Is the world's most expensive painting a FAKE? Louvre snubs 'Leonardo da Vinci' painting 15 months after a Saudi prince spent £342million

The Salvator Mundi, an ethereal portrait of Jesus Christ which dates to about 1500

The Salvator Mundi was thought to be painted by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, but doubts have been cast over the painting's authenticity.

The painting, which was unveiled at The National Gallery's 2011 Leonardo exhibition, broke auction records at Christie's in New York, 2017 when it was bought for $450million (£342million).

Christie's confirmed the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism was 'acquiring' the painting, but its next unveiling, due to take place at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in September, was cancelled with no explanation.  

The Salvator Mundi, which depicts Christ as 'Saviour of the World', is now alleged by some to be a 'workshop Leonardo', painted by one of the artist's studio assistants.

Art historian Jacques Franck told the Sunday Telegraph that senior politicians and Louvre staff 'know that the Salvator Mundi isn't a Leonardo'.

He has reportedly written to French President Emmanuel Macron to warn him against inaugurating the Louvre's Leonardo exhibition this autumn if the allegedly fake painting is included - which would be 'almost scandalous'. 

The painting was also said to be facing a snub from the Louvre in Paris, who were reported to have scrapped plans to display the work in its Leonardo da Vinci exhibition.

But a Louvre spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'The Musée du Louvre has asked for the loan of the Salvator Mundi and wishes to present it in its October exhibition.

'We are waiting for the owner’s answer.

'M. Franck was part of the scholars who have been consulted 7 or 8 years ago for the restoration of the Saint Ann.

'He is not currently working on the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition and has never been curator for the Louvre.

'His opinion is his personal opinion, not the one of the Louvre.'  

The painting's appearance has been said to have changed between the time it was unveiled in 2011 and its auctioning off six years later, raising questions over its restoration.   

Last August reports emerged that Matthew Landrus, a research fellow at Oxford University's Wolfson College, said the artwork was actually painted by da Vinci's assistant Bernardino Luini. 

Reports had suggested that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the painting's buyer. 

Da Vinci scholar Professor Martin Kemp, who helped authenticate the piece a decade ago, had previously told The Times: 'Nobody outside the immediate Arab hierarchy knows where it is.' 

Western diplomats said a Saudi royal acting as a proxy for Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the buyer.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington says the Saudi royal purchased the painting on behalf of the museum in Abu Dhabi.  

What is the Tabernacle according to the Bible? and the Meaning of their Utensils

What is the Tabernacle?

To know what the Tabernacle is according to the Bible, the word teaches us that it was an earthly sanctuary inspired by God and ordered for its construction to Moses, according to the design he showed him at Mount Sinai (Ex 25:40; 25:8-9). It was made by a voluntary offering of the people, that is, an offering of heart, since God desired a willing heart (Ex 25:2). His purpose was to show God’s desire to live in the midst of his people (Ex 25:8). It was also known as the Tabernacle of Reunion and the place where the congregation of Israel brought their offerings and sacrifices to present them to God, it was usually a lamb or a pure and flawless animal, they could be goats, calves or bulls, they were presented to God by expiation of sins. (Lev 4:13, 14, 15).

The Tabernacle was the place where the presence of God manifested and gave direction to His people (Lev 9:23, Ex 33:9-11, Ex 40:34, Nu 20:6), by a cloud of day and fire at night (Ex 40:34-38).

What does the Tabernacle symbolize?

The Tabernacle was the method that God used to teach his people Israel. The Bible points to Christ as symbolism of the Tabernacle, in The Gate (Jn 10:9), The Lamb (Jn 1:29), The Priest (He 3:1; 9:11) and many more that we will study next.

The word of God in Exodus 25:8 says: “And I will dwell in their midst”. Therefore, this became a shadow of what was to come, God made man in the person of Christ, since in John 1:14 it says: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

The sacrificial system that was instituted by God in the Tabernacle, is a revelation of the redeeming work of Christ on the Cross, in this way we can understand the meaning of the Tabernacle and in a clearer way the truths of the gospel.

Symbolism of the Tabernacle in:

Christ: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

The Church: “in whom you also are edified together for the dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2:22).

The Believer: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy “(1 Cor 3:16-17).

The Coming Things: “And I heard a great voice from heaven saying: Behold, the tabernacle of God with men, and he shall dwell with them; and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God “(Rev 21: 3).

The Tabernacle and its parts

The Atrium of the Tabernacle

The court of the Tabernacle of meeting was surrounded by a fence of fine linen. This fence was supported by 60 bronze columns, with their respective bronze bases, and silver capitals.

The south consisted of a curtain of fine linen of 45 meters, 20 bronze columns, 20 bronze bases and 20 silver capitals (Ex 27:9-10).

The north likewise with a curtain of fine linen of 45 meters, 20 bronze columns, 20 bronze bases and 20 silver capitals (Ex 27:11).

The western one of the vestibule counted on a curtain of fine linen of 22.5 meters, 10 bronze columns, 10 bronze bases and 10 silver capitals (Ex 27:12).

The width of the eastern side was 22.5 meters (Ex 27:13) with curtains of fine linen of 6.75 meters supported by 3 bronze columns, 3 bronze bases and 3 silver capitals on one side and the other (Ex 27:14-15).

The gate of the court measured 9 meters and was made of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth and twisted linen, supported by 4 bronze pillars, 4 bronze bases, and 4 silver capitals (Ex 27:16-17).

The atrium of the Tabernacle, was the area where the sacrifices were carried out. Also to the only section to which the people had access, to present an offering or Sacrifice to God (Ps 96:8, 100:4;1 Ki 8:64). In this way, being in the atrium of the Tabernacle was for the people to be in the presence of God (Ps 65:4, 84:2, 84:10).

The Tent or Sanctuary

Another part of the Tabernacle was the Tent, it was built of 48 acacia mother-of-pearl boards covered with gold. Which were 20 on the south side (Ex 26:18-19), 20 on the north side (Ex 26:20-21), and 6 tables on the west side (Ex 26:22). Therefore, each of these boards had two spikes (wooden dowels) and each of these spikes, was embedded in 2 silver bases to join the boards (Ex 26:17), the total of the bases was 96.

The Tent was divided into two parts:

Holy Place of the Tabernacle

The Holy Place was the first section of the Tent of the Tabernacle and through which one had access to the dwelling. it was separated from the atrium by five golden columns and a veil that was the entrance to the enclosure. Therefore, there was inside the altar of incense, the table of the showbread and the candelabra. These were utensils of the Tabernacle, of which the priest was responsible for maintaining.

The Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle

The Holy of Holies was the second section of the tent of the Tabernacle. This was behind the four golden pillars and the second veil, where the ark of the covenant is (Ex 26:33; He 9:3). Therefore, the Holy of Holies was where the presence of God lived. In this part of the Tabernacle, the high priest entered once a year, to make atonement for the sins of himself and those of the people (Ex 30:10; Heb 5:3). When Jesus died on the cross, the bible says “Then the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Mk 15:38), symbolizing our free access to God through the sacrifice of Christ. “So, brethren, having freedom to enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus Christ” (He 10:19).

Utensils of the Tabernacle and its Meanings

In the Atrium was:

The Bronze Altar

The Bronze Altar of the Tabernacle was the first thing that the people of Israel saw upon entering the courtyard. There continually sacrifices were made (Ex 29:38), in this way, the people were taught that the only way to approach God was through a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.

