Tabernacle Color

The Israelites had left Egypt; God told them to build a tabernacle; colors of scarlet, blue and purple were to be used as well as linen. The linen would have probably been bleached, so it would have been white or light cream. The colors seem to symbolize purity (white), blood or life (red), heaven, dignity, holiness (blue) and royalty (purple).

Where did they find the color? Madder is a woody, rather plain plant that stores red pigment in its roots. From there, Ancient Egyptians could have produced red. Also, red can be made from the dried bodies of female kermes, an insect found in the Mediterranean region.

Blue would have come, probably, from the woad plant which is found in Europe. Indigo, while considered the better plant, may have not been available to the Acient Egyptians and Israelites. Indigo is native to India. For both woad and indigo, the dye is found in the plant's leaves.

Purple could have come from the secretion of a marine mollusk. The color from the mollusk was known as Tyrian purple, and was predominately made by the Phoenicians. Purple could also have been made by dyeing red or blue material in blue or red.

Cherubim were first known after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. A cherub guards the entrance of the Garden. According to the Prophet Ezekiel's description of these creatures, it has the ability to look all four directions at once. Ezekiel describes the cherubim has having four faces: a man, a lion, a ox, and an eagle. It has two sets of wings, and flies below the throne of God.

It is these creatures that were to be incorporated into the material for the tabernacle, and would have probably been seen from the inside of the tabernacle. How were they placed into the material? It seems that embroidery is the most probable. Using the thread, the Israelites would have seen the designs onto the finished material before hanging them around the frame.

Through all the parts of the tabernacle, God demonstrated His holiness, purity, royalty, and sacrifice.

Tabernacle Building

I think I may have to do more research on this project. It could very well end up being one of those things that I update as I go through the year. It's been interesting, nonetheless.

After they left Egypt, the Israelites stopped off at Mount Sinai where God gave them the Ten Commandments as well as other laws. One of the items that they were to construct was the tabernacle. The instructions are quite specific down to the dimensions and materials. Ten curtains were commanded to be made: 26 cubtis by 4 cubits or roughly 42 feet by 6 feet. They were to be made of linen and colored thread.

As a fiber artist, this description is tantalizing. As a writer of historical novels, it opens up for an interesting story, but on to the research. Just how did they make these curtains? The ancients didn't have our modern convenience of a local yarn store, mass-produced cones, or even the spinning wheel.

The Egyptians and the Hebrews used what is called a drop spindle. On this they could weave a variety of threads from very fine to coarse.

How did they weave? Well, there are two options. Option number one is the traditional Egyptian way to weave: horizontal.

With the horizontal weaving, the entire warp was stretched out on the ground, and the weaving progressed forward. For this weaving, space and nice weather was a must.

The second way was a vertical weaving style.

This style, which allowed the weaver to sit at the base, was introduced from Canaan and was common in areas where the weather wasn't as dry as Egypt. Both styles would have been known to the Hebrews.

How much would they have had to weave? Figuring that these were to be durable, beautiful, and coverings, I estimated that they would have woven at 40 epi. They might have gone finer or coarser, but 40 is a good middle ground, I think. Now, the Bible gives the dimensions of each of the ten curtains: 26 cubits by 4 cubits, or 42 feet by 6 feet. If they were woven at 40 epi, for one inch, there would have needed to be 560 yards of linen. For six feet: 3360 yards. With ten curtains, that works up to 33,600 yards.

According to one website, the growing season for flax, from where we obtain linen, is November to March. Interestingly, flax was one of the major trades in Ancient Egypt. Also, the first Passover would have taken place sometime in March or April. When the Jews left Egypt, God moved the hearts of the Egyptians to give the Hebrews jewels, gold, fabric and a variety of other items. Chances are that the Hebrews had material and unspun flax with them at Mount Sinai.

Saturday, I will write about the designs and how they could have made the curtains. Also, where did the colors come from?

Passover and Passion

Palm Sunday began the Passion week leading up to the celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Monday began the Passover, the celebration of the Jewish exodus from Egypt nearly 4000 years ago. After the Jews passed through the Red Sea, they continued on their journey by way of Mount Sinai where God gave them the Ten Commandments, and made a covenant with the nation.

Part of the covenant included building a tabernacle, a meeting place. In this building, God would come to meet with Moses. The tabernacle was beautiful, and practical. Eventually, the Israelites spent 40 years wandering the desert, so the tabernacle had to be portable.

In the book of Exodus, chapter 26, God tells Moses how the tabernacle should appear. He commands that ten curtains 28 cubits by 4 cubits (about 42 feet by 6 feet) should be made. They were to be made of fine linen with blue, purple and scarlet thread. In the curtains were to be images of cherubim.

This week, I want to focus on the tabernacle and these beautiful curtains. How were they made? How long would it have taken them?

Come back and see what I learn.

The photo is pussywillows from our bush. Unfortunately with the cold weather we've had lately, ours actually haven't bloomed yet. The photo was taken about two years ago.

March Project Results

Taking the idea of the Celtic Cross and putting it onto a patch. I decided after doing this one that all of my projects would be patches so that they can be put together at the end of the year. Typically, I'm not much of an applique person, but I think it works. I wanted something that celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every year at Easter, we celebrate the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus. Without Him, we would have no chance of reconciling with God.

The next is the inspiration for April.

What struck me about the photo is not the view, but the tree hanging on the side of the cliff to catch all the sunlight. Letchworh is a heavily wooded area, and the trees must compete for sunlight and soil.

This is a photo from Letchworth Park in Western NY. It's called the Grand Canyon of the East (course, there's one in PA, and I imagine most Eastern States have at least one). Our canyon is created by the Genesee River which starts in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania.  At the start of the river, the elevation is 2,240 feet; by the time the river reaches Lake Ontario the elevation is 256 feet. Because of the 1,984 feet drop in elevation, the Genesee River creates some spectacular waterfalls. Within Letchworth there are three falls: Upper, Lower and Middle; in Rochester, NY, through which the river flows, there is another set of falls. The falls on the Genesee River aren't nearly as wide as those on the Niagara, but they are beautiful.

Here's another photo from Letchworth.

The river is down below all of the trees.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day there is a carload entrance fee, but during the remainder of the year, it is free to enter. In addition to the great views, there are hiking and biking trails, horse trails, historical sites, and a lovely little restaurant called the Glen Iris.

If ever in Western New York, take a trip to see Letchworth - it's well worth the visit.

Good Reads April

Ngaio Marsh was a mystery writer in the early 20th century; she died in 1982. She's one of my favorite writers, and I first heard about this particular book in 2010. My library system doesn't have all the books, so I'm plugging through the series. Died in the Wool takes place in New Zealand during WW2. In addition to the murder there is espionage and love.

What I found fascinating by the book was the insight to a sheep station. Since I'm interested in spinning, I never understood what a working farm might look like. For me, it was a fascinating read, and it's worthwhile if you have a weekend or a week.