Laut tuangan

"Laut" tuangan. Ilustrasi dalam Jewish Encyclopedia 1906

"Laut" tuangan (ים מוצק "laut logam cor"; bahasa Inggris: molten sea atau brazen sea; "laut kuningan") adalah baskom besar pada Bait Suci di Yerusalem yang dibuat oleh Salomo untuk pembasuhan para imam. Hal ini dicatat dalam 1 Raja–raja 7:23–26 dan 2 Tawarikh 4:2–5. Didirikan di sudut tenggara pada pelataran dalam. Menurut Alkitab tingginya lima hasta, diameternya sepuluh hasta penuh untuk penuh, dan tiga puluh hasta di lingkar. Penuh "seperti kelopak lily" dan berpaling ke luar "tentang sebuah tangan luasnya"; atau sekitar empat inci. Itu ditempatkan di atas punggung dua belas lembu, berdiri dengan wajah mereka ke luar. Ia mampu mengandung dua atau tiga ribu pemandian air (2 Tawarikh 4:5). Fakta bahwa itu adalah baskom yang terlalu besar untuk masuk dari atas meminjamkan kepada gagasan bahwa air akan mengalir dari bawah ke subcontainer bawah. Air itu awalnya disediakan oleh orang Gibeon, tapi setelah itu dibawa oleh saluran dari Kolam Salomo. Cair laut dibuat dari kuningan atau perunggu, yang oleh Salomo diambil dari kota-kota yang ditangkap dari Hadarezer, raja Zobah (1 Tawarikh 18:8). Ahas kemudian dihapus bejana pembasuhan ini dari lembu, dan ditempatkan pada trotoar batu (2 Raja–raja 16:17). Itu dihancurkan oleh Kasdim (2 Raja–raja 25:13).

Dalam literatur rabinik

Bejana itu memuat air yang cukup bagi 150 pembasuhan ritual (mikvah). Menurut Talmud baskom itu tidak seluruhnya bulat, seperti yang diindikasikan dalam Kitab Suci; bagian atas dua perlima berbentuk bulat, sedangkan tiga perlima bagian bawah berbentuk bujursangkar.

The Laver of the Tabernacle

Dalam Peraturan Imamat yang tercantum dalam Kitab Keluaran, tidak tercantum "Laut tuangan", melainkan laver (baskom) perunggu, yang diletakkan di atas kaki perunggu (maksudnya penyangga). Teks itu menjelaskan bahwa baskom ini digunakan oleh para imam Israel untuk membasuh tangan dan kaki ketika mereka akan memasuki ruang kudus. Ini dikonfirmasi di bagian lain Peraturan Imamat, dalam bacaan yang menjabarkan pemasangan perangkat Kemah Suci. !-- The size and shape of this laver are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, and nor are those of its stand, unlike the case for the Molten Sea. By contrast, the special golden candlestick is described by the Priestly Code, but not in the description of Solomon's temple. It might therefore be the case that the laver and the candlestick are somehow the same object.

Relation to Solomon's platform

Solomon is described by the Book of Chronicles as having constructed a special platform in his Temple, for him to use during the opening ceremony. Although it is often assumed that the text describes Solomon as standing on this platform, the text could equally be read stood next to.

This platform is literally described by the masoretic text as a laver (Hebrew: kiyyor), and as with the Priestly Code's laver, there is only one platform, and it is placed in the centre of the outer court. The Septuagint calls it a base, and the size of the brazen platform is the same as that of each base for the ten brazen lavers.

It is therefore quite possible that the account of this platform in the Book of Chronicles is actually an account of a laver corresponding to the laver of the Priestly Code.

Mormon interpretation

Baptismal font in the Salt Lake Temple, circa 1912, where baptisms for the dead are performed.

Adherents of Mormonism believe that the molten sea in Solomon's Temple was a baptismal font. As explained by apostle Bruce R. McConkie:

In Solomon’s Temple a large molten sea of brass was placed on the backs of 12 brazen oxen, these oxen being symbolical of the 12 tribes of Israel. This brazen sea was used for performing baptisms for the living. There were no baptisms for the dead until after the resurrection of Christ.
It must be remembered that all direct and plain references to baptism have been deleted from the Old Testament (1 Nephi 13) and that the word baptize is of Greek origin. Some equivalent word, such as wash, would have been used by the Hebrew peoples. In describing the molten sea the Old Testament record says, "The sea was for the priests to wash in." (2 Chron Chron&chapter=4:2–6#KJV 4:2–6:KJV). This is tantamount to saying that the priests performed baptisms in it.

Every temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) contains a baptismal font on twelve oxen that is modeled after the molten sea. The LDS Church performs baptisms for the dead in these fonts.

Approximation of π

The biblical description that the bowl has a diameter of 10 cubits and a circumference of 30 cubits suggest that in the construction of the basin, π was approximated with the integer value 3. This is consistent with the practice in Babylonian mathematics at the time (6th century BC), but it has given rise to debate within rabbinical Judaism from an early period due to the concern that the biblical text might here be inaccurate.

Rabbi Nehemiah in the 2nd century argued that the text is not claiming that π equals 3, but that instead the Hebrews measured the diameter from the outside edge of the rim of the bowl, while the circumference was measured from under the rim, since it cannot be measured with a cord along the outside edge of the rim. After accounting for the width of the brim--"about an hand breadth"--this results in a ratio closer to the true value of π. Taking a cubit to be about 18 inches and a handbreadth to be about 4 inches, the ratio of the described dimensions of the bowl differs from π by less than 1%. -->

Lihat pula

• Perkiraan nilai π
• Arkeologi Israel

Referensi

Artikel ini menggunakan sebagian teks dari Kamus Alkitab Easton, sebuah buku ranah publik, aslinya diterbitkan pada 1897.

•  Artikel ini memuat teks dari suatu publikasi yang sekarang berada dalam ranah publik: "Brazen Sea". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906.