Schooling the Experts

SCHOOLING THE EXPERTS

~ A Call to Learn, to Teach, and to Question ~

Do you have a passion for God's Dwelling place, and a desire to teach or share your newfound understanding of God's true Tabernacle with others? Would you like to see the truth about God's Dwelling Place be taught in your church, synagogue, school, or university, even though you might not have ever been formally assigned with the religious instruction of congregants, students, or future leaders? Are you willing to take an active roll in becoming part of this incredible awakening and restoration movement, whether you are a professional, ordained, or credentialed pastor, rabbi, priest, professor, or not?

Regardless of your academic background or professional credential, Project 314 makes it easy for just about anyone to get involved with the round Tabernacle restoration effort!

Be Part of the Restoration!

Study and equip yourself.
Help or challenge the experts.
Lead a classroom or small group study.

Throughout the course of my research and personal Tabernacle Journey, it came to my attention that most people—including religious experts and leaders—really know very little about the Exodus Tabernacle texts. Unfortunate as it may be, this is probably the logical outworking of the gross misrepresentation of God's dwelling place as it has been presented through translation and tradition. Nevertheless, this is where anyone who is interested in the Tabernacle restoration efforts must begin—by admitting to being ignorant and being willing to seek knowledge.

With the objective of advancing public understanding of the Tabernacle, The House of El Shaddai—God's Dwelling Place Reconsidered was written, which reveals the rediscovered form of God's residence while correcting the many misconceptions that people have about the ancient tent—whether they are traditions regurgitated by generations of religious scholars or instead proposed by today's religious experts.

In comparison to books of similar scope, such as those printed by the likes of Hendrickson-Rose Publications, Artscroll-Shaar Press, Mesorah Publications, Judaica Press, and other well-known publishers, The House of El Shaddai is unique in that it takes both engineering principles and the minute details of the literal Hebrew Exodus texts (e.g., lengths, weights, orientation, fits, forms, functions, and even the 3.14 or the π constant) into account before presenting impractical or contradictory tent hardware arrangements or inferring religious symbolism.

While not discouraging anyone from surveying alternate writings, The House of El Shaddai saves readers research time as it objectively includes multiple viewpoints as promoted by traditional commentaries and famous religious artwork, which not only orients the reader with familiar visual points of reference, but also provides practical points of comparison to the rediscovered round yurt-like and Hebrew-based arrangement. In addition to using a verse-by-verse presentation approach, The House of El Shaddai also uses over 200 color images and illustrations in order to make the Bible text come to life, making the Exodus narrative not only easy to follow, but memorable as well. As this material is designed to educate and equip an open-minded reader, it is likely to many tenured religious experts virtually speechless—even rendering cynical critics impotent. See the Products page for the PDF sample and ordering.

Identifying the Experts

Once you have acquired some subject matter familiarity, you are encouraged to further engage in round Tabernacle restoration efforts by helping—which may inherently involve challenging—the "experts".

The notion of helping or challenging "experts", of course, begs a simple question: "Who, exactly, is an expert?" Likewise, this question is predicated upon the answer to a more elementary question, namely, "what is an expert?"

When it comes to identifying experts, the irony—and ultimate problem—is that is that an "expert" is only granted such status by means which are ultimately subjective. In other words, experts only exist in the mind of a beholder—and this means that you, as an individual, must decide for yourself who is worthy of being awarded the title or status of "expert". After all, terms used to define an "expert", such as "comprehensive and authoritative knowledge" or someone having a "specialized skill" are still relative, and are to some degree left to the discretion of an observer, or, heaven forbid, be left up to popular opinion.

For better and for worse, people are often elevated to an "expert" status by means of academic or professional credential. While it is of benefit for experts to train and develop their skills or knowledge alongside of peers working in the same profession or specialty, it is also of importance to consider that experts sometimes unite together to create strange social organizations with mixed motives and morally maligned government. Throughout history, experts have been known for creating draconian fraternal orders and self-serving institutions that discourage critical thinking, favor conformity over honesty, and suppress corrective criticism. Such behaviors can permeate and pollute professions beyond recognition, corrupting curriculum, mission statements, publications, legislation—even members. Moreover, some expert credentials require little more than short-term memorization and regurgitation, thereby offering the public little assurance that "certified experts" have a genuine command on a particular subject matter. Furthermore, professional credentials or certifications alone cannot guarantee that experts behave ethically—or can objectively practice their professions outside of Pavlovian bell-salivate-reward systems of conditioned response that might be inspired only by fiscal incentive.

