Objects — B

balsam

Balsam is among Ishmaelite trade goods bound for Egypt in Genesis 37 and among the gifts Jacob sends with his sons to Joseph in Genesis 43.

barley

Barley is ruined by the hail plague in Exodus 9 because it is already in the ear.

basin

Moses puts half the covenant blood into basins and sprinkles the other half on the altar. A bronze basin on a bronze stand, with water in it, stands between the Tent of Meeting and the altar; Aaron and his sons wash their hands and feet there before they enter the Tent or approach the altar. Bezalel and Oholiab are commissioned to make the basin and its stand.

basket

A basket holding unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, of fine wheat flour. It is presented with the bull and two rams at the priests' consecration; a loaf, cake and wafer from it are waved before Yahweh, and Aaron and his sons eat the remaining bread at the Tent of Meeting.

bdellium

A resin/gum mentioned alongside gold and onyx in the land of Havilah.

bells

Golden bells on the lower hem of the robe of the ephod, alternating with pomegranates. Their tinkling is heard when Aaron enters or leaves the sanctuary, so he will not incur death.

belt

An embroidered waistband of gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson and finely woven linen. The ephod's waistband is of a piece with it; at consecration it is tied round Aaron's waist, and his sons also receive waistbands.

beryl

A precious stone in the fourth row of the breastplate of judgement, with cornelian and jasper.

birthright

Esau sells his birthright to Jacob in Genesis 25 and later laments that Jacob has supplanted him twice in Genesis 27.

bitter-herbs

Bitter herbs are eaten with the roasted Passover flesh and unleavened bread on the night Israel leaves Egypt.

bitumen

Bitumen is used as mortar at Babel and in wells of Siddim; in Exodus 2 Moses' mother coats his papyrus basket with bitumen and pitch.

blood

Blood marks covenant, Passover, and sacrifice; the blood of Yahweh's sacrificial victim must not be offered with leavened bread, nor the Passover victim left until the following day.

boils

Boils break into sores on man and beast after Moses throws soot from the kiln into the air before Pharaoh in Exodus 9.

bones

Human remains; Joseph put Israel under oath to take his bones from Egypt, and in Exodus 13 Moses takes them as they leave.

book

Yahweh tells Moses to write the victory over Amalek in a book to commemorate it and to repeat it over to Joshua. After the golden calf Moses asks to be blotted out of the book Yahweh has written if Israel's sin is not forgiven; Yahweh will blot out those who have sinned against him.

Book of the Covenant

Moses reads the Book of the Covenant to the people at Sinai; they swear to do everything Yahweh has said, and he sprinkles them with the blood of the covenant.

bow

Weapon for archery; in Genesis 49 hostile archers attack Joseph but their bows are broken by the Mighty One of Jacob.

bracelets

Gold bracelets are given to Rebekah; those whose hearts prompt them bring bracelets as a freewill contribution of gold for the Tent of Meeting.

bread

Bread appears in hospitality meals and wilderness provision; in Exodus 16 Yahweh rains bread from heaven as Israel's daily manna ration. At Aaron's investiture a loaf, an oiled cake, and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread are placed on the priests' palms and waved before Yahweh.

breastplate

The breastplate of judgement, of the same embroidered work as the ephod, square and doubled over, a span each way. Twelve stones bear the names of the sons of Israel; the urim and thummim sit on Aaron's heart when he enters Yahweh's presence. At consecration it is put on Aaron with the ephod.

breeches

Linen breeches reaching from waist to thigh, to cover bare flesh. Aaron and his sons wear them when they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar, as a precaution against mortal guilt.

bricks

Bricks built Babel and Israel's store-cities; in Exodus 5 Pharaoh demands the same brick quota after cutting off the supply of straw.

brimstone

Brimstone is rained on Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment narrative of Genesis 19.

bronze

Bronze is accepted with gold and silver as a freewill contribution. The altar, its grating, court sockets, and pegs of the Dwelling and court are of bronze. A bronze basin on a bronze stand stands between the Tent of Meeting and the altar for washing. Bezalel is filled with God's spirit to work in gold, silver and bronze.

bullocks

Young Israelites sacrifice bullocks to Yahweh as communion sacrifices when Moses seals the covenant at Sinai. For the priests' consecration one young bull is presented with two rams; it is slaughtered as a sin offering, its fat burned on the altar and the rest burned outside the camp.

burial-site

Place set aside for burial; in Genesis 50 Jacob is buried at Abraham's Machpelah burial site bought from Ephron.

burnt-offering

The burnt offering is commanded at Sinai; young Israelites offer burnt offerings there when Moses seals the covenant. At the priests' consecration one ram is burned whole as a burnt offering, a pleasing smell, a food offering burnt for Yahweh. Two yearling lambs are offered daily as a perpetual burnt offering. No burnt offering may be offered on the incense altar. At the golden calf the people sacrifice burnt offerings before Aaron's feast.

bush

A bush shelters Ishmael's child in Genesis 21; in Exodus 3 the angel of Yahweh appears in a flame from a bush that blazes yet is not burnt up at Horeb.