It was also called Altar of God (Ps 43:4) or Altar of Jehovah (Ml 2:13). It was made of acacia wood and covered with bronze (Ex 27:2). Its measurements were 2.25 meters long by 2.25 meters wide and 1.35 meters high (Ex 27:1). The fire on the bronze altar was to be lit continually (Lev 6:13) and everything the altar touched was sanctified (Ex 29:37).

Meaning of the Bronze Altar

The Bronze Altar symbolizes the Judgment of God for sin. Therefore, in this way we can understand the goodness of God towards us and the severity toward the victim. This came to typology the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins , in order to get closer to God, being justified by his blood (Ro 5:9, 3:25; He 10:1-18).

The Bronze Laver

The Bronze Laver was located between the altar and the tent (Ex 30:18, 40:7). This utensil was made with the mirrors of the women who ministered at the door of the Tabernacle (Ex 38:8). And in it the priests who served there washed their hands and feet , before being able to minister in the holy things of the Tabernacle (Ex 30:19-20).

Meaning of the Bronze Laver

The Brazen Laver symbolizes sanctification by the word of God. It also symbolizes the confection of sins and baptism (Jn 15:3, Mk 1:4).

In the Tent was:

The Table of Showbread

The Table of Showbread was located on the north side of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle Tent. It was made of acacia wood and covered with pure gold, with gold moldings around it. Its measurements were 90 centimeters in length, its width 45 centimeters and its height 68 centimeters (Ex 25:23-24), the surrounding molding was 7.5 centimeters wide (Ex 25:25). All their plates, cups and ladles were made of pure gold (Ex 25:29). The loaves were placed on the table in two rows of six (Lev 24: 6). Only the show bread could be eaten by the priests and they were replaced every day of rest (Lev 24:7-8).

Meaning of the Table of Showbread

Therefore, the Table with the 12 loaves can typify the 12 tribes of Israel, the provision of God, the spiritual nourishment that God gives to his people and the communion between the church and Christ (Mt 26:26; Lk 24:30).

The Lampstand

The Lampstand was located on the left side when entering the Holy Place or on the wall facing south in the Tabernacle Tent. It was made of pure gold and hammered in one piece (Ex 25:31), on one side three arms with their candlesticks and on the other side three arms with their candlesticks, supported by a cane in the center with a candlestick, Each of these candlesticks was shaped like an almond blossom (Ex 25:32-33). The weight of the Candelabra with all its utensils was 34 Kilos (Ex 25:39). This utensil served to illuminate the Holy Place and the priests had to continually keep their flames lit with olive oil (Ex 27:20).

Meaning of the Lampstand

Therefore, the Lampstand is a type of Christ as the light of the world (Jn 8:12), and who lights the way of his holy people (Ps 119:105), Jesus Christ as eternal light (Rev 21:23). Also its workmanship in pure gold and hammered is a type of the sacrifice of Christ. His 6 arms on the sides (symbol of man), supported by a cane in the center, teaches us the dependence that believers have of Jesus Christ, so that through him we can be light and bear fruit (Mt 5:14; Jn 15:4).

The Altar of Incense

The Altar of Incense was in the Holy Place, in front of the veil that divided the Holy place of the Holy of Holies (Ex 30:6). Its measurements were 45 cm in length, 45 cm in width and 90 in height (Ex 30:2). It was made of acacia wood (Ex 30:1) and covered with pure gold, had a horn at each end, similar to the altar of bronze (Ex 30:3), but this altar was not made to burn burnt offering, but to burn aromatic incense day and night continually (Ex 30:7-8), this symbolizes prayer, praise and worship (Ps 141:2; Lk 1:10; Rev 5:8).

Meaning of the Incense Altar

Therefore, the Altar of Incense is a type of Christ in its nature Human (acacia wood) and Divine (pure gold). The incense that was burned morning and evening on the altar, represents the interceding prayer of Christ for his saints (Jn 17:9, 14:16, 16:26). So also, once a year the blood of the atonement was applied on the horns of the altar, this teaches that the interception of Christ has virtue in the sufferings suffered on earth.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant was located in the Holy of Holies, after the second veil, it was made of acacia wood and covered with pure gold inside and out. His measures were 1.12 meters in length, his width of 68 centimeters and his height of 68 centimeters (Ex 25:10-11). He had a propitiatory (mercy seat) with two cherubs one in front of the other, his wings extended upwards and their faces looked towards the ark. This propitiatory (mercy seat) was made of pure gold, its measurements were 1.12 meters in length and 68 meters in width (Ex 25:17-19).

Within the Ark of the Covenant were the commandments that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 25:16, 31:18). The book of Hebrews explains that it also contained the rod of Aaron that budded and the manna (Heb 9:4). The Ark of the Covenant was the throne of God on earth and where his presence was, there God spoke to Moses (Ex 25:22; Nu 7:89). Aaron in his office as High Priest, could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat (Ex 30:10; Lev 16:2, 14-15). The Levites were the only ones who could move the ark and only by the rods (Dt 10:8; 1 Ki 8:4).

Meaning of the Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the covenant of God with his people. It was also a symbol of God’s presence. The ark was made of acacia wood representing the humanity of Christ and covered in gold inside and out representing its Divinity. He is also a type of Christ in his nature without sin and as the only one who kept the law, since the tables of the law were inside the ark. The blood that the high priest sprinkled on the mercy seat symbolizes the death of Christ and how with his blood he makes atonement for our sins. The cherubs represent the service of the angels to Christ to do his will, his presence in the congregation of the saints, and his longing to look at the mysteries of the gospel.

The Door of the Tabernacle

The door of the Tabernacle was located to the east. This was a curtain or veil that measured 9 meters, it was made of blue, purple, scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen. He also had 4 bronze columns and 4 bronze bases that supported him (Ex 27:16)

The door was the only access to the Tabernacle, no one could enter the Tabernacle without first going through the door, in the same way that no one can go to God without knowing Christ, so the door symbolizes Christ as the only access to God (John 10:9, 14:6, Ro 5:1-2, Eph 2:18).

The Veil of the Tabernacle

The Veil of the Tabernacle was made of blue, purple, crimson (red cloth) and white twisted linen, with cherubs on each veil (Ex 26:31). The Tabernacle had two veils, one that separated the Atrium from the Holy Place and another that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.

The veil represents separation from the holy God of sinful humanity. So once a year on the day of atonement, the high priest crossed the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies to offer to offer sacrifices for his sins and those of the people. Therefore the veil represents the Flesh of Christ, when the Lord Jesus Christ dies on the cross, the veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom indicating free access to God through the sacrifice of Christ. (Mk 15:37-38; He 10:19-20).

The cherubs in the veil represent the angels with the flaming sword who guarded the way to the tree of life and to the presence of God (Ge 3:24).

Colors of the Tabernacle

The colors that were used to make the Door and the Veil, have their symbolism as everything in the Tabernacle.

Blue: Celestial color. The Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven, this color teaches us that our salvation is heavenly (1 Cor 15:47-48).

Purple: Color of royalty. This tells us that our Savior is King of kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16), through Him, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people acquired by God (1 Pe 2:9).

Red: Color of the Blood. Our Redeemer buys us at the price of Blood (1 Pe 1:18-19).

Fine White Linen: Color of purity. It represents Holiness and Justice. Thus, this reminds us that we were justified by our Savior and that when we come to Christ we are clothed with His righteousness (Ro 3:24, 5:1; Ga 3:27).

Who is the Tabernacle?

