To Your Tents, O Israel! examines the function, form, and symbolism of ancient tents, specifically in the Hebrew Bible, but also in the greater context of the Ancient Near East. Terminology associated with tents and the blending of terms for domiciles are initially explored. Then, using historical, mythological, archaeological, and anthropological insights, tents are examined in their manifold usage: domiciliary, military, nuptial, and religious. Various parallels and models of the Tabernacle will be assessed, and the Tabernacleâs historicity will be examined. The book ends by analyzing a biblical phrase that dismisses councils: âTo your tents, O Israel!â
Michael M. Homan, Ph.D. (2000) in Ancient History, University of California, San Diego, is Assistant Professor of Theology at Xavier University of Louisiana. His expertise combines the disciplines of history and archaeology. Dr. Homanâs several publications focus on how people lived in the Ancient Near East, and he is most recently the co-author of The Nine Commandments (Doubleday, 2000).
All those interested in the history and anthropology of the biblical world and the Ancient Near East.