A portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness, or more generally, any place of worship or dwelling place of the divine. In Christian contexts, it refers to the receptacle containing the consecrated bread and wine.
From Latin tabernaculum meaning 'tent, hut,' from taberna 'shop, tavern.' The word evolved from describing a simple shelter to specifically denoting the sacred portable temple described in Exodus, then extended to various religious structures.
The Tabernacle represents one of humanity's earliest examples of modular architecture - a sophisticated tent that could be assembled and disassembled as the Israelites traveled through the desert for 40 years. Interestingly, the detailed construction specifications in the Bible include measurements in cubits and descriptions of gold-plated acacia wood, making it perhaps history's most precisely documented ancient building project.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.