The Tabernacle is Christ. When we study each of its parts we see that all of these have a type of Christ. Therefore now we can understand the sacrificial system imposed by God so that the people could approach Him. This gives us a clearer way of Christ’s atonement for the sins of the world. And how I carry the sins of the world in him, to make us approved before God and give eternal redemption to all who trust in his name.

Who designed the Tabernacle?

When we study the Tabernacle we see that God is very precise in the instructions given to Moses in the construction and design of the Tabernacle (Ex 25:9). The Bible shows God giving Moses order in every detail, design, measurements, materials and every color in the fabrics that were used. These in turn have a spiritual symbology of celestial truths that God wanted to teach the People of Israel.

All this came to make shadow and design the true Tabernacle that God was going to raise, not made by man, nor of this creation, to Christ, The Tabernacle of God among men. Therefore I charge Moses to do everything according to what he had shown him (Heb 8:2, 5, Ex 25:8, Jn 1:14).

Construction of the Tabernacle of Moses

God ordered the Tabernacle of meeting to Moses and for this work he had also provided himself with the people who would work on him. So the chosen ones were Bezaleel and Aholiab, who were gifted by God with special wisdom and talents in craftsmanship, to work with gold, silver, bronze, in the making of jewelry, carving wood and all kinds of artistic works that they were required in the elaboration of the Tabernacle (Ex 31:2-5). Along with them worked all those to whom God gave the ability and the understanding to work in the work (Ex 31:6). The people of Israel in Egypt had been brick makers and workers. Therefore, they were not qualified for craft work. But the Spirit of God gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the abilities and talents they needed (Ex 31:3).

Who could enter the Tabernacle?

The people were only allowed to enter the Tabernacle atrium to carry their offerings and sacrifices. The priests had access to minister in the atrium and in the Holy Place. Only Moses and the High Priest had access to all parts of the tabernacle and the only ones who could enter the Holy of Holies. But only Moses could enter at any time without offering sacrifices. While the High Priest could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement (Ex 30:10).

Where was the Tabernacle of meeting?

The first time the Tabernacle was erected was in its construction, but the Bible does not give an exact location of where it was built. The order of its construction was given by Moses on Mount Sinai, and according to the time and location that the bible points out was during the 40 years in the desert. After this, I pass to the city of Siloh as the book of Joshua recounts at the time of the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 18:1, 19:51).

While the Tabernacle in Siloh, the city had become the center of Worship and Adoration of the people of Israel. The Tabernacle was approximately 300 years in Siloh during the period of the judges. The Bible tells how Elkanah and his family traveled to Shiloh every year to worship and offer sacrifices to God (1 Sa 1:3). In Siloh it was where Ana, who would later be the mother of the prophet Samuel, prayed to God to grant her to have a son, which she would consecrate to his service (1 Sa 1:9-11). There also took place in Siloh three times a year the religious festivals that were celebrated in the Tabernacle: the Passover, the feast of the unleavened bread, the feast of the tabernacles and the feast of the weeks (Dt 16:16).

Finally the Tabernacle was located in Gibeon in the time of King Solomon, and was still considered a center of worship until the Temple was built in Jerusalem.

The Tabernacle of Israel and the 12 tribes

The Tabernacle was in the middle of the camp of Israel. It was the place of worship and worship where the people approached God. Therefore, at the moment of being raised to be taken from one place to another, he was also taken into the midst of the 12 tribes, this taught the people that God was always in their midst (Is 12:6, Ps 46:5-7; Zephaniah 3:17)

Location of the tribes

North: Aser, Dan and Naftalí

South: Gad, Rubén and Simeón

East: Issachar, Judah and Zebulun

West: Benjamín, Efraín and Manasés

Difference between The Tabernacle and The Temple

First, The Tabernacle was a mobile sanctuary of worship. Therefore, it was built while the people traveled to the promised land. While The Temple was built as a permanent place of worship. This then, that the people of Israel were already established and had peace in the land that God promised.

Significant events in the meeting Tabernacle

• The consecration of Aaron as high priest and his sons as priests (Ex 29:1-4, 10-11).

• The manifestation of the glory of God (Ex 40:34-38).

• Place where God communicated with Moses (Lev 1:1, Nu 7:89).

• Place where sacrifices were offered to God (Lev 1:3-5, 3:2, 8).

• The cloud over the Tabernacle (Nu 9:15-23).

• They name Joshua as Moses’ successor (Dt 31:14-15, 23).

Tabernacle and the Temple

1. The Tabernacle

Key passage: Exodus 25 - 40

Constructed immediately after the exodus and the giving of the Law, 1446

A portable sanctuary, used during the exodus, the 40 years in the wilderness, and in Israel before Solomon's temple

Single outer court, perhaps 150 feet by 75 feet, contained an alter and laver

The tabernacle proper contained

The holy place

The most holy place which contained the Ark of the Covenant

Ark was captured by Philistines, 1050 BC

2. Solomon's Temple

Key passages: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 22; 1 Kings 6 - 8

In Jerusalem, started 966 BC, completed in 7 years

Perhaps 90 feet by 30 feet, ornate and glorious

Possibly surrounded by platform and courtyards

Holy of holies contained the Ark of the Covenant

Misused by subsequent kings (inclusion of other gods)

Pillaged and destroyed by Babylon 586 BC, Ark removed (never to be returned)

3. Zerubbabel's Temple

Rebuilding began 536 BC, completed 516 BC

Probably modest compared with Solomon's temple (mixed response, Ezra 3:11-12; compare Haggai 2:3-9)

At times neglected, plundered, repaired

168 - 164 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes abomination

Holy of Holies was empty

4. Herod's (enlarged and beautified) Temple

(Note: Many scholars group Zerubbabel's and Herod's temple together in what they call the Second Temple Period.)

Started 19 BC, mostly completed by 9 BC, destroyed AD 70

Grand, the world's largest building at the time

Total size, including courtyards, approx. 1500 feet by 1000 feet

Work continued until AD 64 (not fully complete at the time of Christ)

The temple proper was surrounded by the women's court, Israel's court, and the priest's court

These courts were surrounded by the court of the gentiles, where buying and selling took place

The 7 Pieces of Furniture of the Tabernacle

God gave the specific order for the arrangement of the furniture (Exodus 40:20-38). If you could trace a line around their divine order the following would appear (the ark and mercy seat are two pieces forming one).

The tabernacle and its rituals are called a “shadow of good things to come”; the salvation of Jesus Christ – of which He is the substance (Hebrews 9:9-11, 10:1, Colossians 2:17). Many still focus on religious rituals rather than receiving the reality – the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are chasing shadows. They are like a husband who sees the shadow of his bride appearing as she is ready to walk down the aisle. He then ignores his bride and embraces her shadow. Are you chasing shadows or have you embraced the only living Savior?

1. The Altar of Sacrifice

The first piece a worshipper would encounter as he came through the door was the altar. It was wood covered with brass (or copper at that time). It was a perfect square with horns on each of the 4 corners. It was where the blood sacrifices of clean lambs and goats would be offered in the heat of fire unto God for atonement (the covering and forgiveness of sins) (Exodus 27:1-8, Leviticus 17:11).

Since the brazen altar was FIRST, it tells us that judgment on sin and forgiveness must come first in one’s approach to God.

If the courtyard had been set up with no altar or priest to offer the sacrifice, it would convey that one could come into God’s presence without a sacrifice or mediator. Some religions teach this way. But the altar says our sin must be dealt with first by God’s ordained Priest.

It was the Son of God who on the cross sacrificed His sinless blood on behalf of the sinner; ” Christ died for our sins.” Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (1Corinthians 15:3, John 1:29). It was Jesus who was resurrected as the High Priest. When people receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, they are taking their place as a sinner under judgment and trusting Christ alone as their Savior before God.