Finally, it is important to note that apart from attaining an "expert" status by means of academic credential or professional certification, many "experts" exist in the absence of a righteous moral standard. For example, hitmen and loan sharks qualify as "experts" according to the general English definition; and needless to say, they should scarcely be applauded for practicing their crafts. Lest it be forgotten, Adolph Hitler was generally seen by millions as an "expert" in his day in the profession of government, thereby leading an entire nation in all economic, eugenic, religious, and foreign affairs. Granted, this is not to say that all leaders—who are approximated to be "experts"—hope to forward the same values and agendas as did Hitler, but this is to show an obvious example whereby people often have difficulty differentiating between charismatic appeal and legitimate knowledge-based authority and expertise. Thus, masses of ignorant, apathetic, and morally confused people—such as those shown in the famous Nazi Hamburg shipyard photograph—leave themselves completely ill-equipped to identify a true "expert", yet are able to do so within environments whereby the "majority rules" principle is used to define the moral good.

Today, objective scholars—even German historians—are unlikely to see Hitler as an expert in governance, but rather as an expert in crowd psychology and emotional manipulation. While it is unlikely that every person saluting in the Hamburg photograph actually believed that Hitler was truly an expert leader, history clearly shows the great danger in showing unconditional support, casual cooperation, or even passive consent to the status quo. In hindsight, history seems to show that the single individual that is shown to be abstaining from the salute without apology (believed to be August Landmesser or Gustav Wegert) was the only political "expert" in the crowd that day, whereas the remainder would come to bear some portion of the guilt for the death of millions as their cooperation and/or submission empowered a genocidal madman. This leaves simple questions for the reader: Who do you salute as an "expert", and would you prefer to have your experts defined by popular opinion or peer pressure? Would you be more likely to stand beside a lone man speaking out in a crowd, or would you stand behind a man simply because everyone else is calling him an "expert" or "der Führer"?

May this Hamburg photograph be a reminder of the dangers of misappropriated endorsement, the lack of virtue in peer pressure, the potential for great wisdom among a dissenting minority, and the great public responsibility in influencing those perceived by the masses to be experts.

Being an Expert vs Making an Effort

While the "expert" dictionary definition does little to expound upon the means by which one might be formally acknowledged as an "expert", it does even less to challenge the validity of such an idea or mental construct altogether—which seems to be of questionable prudence.

About fifteen years ago, an Eastern Indian work colleague made a lasting impression as he shared a simple proverb with me. He explained that "an expert is someone who knows almost everything about practically nothing". While self-proclaimed and credentialed experts alike might take offense at this ironic maxim, it makes a valid point about the inherent limitations of lopsided knowledge acquisition. Coincidentally, English versions of the Hebrew Bible never or scarcely use the word "expert" in interpretation, which further suggests that using titles such as "expert" is inappropriate and perhaps even idolatrous.

In reconsidering the reverence attributed to "expert" titles and personalities in today's society, it might be fitting to reflect upon the etymology of "expert", which is of Latin origin. "Expert", like "expertise" and "experience", comes from the Latin root experiri, which simply means "to try". Curiously, the English noun "try" comes from a word meaning "a screen for sifting", which seems to be related to a "tray" that might be used for sifting gold, which is ultimately associated with "an effort" or "an attempt"—as opposed to something producing results that are absolutely certain.

A Hebrew Proverb seems to compare the quest for knowledge of God's word to panning for gold, as it is roughly translated into English, "Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold." (Proverbs 8:10, KJV)

Understanding that prospectors need to roll up their sleeves, get wet and dirty, and process a volume of common soil and stone as they seek for treasures of greater weight, it is fitting that the Scriptures might liken the pursuit of knowledge to this arduous process. While there is no guarantee that you will be instantly reward with huge nuggets of gold on your first attempt, one thing is almost certain—you won't get gold or knowledge unless you try. In this regard, it is better to try and make an effort than it is to claim "expert" status, as a mere claim alone is not assured to make anyone prosperous. Remember, if you try panning for gold next to an expert, you just might surprise yourself by how well you do.

