Love of the Land: Model Altar of Unhewn Stones Completed at Temple Institute

Model Altar of Unhewn Stones Completed at Temple Institute

Gil Ronen
israelnationalnews.com
08 Tevet 5770
25 December 09

(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announced Friday the completion of a model of the biblical altar which G-d, through Moses, commanded the nation of Israel to build at the Mount of Eval (Ebal) overlooking Shechem:

“And there you shall build an altar unto Hashem your God, an altar of stones: you shall lift up no iron tool upon them. You shall build the altar of Hashem your G-d of unhewn stones.” (Dvarim / Deuteronomy 27:5,6).

The model altar / Temple Institute

For many years, the Institute has been examining ways of building a model of the altar from whole stones that had not been touched by metal tools. In the end, the Institute commissioned artist Assaf Kidron of Givot Olam Farm at Itamar, Samaria, to design and create a model which conforms with the specifications described by authoritative Jewish sage Rambam (Maimonides) – one cubit wide, one cubit deep, and three cubits high.

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Love of the Land: Model Altar of Unhewn Stones Completed at Temple Institute