The equal four sides of the altar remind us that the gospel of Christ is nondiscriminatory. For God so loved the world (north, south, east and west) what He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The four horns speak of power. The blood of Jesus Christ has the power to forgive all sin (1John 1:7, 9).

2. The Laver of Washing

The second piece of furniture was a washing basin for the priests called the laver (lavatory – place of washing). It came after the altar of sacrifice and before the entrance to the sanctuary. It was made of polished copper. Its purpose was “to wash”. The priests had to daily wash their hands and feet from dirt and contamination before they worshipped God at the altar or entered the sanctuary to serve. The laver was not for the shedding of sacrificial blood for sin but for the washing of dirt. One had to be clean to serve. (Exodus 30:18-21).

This second piece tells us that God is not only interested in the forgiveness of our sin but also our daily cleanliness in living for Him.

The New Testament teaches that once one is forgiven of sin by Christ’s sacrifice he or she receives the “living water” of the Holy Spirit. One purpose of the Spirit is to renew our minds to serve God acceptably. We also read of “the washing of water by the word.” As the Christian daily learns God’s Word, the Bible, he or she is cleansed from wrong thinking and ways so his service is acceptable to God. (John 8:37-39, Romans 12: 102, Hebrews 12:28, Ephesians 5:26, Psalm 119:11).

If the order was the laver first and the altar second the picture would convey that Christ’s gospel says to live clean and then God will forgive and make one right. Many religions proclaim this order. But God’s order reveals that first God forgives by Christ and then He gives the power (Spirit) for one to live clean unto Him.

The Holy Place

(The First Sanctuary with 3 Pieces of Furniture)

The holy place contained gold not copper: the golden lampstand, the golden table of bread and the golden altar of incense. Here the washed priests entered to perform service and representative worship unto the Lord. This section tells that God is not only interested in our forgiveness and daily cleanliness but also our worship.

3. The Golden Lampstand

On the south side of the holy place stood the pure golden lampstand. The gold was formed into the shape of an almond tree in the full bloom of life by beating or hammering. It had six fruitful branches with a central shaft or trunk. They were designed to hold seven bowls filled with olive oil to provide light. Light and life merged together in one unit. The light was continual and was never to go out.

There was no light at all in the holy place except that which came from the golden lampstand. The varied colors and beauty of the inner sanctuary could only be seen in this one light.

John 1 presents the one Christ (Jesus) as both light and life. “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” He alone as God in the flesh gives life eternal and the light to understand and know God. The number six of the branches reminds us of man (created on the sixth day). The number seven of the lamps reminds us of God’s perfect number (resting on the seventh day for all things were completed and good). Jesus Christ is both six (man) and seven (God) in one person.

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is also pictured as a lampstand through which his Spirit and Word reveals the gospel truth and glory of God (Revelation 1:20).

4. The Golden Table of Showbread

Directly opposite the lampstand stood the table of showbread on the north side. One could only see the bread by the one light. Twelve loaves of bread were set on it once a week. During the week the bread was to be displayed before God. On the Sabbath the priests were to eat it. Thus God and man shared the same table together in fellowship of the same bread.

A table is a place where friends fellowship while eating. We read of the “Lord’s table” in the New Testament where the Christian breaks the bread and eats it in the fellowship of the body of Christ (1Corinthians 10:16-21). Here God and man are in harmony over the same thing: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His death was pleasing to the Father as an acceptable offering for our sin and His death is precious to us as the means by which we are forgiven and know God’s love (Romans 5:8).

5. The Golden Altar of Incense

The third and last piece of furniture in the holy place was the altar of incense with its four horns. This stood by the veil, which separated the holy place from the holiest of holies. This altar was for one purpose only: to burn incense, not sacrifice. The incense was a special God-prescribed formula, which sent out a rich fragrant smoke when the priest lit it at morning and evening.

Incense pictures prayers to God (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, 8:3). When one prays in the name of God’s priest (the Lord Jesus) there is power and it is a pleasing aroma to God.

The Holiest of Holies

(The Second Sanctuary with 2 Pieces of Furniture)

The holiest place of all contained the Ark of the Covenant covered with a special lid called the mercy seat. This was where God’s presence resided and where He communed (talked) with Moses (Exodus 25:22). The veil or curtain blocked the way so others could not enter in. However, the minute the Lord Jesus died on the cross the veil, then in the temple, was split in two showing the way was now made for all to come into the communion with God (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 9:7-8, 10:19-21).

6&7 The Golden Ark and Mercy Seat

The Ark was a chest made out of wood covered with gold and sporting a crown border like the table and incense altar. It, however, rested in the holiest place where the presence of God dwelt. The chest contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments: God’s standard of righteousness – a golden pot of manna: Gods provision to sustain His people in life – and Aaron’s rod that budded with life: God’s choice as High Priest to be our continual mediator and intercessor (Psalm 40:6-10, John 6:51, Hebrews 4:14).

The Mercy Seat was the cover of the ark. It was solid gold beaten into winged cherubim; one at each end looking down where God’s presence was. Cherubim are involved with the protection of God’s holiness. Here, once a year, the high priest alone went in with sacrificial blood from the brazen altar to sprinkle it on the mercy seat to obtain forgiveness of sins for Israel.

The mercy seat tells us that there is mercy with God. The sacrifice of Christ is God’s mercy seat (Romans 3:25). “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He [the Lord Jesus] entered in once into the holy place [heaven], having obtained eternal redemption for us [all believers]” (Hebrews 9:12).

Follow the tabernacle signs and they will lead you to His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord

Where is the Ark of Covenant?

The Ark of the covenant was constructed to place the two tablets that contains the ten commandments. Many have been debated through the centuries about its real content. Some opinions were raised and according to them, there were two Arks created for two tablets and placed separately. It was made up of acacia wood and covered with gold. There were four gold rings attached on the bottom and two poles also made of gold. It's covering has attached sculpted Cherubs also made of pure gold. 

According to the scripture, the Ark remained in the Solomon's temple until Babylonian empire destroyed it. After that time, its location was whereabouts unknown.

Some theories said that Babylonians took it. Others said that one of the final kings Josiah predicted the attacked of Babylonians and hide it proactively.
But where did he hide it? According to one midrash, he dug a hole under the wood storehouse on the Temple Mount and buried it there (Yoma 53b). Another account says that Solomon foresaw the eventual destruction of the Temple, and set aside a cave near the Dead Sea, in which Josiah eventually hid the Ark (Maimonides, Laws of the Temple, 4:1).

No one knows who keep the Ark after that time and many claimed themselves as the 'Keeper of the Ark' and they have to pass it from generation to generation.

It was believed that this Ark possessed a great power. Some sort of electricity or explosive energy will be the cause of death of those who touch it. At this moment, it really needs a brave person with a lot of faith in order to find and open it.

After 2000 years after it was last seen, many people are still interested on finding this Ark in order to hardly prove the Old Testament. This Ark was also believed to be the key for many question and mysteries of life.

Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית‬, Modern Arōn Ha'brēt, Tiberian ʾĀrôn Habbərîṯ), also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a gold-covered wooden chest with lid cover described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to various texts within the Hebrew Bible, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.[1] Hebrews 9:4 describes: "The ark of the covenant [was] covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant."