Do you feel intellectually or academically inferior to someone that you have regarded to be an "expert", such as a pastor, rabbi, priest, minister, professor, teacher, or other religious authority? Is it possible that your perception of their "expert" status is rooted in your own ignorance or insecurity—or is it because they have intimidated you with their credentials, or hopefully left you inspired at some point with their knowledge or insight? Whatever the case, it is worth considering that it is possible that you may possess some knowledge that they lack—especially if it is pertaining to God's dwelling place, as revealed through the plans of the Exodus Tabernacle. It has been my observation that the number of religious professionals having an intimate knowledge of the structure or the texts describing it are few and far between, and the knowledge that most religious professionals have is rooted more in translation and in tradition than it is in the original Exodus texts themselves. In fact, it is likely that in studying and absorbing The House of El Shaddai materials that you will be more knowledgeable in the subject matter than most any religious professional that might otherwise command your respect; and this knowledge should equip you to help the religious expert—as well as those following their lead.

Meet with a Religious Expert

In the event that you attempt present this Tabernacle rediscovery and revelation to your favored experts or religious leaders, please be mindful to approach them such a way that is professional, polite, patient, and personal. After all, this research is likely to be perceived as unorthodox and therefore potentially hostile to any authority that is highly reliant upon a traditional religious education and a status quo knowledge base. When presented with such an unusual proposition, it is possible and perhaps likely that a such person—being both knowledgeable and classically trained—will respond with skepticism. After all, the claim that plans for God's Dwelling Place or Tabernacle has been hidden in plain sight in Hebrew Bible texts but lost in translation for thousands of years is likely to sound like an audacious one—however practical, probable, or even certain it may seem to you. To this end, a brief list of recommended "do's and don'ts" for meeting with your religious expert have been itemized below.

DO:  Research the subject matter thoroughly.
DO:  Have or develop a personal relationship and rapport.
DO:  Request a private and dedicated appointment to introduce the subject matter.
DO: Offer to host and provide warm hospitality if accepted.
DO:  Be prepared to be rejected.
DO:  Listen before speaking.
DO:  Be respectful.
DO: Discuss facts and differentiate them from opinions.
DO:  Inquire as to the basis for their understanding.
DO:  Inquire as to their level of subject matter familiarity.
DO:  Inquire as to their technical knowledge or experience.
DO:  Use visual aids in discussion.
DO: Take notes and be accountable to questions.
DO:  Express concerns about English translations.
DO:  Objectively compare different views.
DO: Maintain emotional balance in disagreement.
DO:  Share or loan resources (e.g., Tabernacle books, Drawings, PowerPoint CD, Project brochures, etc.)
DO:  Allow time for independent expert research and incubation.
DO: Express gratitude.
DO: Be patient.
DO:  Request a follow-up meeting to further discussion.
DO:  Find additional mutual friends interested in the topic.

DO NOT:  Endorse views from a position of ignorance.
DO NOT:  Engage experts without establishing a relationship.
DO NOT:  Approach randomly without regard for schedule or introduce material by blindsiding experts in public.
DO NOT: Refuse hospitality or insist upon controlling the venue.
DO NOT:  Take rejection personally.
DO NOT:  Speak before listening.
DO NOT:  Allow yourself to be intimidated.
DO NOT:  Make unsubstantiated remarks.
DO NOT:  Assume they are not rational.
DO NOT:  Assume they are ignorant of the topic.
DO NOT:  Assume they are or are not technically trained.
DO NOT:  Present information without illustrations.
DO NOT: Carelessly disregard questions or criticisms.
DO NOT:  Accept English translations as infallible writ.
DO NOT:  Dogmatically insist you are correct.
DO NOT: Continue if your audience seems emotionally unstable.
DO NOT:  Leave without lending or sharing complementary research materials.
DO NOT:  Insist upon immediate validation or edification.
DO NOT:  Presume to be entitled to anything (time, attention, etc.)
DO NOT:  Expect immediate attention or comprehension.
DO NOT:  Assume there is no further interest.
DO NOT:  Assume a single witness will bring about change.

Obviously, recommendations provided above is intended to serve as a simplified and practical list for facilitating a friendly informative discussion and exchange of information. Hopefully, with the help of these common sense guidelines, the meeting will remain productive, on-topic, and will not be perceived to be initiated with hostile intentions or adversarial spirit.

Remember, the expert that you meet with may not prove to be open-minded, may suffer from cognitive dissonance, and may be professionally committed to a particular religious tradition, operating under the jurisdiction of particular religious institution or authority. When you meet, try to remember that religious experts are not often accustomed to be being frankly challenged in their religious observation, training, or convictions, and furthermore might be highly insecure and protective of their status within the community. Consequentially, religious professionals may perceive such an exchange or even the invitation as a challenge to their authority and otherwise protected status as a publicly respected figure, and therefore perhaps even a threat to their livelihood.

