Tabernacle Research & Restoration
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Tabernacle Research & Restoration
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In today's high-tech and ever-changing world, it's widely accepted that students need to be fluent in so-called "STEM" subjects—which include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. However, in a world of social decay and increasing moral confusion, parents also feel a great need to have religious content incorporated into their children's school curriculum.
But let's be honest—traditional religious educations can end up being seen as STEM deficient given the two competing and seemingly opposite priorities. Even in cases where religious content occupies but a small fraction of the academic landscape, the inclusion of ancient history, primitive ethics, religious dogma, and liturgical ritual included in faith-based programs detract from core secular studies. Thus, religious education systems are perceived as not competitive, much less high-tech or “cutting edge”.
Unfortunately, dogmatic religious traditions further taint the public perception of ancient Scriptures; in fact, some King James English literalists have gone so far as to insist that PI ratio or π is 3:1 (instead of 3.14159...) based upon an uncritical reading of a single Bible verse (1 Kings 7:23). Consequentially, the Bible canon is often presented as a mixture of myths, miracles, and mysteries—rather than being seen supernatural revelation containing a unique collection of multidisciplinary teachings.
Making matters even worse, contradicting translations leave readers skeptical of Bible texts and doubting the very notion of divinely inspired writ. Needless to say, a wide variance of bizarre Tabernacle representations also has left people thinking that the Exodus narrative is an irrelevant record of substandard and unskilled work. Fortunately, rediscovering the Exodus Tabernacle allows for huge advances Bible-based STEM education!
Could the ancient Hebrews, who were formally enslaved in an advanced Egyptian civilization, have been well versed in S.T.E.M. subjects? What if the Tabernacle of the Exodus era was not primitive and the Bible's usefulness in multidisciplinary studies has been long overlooked because scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical revelations contained therein were never recognized as being advanced and hidden ancient knowledge? What if the Bible's Tabernacle texts were not the work of marginally literate slaves or goat-herders, but were divinely revealed, in part, to be educational and even an engineering "primer" of sorts? Granted, this notion that ancient man was actually intelligent and advanced—much less in possession of divine revelation—flies in the face of every knuckle-dragging-neanderthal monkey-man narrative that is pushed by Darwinistic biologists, secular anthropologists, Sagan-loving astrophysicists, and other priests of atheism. But what if the evidence always points in the direction of "antiquitech", even if Pastors, Rabbis, and professors speak to the contrary?
If examined thoughtfully, it becomes apparent that the Exodus texts speak quite frankly to the importance of multidisciplinary aspects of the Tabernacle revelation and construction. Granted, in recent years, so-called "smart-phones" and web-based-computer technologies have come to be seen as the end-all-be-all or the apex of human accomplishment; nevertheless, life apart from today's virtual reality suggests that the more ancient things are equally, if not more, important. In surveying our material possessions, it's clear that most things manufactured today are still made from the same basic materials that they were thousands of years ago, such as metal, stone, wood, fabric, and leather. Understanding that just about everything is still made from materials that are classified as animal, mineral, vegetable, or liquid, it should come as little surprise that the Bible describes its master engineers and craftsmen as being skilled in working with such materials.
To describe these Exodus crafts using more modern terminology, the Bible texts are speaking of experts in metalworking, metallurgy, carpentry, stone masonry, gemology, apothecary, tanning, weaving, and textiles. Do these specialized professions sound like they are not deeply rooted in S.T.E.M. principles, or as if they are remedial and low tech? Hopefully these skills and trades aren't seen as "stone age", because even the latest tablet devices or virtual reality goggles are bound to be comprised of highly refined metal and ceramic materials using a crystal that is set within it to enable high-speed computer chip computations, along with a fabric strap to secure it in place and a leather case to protect the gear while not in use. Thus, the use of metal, stone, wood, cloth, and leather shouldn't be perceived as "low tech", but rather as the most basic—and the very most essential—building blocks and hallmarks of civilization. While modern societies might assume that "antique" and "technology" are antithetical and mutually exclusive terms and ideas, it's probably not wise to equate "antique" to "irrelevant" or "unsophisticated" or to think of present-day "technology" as superseding or negating the foundations upon which it is all predicated.