The biblical account relates that, approximately one year after the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, the Ark was created according to the pattern given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of biblical Mount Sinai. Thereafter, the gold-plated acaciachest was carried by its staves while en route by the Levites approximately 2,000 cubits (approximately 800 meters or 2,600 feet) in advance of the people when on the march or before the Israelite army, the host of fighting men.[2] When carried, the Ark was always hidden under a large veil made of skins and blue cloth, always carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the priests and the Levites who carried it. God was said to have spoken with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover.[3] When at rest the tabernacle was set up and the holy Ark was placed under the veil of the covering, the staves of it crossing the middle side bars to hold it up off the ground.

According to the Book of Exodus, God instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay upon the mountain within the thick cloud and darkness where God was[4][5] and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim wood to house the Tablets of Stone. Moses instructed Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the Ark.[6][7] In Deuteronomy, however, the Ark is said to have been built specifically by Moses himself without reference of Bezalel or Oholiab.[8]

The Book of Exodus gives detailed instructions on how the Ark is to be constructed. It is to be 2½ cubits in length, 1½ in breadth, and 1½ in height (approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in). Then it is to be gilded entirely with gold, and a crown or molding of gold is to be put around it. Four rings of gold are to be attached to its four corners, two on each side—and through these rings staves of shittim-wood overlaid with gold for carrying the Ark are to be inserted; and these are not to be removed.[9] A golden lid, the kapporet (traditionally "mercy seat" in Christian translations) which is covered with 2 golden cherubim, is to be placed above the Ark. Missing from the account are instructions concerning the thickness of the mercy seat and details about the cherubim other than that the cover be beaten out the ends of the Ark and that they form the space where God will appear. The Ark is finally to be placed under the veil of the covering.

The biblical account continues that, after its creation by Moses, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. Whenever the Israelites camped, the Ark was placed in a separate room in a sacred tent, called the Tabernacle.

When the Israelites, led by Joshua toward the Promised Land, arrived at the banks of the Jordan river, the Ark was carried in the lead preceding the people and was the signal for their advance.[10][11] During the crossing, the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its waters, and remained so until the priests—with the Ark—left the river after the people had passed over.[12][13][14][15] As memorials, twelve stones were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood.[16]

In the Battle of Jericho, the Ark was carried round the city once a day for seven days, preceded by the armed men and seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns.[17] On the seventh day, the seven priests sounding the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark compassed the city seven times and, with a great shout, Jericho's wall fell down flat and the people took the city.[18] After the defeat at Ai, Joshua lamented before the Ark.[19] When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they stood on each side of the Ark. We next hear of the Ark in Bethel where it was being cared for by the priest Phineas the grandson of Aaron (where 'Bethel' is translated 'the House of God' in the King James Version).[20] According to this verse it was consulted by the people of Israel when they were planning to attack the Benjaminites at the battle of Gibeah. Later, however, the Ark was kept at Shiloh, another religious centre some 16 km north of Bethel, at the time of the prophet Samuel's apprenticeship,[21] where it was cared for by Hophni and Phinehas, two sons of Eli.[22]

At the beginning of his reign over the United Monarchy, King David removed the Ark from Kirjath-jearim amid great rejoicing. On the way to Zion, Uzzah, one of the drivers of the cart that carried the Ark, put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was struck dead by God for touching it. The place was subsequently named "Perez-Uzzah", literally "Outburst Against Uzzah",[33] as a result. David, in fear, carried the Ark aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, instead of carrying it on to Zion, and there it stayed three months.[34][35]

On hearing that God had blessed Obed-edom because of the presence of the Ark in his house, David had the Ark brought to Zion by the Levites, while he himself, "girded with a linen ephod ... danced before the Lord with all his might" and in the sight of all the public gathered in Jerusalem - a performance that caused him to be scornfully rebuked by his first wife, Saul's daughter Michal.[36][37][38] In Zion, David put the Ark in the tabernacle he had prepared for it, offered sacrifices, distributed food, and blessed the people and his own household.[39][40][41]

The Levites were appointed to minister before the Ark.[42] David's plan of building a temple for the Ark was stopped at the advice of God.[43][44][45][46]The Ark was with the army during the siege of Rabbah;[47] and when David fled from Jerusalem at the time of Absalom's conspiracy, the Ark was carried along with him until he ordered Zadok the priest to return it to Jerusalem.[48]

The Ark carried into the Temple from the early 15th century Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

When Abiathar was dismissed from the priesthood by King Solomon for having taken part in Adonijah's conspiracyagainst David, his life was spared because he had formerly borne the Ark.[49] Solomon worshipped before the Ark after his dream in which God promised him wisdom.[50]

During the construction of Solomon's Temple, a special inner room, named Kodesh Hakodashim (Eng. Holy of Holies), was prepared to receive and house the Ark;[51] and when the Temple was dedicated, the Ark—containing the original tablets of the Ten Commandments—was placed therein.[52] When the priests emerged from the holy place after placing the Ark there, the Temple was filled with a cloud, "for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord".[53][54][55]

When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, he caused her to dwell in a house outside Zion, as Zion was consecrated because of its containing the Ark.[56] King Josiah also had the Ark returned to the Temple,[57] from which it appears to have been removed by one of his predecessors (cf. 2 Chron. 33-34 and 2 Kings 21-23).

Yom HaAliyah (Aliyah Day) (Hebrew: יום העלייה‎) is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan to commemorate the Israelites crossing the Jordan River into the Land of Israel while carrying the Ark of the Covenant.

Ze'ev Raban

Ze’ev Raban (1890-1970) was a leading painter, decorative artist, and industrial designer of the Bezalel school style, and was one of the founders of the Israeli art world.

Wolf Rawicki (later Ze'ev Raban) was born in Łódź, Congress Poland, and began his studies there. He continued his studies in sculpture and architectural ornamentationat a number of European art academies. These included the School of Applied Art in Munich at the height of the Jugendstil movement, the neo-classical studio of Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, then a center of Art Nouveau, under symbolist and idealistartists Victor Rosseau and Constant Montald.

Under the influence of Boris Schatz, the founder of the Bezalel Academy, Raban moved to the land of Israel in 1912 during the wave of immigration known as the Second Aliyah. He joined the faculty of the Bezalel school, and soon took on a central role there as a teacher of repoussé, painting, and sculpture. He also directed the academy's Graphics Press and the Industrial Art Studio. By 1914, most of the works produced in the school's workshops were of his design. He continued teaching until 1929.[2]

In 1921, he participated in the historic art exhibition at the Tower of David, the first exhibit of Hebrew artists in Palestine, which became the first of a yearly series of such exhibits.

Raban is regarded as a leading member of the Bezalel school art style, in which artists portrayed both Biblical and Zionist themes in a style influenced by the European jugendstil (similar to Art Nouveau) and by traditional Persian and Syrian styles. Exemplars of this style are Rabban's illustrated editions of the Book of Ruth, Song of Songs, Book of Job, Book of Esther, and the Passover Hagadah.[2]

Like other European art nouveau artists of the period such as Alphonse Mucha Raban combined commercial commissions with uncommissioned paintings. Raban designed the decorative elements of such important Jerusalem buildings as the King David Hotel and the Jerusalem YMCA,.[3] He also designed a wide range of day-to-day objects, including playing cards (in the suit of leaves, the King is Ahasuerus, the Queen is Esther, and the Jack is Haman), commercial packaging for products such as Hanukkah candles and Jaffa oranges, bank notes, tourism posters, jewelry, and insignia for Zionist institutions.

