A Stone Altar Southeast of Shiloh
A large, stone-built altar has been discovered southeast of the ancient city of Shiloh. Like the altar at nearby Givat Harel, this one is about a mile from the ancient city. Unlike the altar at Givat Harel, this altar is not monolithic, but is built of un-worked field stones. This is in accordance with the guidelines in the Hebrew Bible for the construction of an altar built to Yahweh. “‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool......
An Altar West of Shiloh
A rock-hewn altar was discovered west of ancient Shiloh in 2002. It is situated at the edge of the Israeli settlement of Givat Harel, about a mile west of Shiloh. The altar is hewn from a single, massive stone, and features four horns. The altar was studied by Yoel Elitzur, an archaeologist who lives in nearby Ophrah. Part of what makes this altar so interesting is its massive size, as well at its proximity to Shiloh, home of the Israelite tabernacle for over three centuries. The altar is located about half way......
Samuel and the Tabernacle
The tabernacle was a portable structure that had every sign of being a temporary structure. Constructed as a semi-permanent tent, it had walls made of wooden panels set in metal sockets. The whole was covered with several layers of material (linen, woven goat hair, and leather). The tabernacle was surrounded by posts, between which were hung linen curtains. The entire structure could be taken apart for transportation, and it was moved with the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. When the land was initially subdued, Joshua and the Israelites met at......
