood and gold, surely a palace.
D. It is the spiritual centre of the people of Israel,
surely a temple.

The only objection seems to be that it is not a fixed
structure made of stone or brick. 

The Akkadian E-gal as far as I understand it means
great house, not stone building.

1 Samuel 1v24 refers to "the house of the LORD in
Shiloh. A term used for the tabernacle. It doesn't
seem in doubt that the tabernacle resided in Shiloh,
establishing its presence there at the time.
2 Samuel 6:17 refers to the ark "returning to its
place, in the midst of the tabernacle (lit. tent) that
David had pitched for it". Implying that it had not
been housed anywhere differently but in a tent.
1 Samuel 3:3 "the lamp of God went out in the temple
(heykal) of the LORD, where the ark of God was and
Samuel was laid down to sleep". Are you suggesting
that this was another temple that had been constructed
for the ark that had escaped comment in the entire
cannon of the old testament, and not the tabernacle?
Joshua 22:27 "God forbid that we should rebel against
the LORD to build an altar beside the altar of the
LORD our God that is before the tabernacle." Emphasis
of how great a national furore was narrowly avoided
when another altar was suggested in what was thought
competition, let alone another place for the ark to
reside other than the tabernacle that God had
prescribed for it.

This whole epic discussion seems centred on the
premise that heykal can only mean a stone or permanent
structure. If that's so I disagree.

Yours.
Ian.
 



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