Objects & worship
Showbread
Twelve loaves regularly placed before God in the sanctuary.
Also called · bread of the Presence · consecrated bread
What it means
The loaves were arranged in two rows on a gold-covered table and renewed each Sabbath.
They represented a holy offering and were normally assigned to Aaron and his sons to eat in a holy place.
How it appears in the Bible
In 1 Samuel, the priest gave this consecrated bread to David when no ordinary bread was available.
Translation note
Modern translations often prefer “bread of the Presence” over the older “showbread.”