The term "science" is regularly understood to refer to
the study of the natural world as obtained through observation and experiment.
Although this modern definition of "science" is seldom questioned or contested, it's important to consider that "science" didn't always have such a strong material connotation, but was rather used in a much more generic sense. In fact, around five hundred years ago, the English word "science" was simply used to refer to "what is known", or "knowledge of something acquired by study". As such, "science" was not limited in its scope to the study of the physical world via observation and experiment. Instead, the study of the material world (a.k.a., the
natural world ) was but a subset of "science", and "science" as is thought of today was once more accurately referred to as "natural philosophy".
Today's "natural philosophy" based "science", of course, is predicated upon the assumption that nothing of significance exists outside of what can be detected or experienced materially. Of course, it is ironic that much modern "science" is essentially governed by a
philosophy, which is ultimately a
belief system, as opposed to
knowledge. Consequentially, "science"—as it is perceived and defined today—is ultimately a statement of faith. Because modern science is characterized by agnostic skepticism, it inherently prefers personal observation and experience in favor of data obtained through other sources—specifically ancient witnesses. Given the atheistic preference and deliberate bent toward "natural philosophy", knowledge preserved in religious texts is treated with hostility and systematically excluded from field of "science". As it is fully quarantined into the so-called "metaphysical realm", it is made impotent in its isolation, and consequentially rejected outright from offering any "real world" explanations. Even though there is no clear line of demarcation between so-called natural and supernatural realms, according to this so-called "scientific method", only nature exists, and religion is reclassified and placed under the auspices of "humanities" studies where it is stripped of any absolute authority, being equated to subjective studies like art or music.
With "science" today being biased to focus exclusively on the natural world, most people are unaware as to the massive intellectual limitations that are imposed by embracing a dogmatic materialistic worldview. After all, scientific advances repeatedly show how our perception the material world is inherently limited by finite human senses, which are as limited in scope as they are in range. Whales and and bats navigate with high frequency sonar whereas people cannot; likewise, dogs can smell and hear more acutely than humans. Apart from seeing farther than people can, birds are even believed to navigate based upon electromagnetic fields. Thus, it seems that we are left studying the natural world much like ignorant blind men experiencing finite parts of an elephant!
Today, we believe the human eye can detect only a fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum, yet "science"—as it is popularly defined—would have us promptly discount that which we cannot immediately observe as being categorically "unscientific". This is especially ironic, as more people throughout history have claimed to have seen miracles and ghosts than microwaves and infrared signals. Consider that without the aid of special instrumentation, the x-ray might have remained quarantined in the realm of metaphysical—being unfamiliar and therefore supernatural or miraculous. Now imagine where modern medicine would be if looking for X-rays was forbidden by or excluded from science. Needless to say, most "scientific" discoveries ultimately begin with a measure of speculation, or shall we say "faith", in the existence of that which has not been observed. Thus, it stands to reason that the lines between the natural and supernatural are as artificial and dynamic as they are arbitrary personal preference; consequentially, imposing lines between natural and supernatural realms is intellectually shortsighted and crippling—and ultimately an act of faith. Clearly, it's time that scope of "science" must be reconsidered to include theism and religious texts.
Apart from the naturalistic and atheistic dogma subtly imposed into the definition of science, it's perhaps more fitting to focus upon
knowledge as being the essence of science—which is more deeply rooted in qualification, quantification, and the articulation of causality. After all, this is more compatible with the idea conveyed by the original Latin "sciens" term, which is understood to mean "to separate one thing from another; to distinguish". Furthermore, this is likewise more consistent with Adam's first job in Eden, which was literally not gardening, but rather becoming familiar with all things in the world which were created for him and calling them by name (Genesis 2:20). Obviously, without an ability to identify and distinguish between things, from ants to zebras, all subsequent "science" is pointless. Given this subtle Bible principle and priority, it stands to reason that etymology and taxonomy are not only foundational, but the greatest of all sciences, as is likewise implied by the names and categories of scientific specialties (e.g., chemistry, botany, geology, biology, agriculture, astronomy, physics, chronology, and hydrology to name a few).
