Biblical Shiloh, The Tabernacle

As we enter this site we find replicas of typical life from long ago. Your mind and heart anticipate what lies ahead....Biblical Shiloh?  The ancient site of the Tabernacle? The resting place of the Ark of Covenant for hundreds of years....really?  Pinch me again...I'm here.   : )

The beautiful Hills of Shiloh.

We talk about the instructions of building the Tabernacle and where it stood.

  The walls of stone that encompassed the Tabernacle.

The Lord provided an opportunity for me to meet a beautiful youn lady who I was immediately drawn to. We visited briefly, exchanged emails, prayed and left. If you want to see Israel,  you must visit Heather's page; she is remarkable and she captures the heart of the land.

Rocks and stone that have seen hundreds of years of erosion yet the 

tiny snail shell indicates the presence of recent life. 

We were thankful for a few moments to reflect as we wandered around this historical site.

How much of life on earth has changed? How much remains as it was? What was it like here?

 This reminded me of "blooms in the desert". Everything was dry and dead and in the midst

 we find a lovely little bloom springing up. I was also intrigued by the growth on the rocks... not

a bloom, but life also.

The day begins to fade as an almost full moon rises over the stone wall. The view may seem ordinary from the photo but to

be there it was stunning.

My heart is full and words fail me. My mind wanderes back and creates an imaginary world as I try to invision what it must have been like when the Tabernacle stood among these rocks and in the

crevice of these hills. This was the center of Israelite worship. Men

brought offerings to the Lord to atone for the sins of their families.

Once the offering was made the vessel carrying it was broken. Pieces of pottery are everywhere. 369 years of offerings.

As the moon rose higher in the sky and night fell I looked at the dark hills seemingly untouched by mankind on this night. I knew this was a sight the children of Israel had experienced. They stood among these stones, hills, this beauty, just as I was and they too watched a full moon rise over the dark hills. This night was a tremendous gift from the Lord. 

The silence, the moonlight, few people = treasure.

 In 1873 the explorer Wilson suggested the northern plateau of Tel Shilo as the possible site of the Tabernacle. In aerial photographs it is clear that there is an area north of the Tel that was hewn for some specific purpose. According to Wilson's measurements, the plateau is 77 feet long, i.e. 235 meters. Therefore, this location fits that all three requirements for identifying the site as that of the Tabernacle, dimensions, direction and naturally defendable.

The tabernacle was a place of sacrifice, so that the sins of the Israelites could be atoned for. While the solution was not permanent, it did facilitate communion between God and His people.

The Tabernacle involved not only very expensive materials, but these materials were fashioned in such a way as to create great works of art. According to calculations there would be some 1,900 lbs. of gold, 6,437 lbs. of silver, and 4,522 lbs. of bronze. The architect was God himself, what else would we expect but beauty?  Exodus chapters 35-40.