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38:23

38:24

38:24

All the gold was used in the work to complete the sacred task. The amount of gold donated as a wave offering was 29 talents and 730 shekels by the sanctuary standard.
Kol-hazahav he'asuy lamelachah bechol melechet hakodesh vayehi zehav hatnufah teshah ve'esrim kikar usheva me'ot ushloshim shekel beshekel hakodesh.

Commentary:

wave offering
See Exodus 35:22.

29 talents and 730 shekels
Since a talent is 3000 shekels, this was a total of 87,730 shekels, 1/7 shekel for each person counted. It was a total of 4386 1/2 pounds of gold.

According to Saadia Gaon (quoted in Ibn Ezra, Perush HaKitzur), 1/2 talent was used to plate each of the 48 beams of the Tabernacle, accounting for 24 talents. Another 2 talents was used for the four pillars holding the cloth partition; 1 talent for the menorah; 1 talent for the ark and its cover, and 1 talent for the table and golden altar. This accounts for the 29 talents. The additional 730 shekels (36.5 pounds) were used for such items as the fasteners and clothing.

Since 1/2 talent was used for each pillar, which was 10 cubits high, and 1 1/2 cubits wide, it can easily be calculated that the thickness of the gold on the pillars was approximately 1/100 inch.

If it is assumed that the same thickness was used all around the incense altar, it can be calculated that the top of the altar had a gold layer around 1/4 inch thick.

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