An Atheist Explores the Bible Part 168: Finally an answer to that eternal question: How many cubits in a reed? Plus: No Sweaty Priests (Ezekiel 41-45)

Ezekiel 41-45
Finally an answer to that eternal question: How many cubits in a reed? Plus: No Sweaty Priests.

Welcome to another instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Bible version).

In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the King James Bible, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.

For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/2F8f9JT

For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP

And now:

Ezekiel 41

“Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.”

There’s not a lot to say about this chapter, it’s more building instructions for the new temple and I kind of glossed over all the cubits. I did note that at one point a “reed” is defined as “six great cubits”, but there’s no other reference to different types of cubit so it’s not possible to tell if this is actual unit of measurement or a bit of poetic hyperbole.

Also, last time I mentioned that this new temple seemed a bit more austere but in this chapter there is some decoration (although not as much), with doors decorated in palm trees and a type of cherubim with two faces, human and lion (which makes me wonder what’s wrong with the ox and eagle faces from the UFO throne of heaven cherubim).

Ezekiel 42

“Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.”

More building instructions. What I can glean from these is that there is a large outer courtyard with a three storey colonnade, and to the north and south are holy sanctuaries where the priesthood “shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering”. They are also not allowed to wear their holy vestments outside of these sanctuaries – it’s like a containment area for holiness.

Ezekiel 43

“Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.”

The vision of God shows up in His UFO chariot of heaven and tells Ezekiel to go and tell people the plans for the new temple, and that this time they are to keep it pure. There’s then a list of instructions for the offerings that need to be made to sanctify it – basically a week of killing goats and bullocks and consecrating the altar with their blood.

Ezekiel 44

“Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.”

The east gate of the temple is to be kept shut as this is the way that the spirit of God entered the temple, but there is a tantalising hint that “It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.” The Prince That Was Promised, is that?

For the rest of the chapter, God describes the ministry of the temple. The old Levites, having basically abused their offices, are demoted to keeping the outer section of the temples. Only the Zadokite branch of the Levites are given permission to tend to the inner temples, wearing simple clothes of linen only and nothing “that causeth sweat”.

They are to obey a list of taboos, which are pretty much those of the old covenant in order to ensure that the holy and profane are kept apart, pretty standard religious and spiritual concepts, really. No touching dead things or drinking wine before entering the sanctuary, hair to be kept neat but not shaved completely, marry the right sort of women (either an Israelite virgin or a widow of a priest).

Ezekiel 45

“The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.”

Weights and measures are once more an important part of holy justice. This chapter, in part, deals with how a prince should rule and this largely involves dealing fairly with his people. The land around the temple is divided up to give places for the priests to live and, I assume, something like a glebe to support the priests. The correct values for tithes are given, and also the holy days including new year and Passover days are described. This is all pretty much as before back in Moses’ time; my guess would be that a load of accretions considered unnecessary by Ezekiel (or if you prefer, God) have been added on over the years including whatever passes as the “whoredoms” and “abominations”, and this is a form of fundamentalist reform.