Objects & worship
Tabernacle
Israel’s portable sanctuary during the wilderness period.
Also called · tent of meeting · dwelling
What it means
The tabernacle was a tent sanctuary built from gifted materials according to detailed instructions.
Its courts and inner rooms organized priestly service around the ark and other sacred furnishings.
How it appears in the Bible
Exodus describes the cloud covering it, and Numbers connects the cloud’s movement with Israel’s journeys.
Translation note
“Tabernacle,” “dwelling,” and “tent of meeting” overlap but can represent different Hebrew terms.