Intelligent Design? Terumah

“According to everything that I show you: the design of the Tabernacle and the design of all of its equipment”

Exodus 25:9

While the Portion Terumah details the Tabernacle’s design, it tells us more about the Torah’s construction.  Surprisingly, the mind-numbing details offer a clue as to the Torah’s finalization.  Narrative diminishing material tells us everything.  The Torah is no mere epic tale. 

How the Torah was written has been the study of academics.  Modern scholarship proposed the “Documentary Hypothesis.”  It posited that the Torah was constructed from four sources.  A “J” or Jahwist source, an “E” or Elohist source, a “P” or Priestly source, and a “D” or Deuteronomist source.

The scripture from these sources are opined to have been generated during various times.  Some, it is believed to have existed at the time of the First Temple.  Additional parts were believed to be composed at the time of Ezra.

It is believed that the Torah was completed during the period from 450 to 350 BCE.  This, however, does not reflect upon the dating of the actual scripture.  For example, a passage from the Book of Numbers was found on a silver amulet in Jerusalem. This article was dated approximately three hundred years prior to the Torah’s completion.  It existed during the First Temple period.

Beyond the four sources, the Hypothesis includes an “R” or Redactor. This individual or individuals edited the Torah to completion.

This theory contraverts traditional views that Moses wrote the Torah.  The Torah, itself, indicates that Moses did write down some matters.  The Torah Portion Mishpatim indicated so. 

A Proposal

Terumah’s unique content raises questions about the Torah’s assembly and completion.

“Why would someone retain a copy of the Tabernacle’s design?”

One answer is that they anticipated that there might be need to reconstruct it.

If that was true, one would then ask: “Was there a time in which it was believed that the Tabernacle and its accoutrements could be destroyed?”

The fear that the Judean Kingdom would fall was certainly a legitimate concern during the First Temple period.  During that time, the Northern Israelite Kingdom had fallen.  Outside forces had set their sites on the Southern Judean Kingdom.  In 587 BCE, the fear would become reality.  The First Temple would be destroyed.  An exile would take place. 

Prior to such a fall, it is likely that there guardians of the Temple cult who planned to preserve sacred materials.

A fair assumption is that both at the Temple and within the Monarchy scriptures and other documents existed.  It is posited scrolls for this preservation project included foundational stories, genealogies, instructions for sacrifices, instructions and dates for festivals, and the laws.

It is envisioned that these individuals actually amassed a great variety scriptures and spirited them away.  Among them was the design of the Tabernacle. 

In essence, this loose collection of scrolls would be taken and compiled into one book, the completed Torah.  In doing so, they created a textual “time capsule” of sorts.

Thus, the project, via scrolls full of instructions, provided a roadmap on how to recreate a nation and society that fell.

Conclusion

Terumah’s content tells us much more than how to build the Tabernacle.  Rather, it is a breadcrumb that allows us to understand the Torah’s nature.  It constitutes a roadmap or set of instructions to rebuild what had been.

Be well!!

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