Upon being able to distinguish between different things as they exist in the present tense, true science is ultimately predicated upon law (more so than observation and experiment), which is ultimately an explanation or expression of conditions, cause, and effect. This principle is likewise seen in early Genesis; for along with being given the ability to distinguish between types of trees and fruits, Adam was told about which fruits were permissible and which were forbidden. Adam, however, preferred a more modern "scientific" approach as opposed to accepting the law that he was given, opting for a failed "experiment-and-observe" approach rather than an "identify-qualify-obey" approach. In so doing, Adam undoubtedly learned that there was no point in trying to distinguish between moral and natural law, or in trying to ignore moral law in favor of only natural law, as all laws are established by a creator.
The inevitable liabilities and dangers of fixating upon knowledge (in the form of "science" or natural law) while ignoring moral law cannot be understated. As is coined in Peter Sinfield's simple song lyric, "Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules, the fate of all mankind, I see, is in the hands of fools". As the secular educators advocating STEM curriculum have noticed, the fate of mankind is indeed in the hands of those mastering science. But what they fail to fully acknowledge is that lawless knowledge is a a deadly thing. Human progress is far more inhibited by rebellion to moral law as opposed to ignorance of natural law. Scientific means need motives and morality.
Project 314 STEM science curriculum is designed with the principle that the so-called natural sciences must be taught in conjunction with moral law. For this reason, the Bible's introduction of scientific content is always blended with moral law and stories.
This applies to agriculture, biology,
When is Technology no longer technology?
Let's start with the wheel. Then the cart and the gear. Then the charriot and the winch. Then the wagon. Then the car
What is "science"?
supernatural
ologies
etymology is everything
Majic, miracles, and prophetic utterances
Natureal vs supernatural
meta-physical
taxonomy
It's ironic that few people would never consider the Bible to be a math text, even though it has a book that is traditionally named "Numbers". But what can you do with Numbers? Well, you can start by naming them, ordering them, comparing them, adding them, subtracting them, multiplying them, averaging them.
quantification,
equations
plot them
Adding to the irony, the real Bible Math fun begins before the book of Numbers, as the Exodus Tabernacle
length, time, weight, distance, volume, value, money, area
It has a whole book of numbers!
Shapes
Ratios
Fractions
As an engineering professor who loved to teach "hands-on" lab courses, my father used to say, "tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand". After teaching for over forty years and evaluating homework, lab reports, and exams, he was aware of how personal engagement aided in comprehension.
It stands to reason that experts and teachers may differ upon the best way to convey information, just as students and individuals are bound to have their own preferred learning styles; nevertheless, it is clear that students will always benefit from using a variety of learning "modalities", which employ a variety of senses. With students confined to desks for a large portion of their academic curriculum, educators have traditionally placed primary emphasis on lectures and lessons that employ visual and auditory faculties, i.e., eyesight and hearing. Fortunately, in more recent times, additional emphasis is being placed on tactile and kinesthetic learning, as educators are coming to recognize the importance of integrating touching and body movement into daily curriculum.
In surveying ancient structures and remains that have survived to this day (e.g., Egyptian relics), it becomes obvious that many technologies have been lost and ancient cultures were capable of accomplishing what we cannot do today. Thus, we not only remain ignorant of ancient technologies, but of greater significance, we have a understanding and perception problem, as is made evident by Tabernacle texts.
Introducing the only divinely designed structure of the Bible, Exodus 26:1 drops a major hint as introduces Tabernacle materials as being engineered hardware, referring to curtains as "thoughtful" or "cunning" works (KJV). Most translations and interpretations, however, overlook this direct language, and infer that the Tabernacle materials were primarily decorative, which is why almost no commentators see the Tabernacle hardware as being anything but an oversized "arts-and-crafts" project. Instead of regarding the Tabernacle components as a work of intellect, translators'
ARTISTIC, ARTISAN, CREATIVITY, CURIOUS (CEBA, CSB, YLT, CEB, CJB)
Crawl walk run trip stumble fall
a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
The
Arts and crafts
While
the Tabernacle plans are 5 or 6 story tent
a
ROOTS
ROOTS