"Raban easily navigated a wealth of artistic sources and mediums, borrowing and combining ideas from East and West, fine arts and crafts from past and present. His works blended European neoclassicism, Symbolist art and Art Nouveau with oriental forms and techniques to form a distinctive visual lexicon. Versatile and productive, he lent this unique style to most artistic mediums, including the fine arts, illustration, sculpture, repousee, jewellery design, and ceramics."[4]

Raban also designed a wide range of Jewish objects, including Hanukkah menorahs, temple windows, and Torah arks.[5] Temple Emanuel (Beaumont, Texas) has a notable set of six windows, each 16-feet high]. The windows were commissioned from Raban in 1922 by Rabbi Samuel Rosinger. Each window depicts an event in the life of one of the principal Hebrew prophets, Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Moses, and Isaiah.[6]

Raban collaborated with other artists to produce versions of his work as ceramic tiles, a number of which can still be sees on buildings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, including the Bialik House. The 1925 Lederberg house, at the intersection of Rothschild Boulevard and Allenby Street features a series of large ceramic murals designed by Raban. The four murals show a Jewish pioneer sowing and harvesting, a shepherd, and Jerusalem with a verse from Jeremiah 31:4, "Again I will rebuild thee and thous shalt be rebuilt."[7]

In 2015 one of his works received international attention. The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin visited at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for the December 2015 Hannukah celebration.[8] Israel's First Lady Nechama Rivlin joined her husband in lighting a menorah made in Israel by Raban, and loaned by the North Carolina Museum of Art’s Judaic Art Gallery. The White House noted: "The design elements of this menorah underscore a theme of coexistence, and its presence in the collection of the Judaic Art Gallery in North Carolina highlights the ties between American Jews and Israeli Jews and the vibrancy of Jewish life in the American South."[9]

Abel Pann

Abel Pann was an Israeli visual artist who was born in 1883. Abel Pann has had several gallery and museum exhibitions, including at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaisme. Numerous works by the artist have been sold at auction, including ‘Shepherdess’ sold at Matsart Auctioneers & Appraisers ‘Israeli & International Art’ in 2007 for $94,400. There have been Several articles about Abel Pann, including ‘TMA Presents The Eye of the Collector: The Jewish Vision of Sigmund R. Balka’ written for ArtDaily in 2008. The artist died in 1963.

When Pann came to Eretz Israel in 1913, he was enchanted by the remarkable spirit of Jerusalem, and said that “it seemed to me that I had already seen that city. I felt as though I had returned to the city of my birth after deserting it for hundreds of years”…

It was in Jerusalem where he decided to devote himself to biblical paintings, which considered to be the core of his oeuvre. the iconography of Pann’s biblical works is linked to the 19th century Orientalism, used by European artists such as Klimt, Gaugain and Matisse, who transformed and interpreted themes of the near East and North Africa. The east was regarded by those artists a world of violence- idyllic, romantic, and drenched with sexuality.

Pann’s work reveals an intimate familiarity with the work of Rembrandt, James Tissot, and other European painters of biblical scenes. Among his most original approaches was a pastel of Potiphar’s wife. This familiar theme had for hundreds of years and in the hands of innumerable artists conventionally depicted a mature beauty seducing an innocent youth, Joseph. According to art critic Meir Ronnen, Pann’s interpretation, a late period pastel dating from the 1950s, depicts Potiphar’s wife as a spoilt child, an extremely young and very bored girl who is “possibly just one of the lesser playthings of a gubernatorial harem.” She turns her bored gaze on the young Israelite. Ronen considers her to be “the most brilliant of all Pann’s creations.”

Pann’s youngest son was killed in the Israeli War of Independence. After that loss, he turned to painting scenes of the Holocaust. He died in Jerusalem in 1963.

For many years, Pann was considered an important artist in Israel, and had even greater success among Jewish art consumers abroad, but he “outlived his artistic times,” fading in importance beside the new, modernist painters. Although many of his paintings are in museum collections, private collectors can sometimes find them at galleries such as the Mayanot Gallery.In 1990 art curator and Israeli art historian, Shlomit Steinberg submitted an MA thesis at the History of Art department of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, titled: “The Image of the Biblical Woman as Femme Fatale in Abel Pann’s Works”.

The Search for the Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci Made a Secret Copy of ‘The Last Supper’ and, Miraculously, It Still Exists

A new documentary tracks down the second version of Leonardo's masterpiece.

Turns out The Last Supper had a second course. A near-pristine copy of Leonardo da Vinci‘s iconic painting—created by the Renaissance master and his studio—is offering a glimpse into what one of the world’s most famous artworks looked like when it was new.

The Last Supper is simultaneously one of art history’s greatest triumphs and biggest tragedies: The towering artist captured the emotional and dramatic intensity of one of the most important episodes from the Gospels, but he was so committed to outdoing the typical cenacolo fresco that he chose an untested medium, using oil paint that failed to bind with the underlying plaster and began decaying within years of its initial application.

The centuries have not been kind to the masterpiece—only 20 percent of the original painting is thought to remain intact, making it difficult to fully comprehend the impact the piece would have had when it was new. But what if there was a way to turn back time, to return to Leonardo’s studio, if you will, and see The Last Supper as he did?

When authors Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown were working on their 2017 book The Young Leonardo: The Evolution of a Revolutionary Artist, 1472–1499, which follows the Renaissance great from his career beginnings in Florence to his major breakthrough, The Last Supper, they assumed such a miracle was impossible.

Then, one day at a party, a friend told them that there was a second version of the painting, completed by Leonardo and his studio on canvas just a few years after the original mural. “I said ‘you’re crazy!'” Brown told artnet News at a recent screening of the pair’s new documentary short, The Search for the Last Supper, at New York’s Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. The film tracks the origins of this little-known second version and the authors’ efforts to trace it to a remote abbey in Tongerlo, Belgium, an hour outside Antwerp.

When they finally found the second painting, they were amazed to discover just how good the Tongerlo Last Supper looked. The figures line up perfectly, suggesting it was made using the same cartoons used to produce the original. “When we went to overlay them, we had no idea they were going to be such a perfect match,” said Isbouts. The film shows how the work on canvas fills in the gaps in the famed fresco, seemingly completing the painting.

The completion of The Last Supper marked the end of the first stage of Leonardo’s career, the fulfillment of his early promise in the form of a painting immediately recognized for its artistic genius. Among the work’s early admirers, in fact, was King Louis XII of France, who had conquered Milan, and, according to art historian Giorgio Vasari, had taken the time to visit Santa Maria della Grazie.

The king desperately hoped to bring the painting with him to France, which was then severely lacking in arts and culture, “but the fact that it was painted on a wall robbed his Majesty of his desire, and so the picture remained with the Milanese,” wrote Vasari.

According to Brown and Isbouts, the king was nevertheless undeterred. “If he can’t have the fresco itself, he will have the next best thing: a copy on canvas, that he can take back to France,” the documentary explains. The film points to a letter dated to January 1507, tracked down in the archives in Florence, in which the king writes that “we have need of Leonardo da Vinci,” who had an assignment back in his native city.

Based on this evidence, it seems likely that Louis XII commissioned Leonardo and his studio to paint a full-scale copy of The Last Supper, just eight years after they completed the original in 1499. Furthermore, a 1540 inventory of the governor of Milan’s estate in Gaillon, France, includes a “Last Supper on canvas with monumental figures that the king brought over from Milan.”

Brown and Isbouts believe that Andrea Solario, one of Leonardo’s best assistants, was largely responsible for overseeing the work, as he was with other known copies of the artist’s work created by his studio. Solario is known to have been in Milan while Leonardo was completing the original version of The Last Supper, and worked at the Gallion estate beginning in 1507—presumably arriving with the completed copy.