Tools for School

Whether you are trying to educate yourself, another person, or an entire group of people, different teaching and learning tools are appropriate. As previously indicated, The House of El Shaddai—God's Dwelling Place Reconsidered was written and illustrated to presents a thorough verse-by-verse comparison between the rediscovered Hebrew-based round yurt-like model and the traditional and familiar rectangular designs. However, books are not the ideal solution for all audiences, especially for those demanding a more engaging learning tool, digital formatting, or concise collection of information. For such audiences, two other tools are recommended; The House of El Shaddai Exodus Tabernacle PowerPoint(R) Presentation, and the Project Betzalel Exodus Engineering Exegesis.

The Exegesis drawings (left) are created mostly for advanced students, featuring a single introductory cover sheet, with the technical content being reduced to four sheets of information and includes bilingual English-Hebrew phrases. These drawings do not recognize or address religious traditions, although they are of great assistance in identifying English Bible translation pitfalls, given the abbreviated bilingual content. Much of the tabulated English commentary is based upon the Hebrew particulars, which is concisely cited in drawing Tables.

Available in a variety of sizes and formats, these colorful CAD-based Engineering style drawings are great for detailed studies or five minute overviews. Go to Products page to view the sample page and for more details.

Made specifically for teaching classes and large audiences, The House of El Shaddai Exodus Tabernacle Presentation is designed for Full High Definition (FHD 1080p) computer monitor or projector viewing. Created in multiple Windows/Mac compatible formats (PowerPoint, jpg, and pdf), the contents of the Exodus Tabernacle Presentation can be viewed on almost any device, including PC's, smart TV's, and tablets.

Perhaps the most versatile of all of The House of El Shaddai products, this presentation features easy-to-use links for quick navigation, making it great for self-guided tours as well as in-depth or discussion-led studies. In addition to the base 180+ slide presentation, this product includes an electronic presentation and printable copy of The House of El Shaddai Questioning the Tabernacle Workbook, making it ideal for student homework, quizzes, or public class discussion.

Much like the book, this presentation uses a verse-by-verse and a step-by step approach to dismantle the presumptive traditional model in order to make way for the rediscovered Hebrew-based model. However, unlike to book, this presentation offers a few additional resources, include bilingual (Hebrew/English) Bible texts, as well as an abbreviated Strong's Concordance based table to help serious students compare original terms to problematic words and phrases that are popular in virtually all of today's English translations.

Testing the Experts

In order to help create true "experts", The House of El Shaddai—Questioning the Tabernacle Workbook was created. Of course, the simple act of completing a workbook by no means guarantees anyone to be an "expert" according to the modern "expert" connotation, but it does allow a person to become experienced and more intimately familiar with the subject matter. In other words, it gives people an opportunity to test or "try" their comprehension, that is to say to prove their knowledge to be true. This is the true essence of being an "expert", and in the case of the Questioning the Tabernacle workbook, it gives the student over 200 practical questions and intellectual exercises to do so.

While this workbook is not intended to be technically intense, it was nevertheless created in memory of my father, who worked an engineering professor for in excess of four decades. Dad's most impressionable teaching slogan was, "Tell me, and I forget; show me, and I remember; involve me, and I understand." It is my hope that this workbook honors these profound principles by inviting the student to become personally involved in understanding the Exodus Tabernacle texts.

This Questioning the Tabernacleworkbook is "hands on" in that it not only expects the student to search the Bible texts for answers to the 200 questions, but it also invites the student to think critically, outside of traditions and translations, and apart from the influence of third party illustrations. Created intentionally with no images or illustrations whatsoever, the workbook not only invites the student to make their own sketches, but it takes the student step=by-step through the text, soliciting critical thinking and deductive reasoning in hopes that the student is able to draw their own conclusions and make their own discoveries while visiting the texts which describe God's dwelling place. If you truly want to understand and master anything, there is no detour or substitute for getting involved. It should go without saying that regurgitating other people's work will only take you so far in this life.

Questions for Experts

Above all other things, expertise is established by means of testing. An expert is one who is "proven"; thus, the status of an "expert" who systematically avoids being tested must be seriously reconsidered. To this end, an abbreviated list of Tabernacle-related "expert questions" or "EQ's" has been presented below. For those claiming to be "experts" in all things Biblical, including the Tabernacle, answers should come quickly and easily in response to this one-page examination. To help ascertain expertise levels and facilitate dialogue, the questions listed below are also made available in a priter-friendly PDF file.