The work was then purchased in 1545 by the abbey in Tongerlo, Belgium—perhaps, the documentary argues, in defiance of Calvinist prohibitions against religious art. At the time, the abbot identified the work as a Leonardo.

Today, Brown and Isbouts have shown the painting to experts who believe some 90 percent of it was done by members of the artist’s studio. The paintings of Jesus Christ and St. John, however, may be by Leonardo himself—unlike the rest of the painting, X-ray analysis shows no underdrawings for these two important figures.

Seeing the long-forgotten copy for the first time “was overwhelming. I was blown away—it’s so vast,” Isbouts said. “The fresco is the fresco and that’s the original painting—but there’s so little you can see! So you need to see Milan, and then you need to see the Tongerlo.”

Leonardo’s studio also produced a third copy in about 1520, led by Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli, or Giampietrino, that now belongs to London’s Royal Academy, but it is not as faithful a replica. “Although it is a copy, it was seen as a real window into the achievements of Milan,” and an educational tool for students, the documentary notes. (Because of renovations to the academy, it is currently hung high on the wall of the Magdalen Chapel at Oxford.)

The documentary, which will air on local PBS stations, aims to inform viewers about the little-known Tongerlo copy and its fidelity to the now-nearly ruined original, but also to help raise funds for the much-needed restoration of the canvas. While it is in good shape compared to the ravaged mural, it endured significant damage during a fire at the abbey in 1929.

“It’s made up of multiple canvases stitched together, and they’re very very delicate,” said Isbouts, who expects the full restoration will cost €500,000 ($616,000). “All the funds will be wired directly to the account of the abbey, who are delighted.”

by Sarah Cascone.

Pesach Haggadah

The Haggadah (Hebrew: הַגָּדָה‎, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. Reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the Scriptural commandment to each Jew to "tell your son" of the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus in the Torah ("And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." Ex. 13:8).

Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews also apply the term Haggadah to the service itself, as it constitutes the act of "telling your son."

The Mishna details questions one is obligated to ask on the night of the seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to recite the four questions.[6]Some customs hold that the other participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult "child" until a grandchild of the family receives sufficient Jewish education to take on the responsibility. If a person has no children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to the spouse, or another participant.[7] The need to ask is so great that even if a person is alone at the seder he is obligated to ask himself and to answer his own questions.[7]

Ma nishtana ha lyla ha zeh mikkol hallaylot?
Why is this night different from all other nights?

1. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ḥamets umatsa, vehallayla hazze kullo matsa.
   Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matza, but on this night we eat only matza?
2. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin sh’ar y'rakot, vehallayla hazze maror.
   Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
3. Shebb'khol hallelot en anu matbillin afillu pa‘am eḥat, vehallayla hazze sh'tei fe‘amim.
   Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip [our food] even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
4. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ben yosh’vin uven m'subbin, vehallayla hazze kullanu m'subbin.
   Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline?

A fifth question which is present in the mishnah has been removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the Destruction of the Temple:

5. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin basar tsali shaluk umvushal, vehallayla hazze kullo tsali.
Why is it that on all other nights we eat meat either roasted, marinated, or cooked, but on this night it is entirely roasted?

The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages.[8]

1. We eat only matzah because our ancestors could not wait for their breads to rise when they were fleeing slavery in Egypt, and so they were flat when they came out of the oven.
2. We eat only Maror, a bitter herb, to remind us of the bitterness of slavery that our ancestors endured while in Egypt.
3. The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes the replacing of our tears with gratitude, and the second dip, Maror in Charoses, symbolizes the sweetening of our burden of bitterness and suffering.
4. We recline at the Seder table because in ancient times, a person who reclined at a meal was a free person, while slaves and servants stood.
5. We eat only roasted meat because that is how the Pesach/Passover lamb is prepared during sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem.

• The Four Sons

The traditional Haggadah speaks of "four sons"—one who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. This is based upon the rabbis of the Jerusalem Talmud finding four references in the Torah to responding to your son who asks a question.[9] Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different way. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question, using one of the three verses in the Torah that refer to this exchange.

The wise son asks "What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has commanded you to do?" One explanation for why this very detailed-oriented question is categorized as wise, is that the wise son is trying to learn how to carry out the seder, rather than asking for someone else's understanding of its meaning. He is answered fully: You should reply to him with [all] the laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after the paschal sacrifice.

The wicked son, who asks, "What is this service to you?", is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by the explanation that "It is because God acted for my sake when I left Egypt." (This implies that the Seder is not for the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated in the Haggadah, this son has frequently been depicted as carrying weapons or wearing stylish contemporary fashions.

The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage."

And the one who does not know to ask is told, "It is because of what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt."

Some modern Haggadahs mention "children" instead of "sons", and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child can represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to ask a question[10] or represent Jews who have drifted so far from Jewish life that they do not participate in a Seder.[11]

For the former, tradition is to say that for that child we ask "Why?" and, like the simple child, we have no answer.

• '"Go and learn"

Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5-8) are then expounded, with an elaborate, traditional commentary. ("5. And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my parent, and they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7. And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our parents, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.")

The Haggadah explores the meaning of those verses, and embellishes the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of the Ten Plagues:

1. Dam (blood)—All the water was changed to blood
2. Tzefardeyah (frogs)—An infestation of frogs sprang up in Egypt
3. Kinim (lice)—The Egyptians were afflicted by lice
4. Arov (wild animals)—An infestation of wild animals (some say flies) sprang up in Egypt
5. Dever (pestilence)—A plague killed off the Egyptian livestock
6. Sh'chin (boils)—An epidemic of boils afflicted the Egyptians
7. Barad (hail)—Hail rained from the sky
8. Arbeh (locusts)—Locusts swarmed over Egypt
9. Choshech (darkness)—Egypt was covered in darkness
10. Makkat Bechorot (killing of the first-born)—All the first-born sons of the Egyptians were slain by God

With the recital of the Ten Plagues, each participant removes a drop of wine from his or her cup using a fingertip. Although this night is one of salvation, the sages explain that one cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to suffer. A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced: "D'tzach Adash B'achav", while similarly spilling a drop of wine for each word.

At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu, which proclaims that had God performed any single one of the many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks. After this is a declaration (mandated by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons of the commandments of the Paschal lamb, Matzah, and Maror, with scriptural sources. Then follows a short prayer, and the recital of the first two psalms of Hallel (which will be concluded after the meal). A long blessing is recited, and the second cup of wine is drunk.

According to Jewish tradition, the Haggadah was compiled during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, although the exact date is unknown. It could not have been written earlier than the time of Rabbi Yehudah bar Elaay (circa 170 CE) who is the last tanna to be quoted therein. According to most Talmudic commentaries Rav and Shmuel argued on the compilation of the Haggadah,[note 1] and hence it had not been completed as of then. Based on a Talmudic statement, it was completed by the time of Rav Nachman (mentioned in Pesachim 116a). There is a dispute, however, to which Rav Nachman, the Talmud was referring: According to some commentators, this was Rav Nachman bar Yaakov[note 2] (circa 280 CE), while others maintain this was Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (360 CE).[note 3]

However the Malbim,[24] along with a minority of commentators, believe that Rav and Shmuel were not arguing on its compilation, but rather on its interpretation, and hence was completed before then. According to this explanation; the Haggadah was written during the lifetime of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi,[note 4] the compiler of the Mishna. The Malbim theorizes that the Haggadah was written by Rav Yehudah HaNasi himself.

The earliest Ashkenazi illuminated Haggada is known as the "Bird's Head Haggada",[31] now in the collection of The Israel Museum in Jerusalem.[32] The Rylands Haggadah (Rylands Hebrew MS. 6) is one of the finest Haggadot in the world. It was written and illuminated in Catalonia in the 14th century and is an example of the cross-fertilisation between Jewish and non-Jewish artists within the medium of manuscript illumination. In spring and summer 2012 it was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in the exhibition 'The Rylands Haggadah: Medieval Jewish Art in Context'.[33][34]

The British Library's 14th century Barcelona Haggadah (BL Add. MS 14761) is one of the most richly pictorial of all Jewish texts. Meant to accompany the Passover eve service and festive meal, it was also a status symbol for its owner in 14th-century Spain. Nearly all its folios are filled with miniatures depicting Passover rituals, Biblical and Midrashic episodes, and symbolic foods. A facsimile edition was published by Facsimile Editions of London in 1992.

Published in 1526, the Prague Haggadah is known for its attention to detail in lettering and introducing many of the themes still found in modern texts. Although illustrations had often been a part of the Haggadah, it was not until the Prague Haggadah that they were used extensively in a printed text. The Haggadah features over sixty woodcutillustrations picturing "scenes and symbols of the Passover ritual; [...] biblical and rabbinic elements that actually appear in the Haggadah text; and scenes and figures from biblical or other sources that play no role in the Haggadah itself, but have either past or future redemptive associations"

The Tabernacle and the 7 Pieces of furniture of the Tabernacle

The Tabernacle (Hebrew: מִשְׁכַּן‎, mishkan, "residence" or "dwelling place"), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the portable earthly dwelling place of God amongst the children of Israel from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built of woven layers of curtains along with 48 boards clad with polished gold standing like vertical blinds held in place by five bars per side with the middle bar shooting through from end to end and furnished with items made from the gold, silver, brass, furs, jewels, and other valuable materials taken out of Egypt at Yahweh's orders, and according to specifications revealed by Yahweh to Moses at Mount Sinai, it was transported [1] by the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness and their conquest of the Promised Land. Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem superseded it as the dwelling-place of God some 300 years later.

The main source for the account of the construction of the Tabernacle is the biblical Book of Exodus, specifically Exodus 25–31 and 35–40. It describes an inner shrine, the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark of the Covenant, which was held up under the veil of the covering suspended by four pillars and an outer chamber (the "Holy Place"), containing a beaten gold reflector impressed into what is generally described as a lamp-stand or candlestick featuring a central shaft incorporating four almond-shaped bowls and six branches, each with three bowls shaped like almonds and blossoms, 22 in all. It was standing diagonally, partially covering a table for showbreadand with its seven oil lamps over against it to give light along with the altar of incense.[2]

This description is generally identified as part of the Priestly source ("P"),[2] written in the sixth or fifth century BCE. However whilst the first Priestly source takes the form of instructions, the second is largely a repetition of the first in the past tense, i.e., it describes the execution of the instructions.[3] Many scholars contend that it is of a far later date than the time of Moses, and that the description reflects the structure of Solomon's Temple, while some hold that the description derives from memories of a real pre-monarchic shrine, perhaps the sanctuary at Shiloh.[2] Traditional scholars contend that it describes an actual tabernacle used in the time of Moses and thereafter.[4] According to historical criticism, an earlier, pre-exilic source, the Elohist ("E"), describes the Tabernacle as a simple tent-sanctuary.

God gave the specific order for the arrangement of the furniture (Exodus 40:20-38). If you could trace a line around their divine order the following would appear (the ark and mercy seat are two pieces forming one).

The first piece a worshipper would encounter as he came through the door was the altar. It was wood covered with brass (or copper at that time). It was a perfect square with horns on each of the 4 corners. It was where the blood sacrifices of clean lambs and goats would be offered in the heat of fire unto God for atonement (the covering and forgiveness of sins) (Exodus 27:1-8, Leviticus 17:11).

The second piece of furniture was a washing basin for the priests called the laver (lavatory – place of washing). It came after the altar of sacrifice and before the entrance to the sanctuary. It was made of polished copper. Its purpose was “to wash”. The priests had to daily wash their hands and feet from dirt and contamination before they worshipped God at the altar or entered the sanctuary to serve. The laver was not for the shedding of sacrificial blood for sin but for the washing of dirt. One had to be clean to serve. (Exodus 30:18-21).

The holy place contained gold not copper: the golden lampstand, the golden table of bread and the golden altar of incense. Here the washed priests entered to perform service and representative worship unto the Lord. This section tells that God is not only interested in our forgiveness and daily cleanliness but also our worship.

On the south side of the holy place stood the pure golden lampstand. The gold was formed into the shape of an almond tree in the full bloom of life by beating or hammering. It had six fruitful branches with a central shaft or trunk. They were designed to hold seven bowls filled with olive oil to provide light. Light and life merged together in one unit. The light was continual and was never to go out.

There was no light at all in the holy place except that which came from the golden lampstand. The varied colors and beauty of the inner sanctuary could only be seen in this one light.

Directly opposite the lampstand stood the table of showbread on the north side. One could only see the bread by the one light. Twelve loaves of bread were set on it once a week. During the week the bread was to be displayed before God. On the Sabbath the priests were to eat it. Thus God and man shared the same table together in fellowship of the same bread.

The holiest place of all contained the Ark of the Covenant covered with a special lid called the mercy seat. This was where God’s presence resided and where He communed (talked) with Moses (Exodus 25:22). The veil or curtain blocked the way so others could not enter in. However, the minute the Lord Jesus died on the cross the veil, then in the temple, was split in two showing the way was now made for all to come into the communion with God (Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 9:7-8, 10:19-21).

The third and last piece of furniture in the holy place was the altar of incense with its four horns. This stood by the veil, which separated the holy place from the holiest of holies. This altar was for one purpose only: to burn incense, not sacrifice. The incense was a special God-prescribed formula, which sent out a rich fragrant smoke when the priest lit it at morning and evening.

The Ark was a chest made out of wood covered with gold and sporting a crown border like the table and incense altar. It, however, rested in the holiest place where the presence of God dwelt. The chest contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments: God’s standard of righteousness – a golden pot of manna: Gods provision to sustain His people in life – and Aaron’s rod that budded with life: God’s choice as High Priest to be our continual mediator and intercessor (Psalm 40:6-10, John 6:51, Hebrews 4:14).

The Mercy Seat was the cover of the ark. It was solid gold beaten into winged cherubim; one at each end looking down where God’s presence was. Cherubim are involved with the protection of God’s holiness. Here, once a year, the high priest alone went in with sacrificial blood from the brazen altar to sprinkle it on the mercy seat to obtain forgiveness of sins for Israel.

Synagogue construction over the last two thousand years has followed the outlines of the original Tabernacle.[23][24] Every synagogue has at its front an ark, aron kodesh, containing the Torah scrolls, comparable to the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets with Ten Commandments. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue, equivalent to the Holy of Holies.

There is also usually a constantly lighted lamp, Ner tamid, or a candelabrum, lighted during services, near a spot similar to the position of the original Menorah. At the center of the synagogue is a large elevated area, known as the bimah, where the Torah is read. This is equivalent to the Tabernacle's altars upon which incense and animal sacrifices were offered. On the main holidays the priests, kohanim, gather at the front of the synagogue to bless the congregation as did their priestly ancestors in the Tabernacle from Aaron onwards (Numbers 6:22-27).[25]