Expert Question (EQ)

Basis for Question (BQ)

EQ1: If the rectangular arrangement of the Exodus Tabernacle is indisputably correct, then why are Tabernacle models always portrayed differently by theologians and religious artists, and why is there no universally accepted Tabernacle model?

BQ1: The fact that religious experts have presented multiple configurations that differ greatly in construction principle (e.g., flat roofs, A-frame roofs, and tethered roofs) is proof that there is no consensus—even within religious traditions dating back many centuries or even thousands of years.

EQ2: If the rectangular rendition of the Exodus Tabernacle is correct, then why don’t people still build tents or religious facilities according to the same standard to this very day?

BQ2: Economics, physics, weight, and common sense have prevented building projects that are based upon the traditional rectangular Tabernacle model.

EQ3: When building physical life-size walk-in models of the traditional Tabernacle (e.g., Timna or Ariel, Israel), why do they not meet Bible proportions or material specifications, and why do they require extra materials just to keep the structure from toppling?

BQ3: Physical theme park models do not use four layer fabric roofs, use massive steel hardware for anchoring and reinforcement, employ hollow beams made from plywood veneer, and use metal in place of wood and vice-versa.

EQ4: Where throughout history have nomadic desert people built tents with four-layer roofs?

BQ4: Traditional rectangular models assume that two layers of leather are placed over two layers of cloth in order to from a thick roof, which would have trapped desert heat (Israel's Timna model is equipped with an air conditioner).

EQ5: Where throughout history have nomadic desert people built tents with thick solid wood walls?

BQ5: Despite wood being a scarce commodity in the desert, the traditional rectangular models presume that large beams (believed to measure two to three feet wide and perhaps one to two feet thick) are used to form the tent walls, which in turn support a roof, comprised of relatively lightweight and frail fabric and leather materials. Traditionally, all tents are created with rigid frame elements that spread or span lightweight fabric (even in the construction of permanent structures, e.g., houses, wood beams are installed as studs to support thinner barriers or panels of drywall.

EQ6: How many pounds or kilograms of silver did the Israelites have to create “sockets” or “bases” for vertically mounting of beams or posts?

BQ6: Nearly all Bible art and traditional commentaries suggest that large slugs of precious metal are used for supporting large wooden posts. However, when Exodus metal inventory amounts are compared to the amounts of metal assumed by models, artwork, and commentaries, it becomes obvious that there is great inequity between the Bible texts (irrespective of translation) and what is shown in isolated diagrams and descriptions.

EQ7: Why don’t religious professionals routinely defer to technical experts for deciphering or understanding the Tabernacle design?

BQ7: Most people believe that the “dwelling place” of God is best represented by theologians, linguists, or Bible scholars; however, most academic types are not skilled or equipped to fabricate, construct, or assemble simple and practical things, as were the Levites in the time of Moses.

EQ8: Why don’t Exodus Bible translations of the Tabernacle narrative agree with one another, and why do they add and subtract words from the Hebrew texts?

BQ8: Translations are generally treated as if they are authoritative and even divinely inspired, even though simple comparison to original languages, which can be done with relative ease, repeatedly suggest otherwise.

EQ9: Why do most Tabernacle resources, especially those of Christian authorship, elaborate and focus upon Tabernacle typology without even establishing what the Exodus texts say about the Tabernacle structure and its courtyard?

BQ9: If the Tabernacle is grossly misrepresented and used as a “type” or a “shadow picture”, it logically follows that the “shadow picture” will in turn be grossly corrupted or equally misrepresented.

EQ10: Should theologians and scholars—who have been incapable of discerning the true nature of the Tabernacle for centuries—be granted the privilege of explaining the structure’s significance and ongoing purpose?

BQ10: Within many Christian “circles”, the Tabernacle—which is God’s sanctioned and commanded “dwelling place”—has been treated as something that has been “done away with”, even though the commandments related to the Tabernacle have never been rescinded. Likewise, within many Jewish “circles”, the Tabernacle—which God described as his “dwelling”—is seen as something that that was meant to be replaced with a “house of cedar” in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:7). What if God gave specific plans to his “dwelling place” for purposes that transcend human history?

Despite the questions posed above and the study resources offered through Project 314, does the notion of challenging the traditional view of the Tabernacle still leave you feeling overwhelmed or intimidated?

If so, consider challenging your local or favorite religious expert to a Project 314 debate, which may address questions posed above, as well as other questions pertaining to the Exodus texts and/or the ancient Tabernacle structure. To this end, anyone needing assistance or hoping to facilitate such a debate is encouraged to Contact Us and select the "Book A Presentation" option when completing the contact form.

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