TABERNACLES, FEAST OF. A famous Jewish festival which commences on 25 Tishri (five days after the Day of Atone ment), and lasts seven days. Of these the first two (Tishri 15 and 16) are full festival days, the last five (Tishri 17-21) half-holi days. The "eighth day" Festival (Shemini Aisereth), which like other festival days is doubled (Tishri 22 and 23 ; the second day in this case is called Simchath Torah), closes the celebration. The whole nine days bear one descriptive designation, "season of our rejoicing." The festival is one of venerable antiquity. Its observ ance is commanded in the Mosaic Law (Lev. xxiii. 34), and its purpose is there explained as to commemorate the way in which the Israelites dwelt in booths (sukkoth) in the wilderness.
Every Jew who owns a court or garden is required to erect a booth or something more or less equivalent, and to dwell in it— or at least have meals in it—while the feast lasts. In order that the character of the original booth may as far as possible be retained, the modern counterpart is very lightly constructed. It "must not be covered with fixed boards and beams or with canvas, but with detached branches of trees, plants, flowers and leaves, in such a manner that the covering is not quite impenetrable to wind and rain or starlight" (Friedlander). The booths are re quired to be made during the days that intervene between the Day of Atonement and the Feast itself ; they are adorned with gar lands, flowers, and the like ; often the text "Ye shall dwell in booths seven days" (Lev. xxiii. 42), is displayed in a prominent place within the booth. On the eve of the Feast the members of the household attend Synagogue, and on returning assemble in their booth and partake of a meal. On this evening (the first of the Feast) the meal (as in the case of the weekly Sabbath on Friday evening) is preceded by Qiddush or the solemn sanctifi cation, first over a cup of wine which is then handed round, all drinking of it, and then over two wheaten loaves, specially baked and placed on the table covered with a cloth ; these the head of the family then proceeds to cut into pieces, which are distributed to and eaten by all present. A special blessing—which is repeated before every meal during the seven days—follows ("Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord . . . Who hast commanded us to dwell in a booth"). At the conclusion of the meal, and on leaving the booth the following prayer is said by the head of the household : May it please Thee, 0 Lord my God, and God of my fathers, that in like manner as I have this time obeyed Thy command and have been sitting in the booth, so in the coming year I may be counted worthy to sit in the booth of Leviatham.
It should be observed that the Leviatham plays a prominent part in haggadic legend, especially in connection with the Mes sianic time. The monster is to be killed and the flesh is to furnish food for the righteous (at the Messianic banquet). From the hide tents will be made by God for the pious of the first rank. This last feature will explain the allusion in the text of the prayer.
On the occasion of the ceremony, the Synagogue is decorated with plants and fruits and certain ceremonies are carried out, viz., palm-branch processions culminating on the seventh day at the Musaf or additional service. For further details see Oesterley
and G. H. Box, Religion and Worship of the Synagogue (2nd. ed.
1911). (G. H. B.) TABLE (Lat. tabula), in furniture, a flat, oblong slab supTable (Lat. tabula), in furniture, a flat, oblong slab sup- ported upon legs or pillars. Of the many kinds of tables according to their uses, the following are outstanding as pieces of furniture and in artistic possibilities: (I) artist's table, (2) billiard table (q.v.), (3) breakfast table, (4) card table, (5) china table, (6) console table, (7) dining table, (8) dressing table, (9) library table, (io) side table, (II) sofa table, (12) tea table, (13) wine table, (14) work table, (15) writ ing table. The table was known, in a small and rudimentary form, to the Egyptians, who used wood for its construction; the Assyr ians certainly employed metal and possibly other materials in its manufacture. Grecian tables were also often of metal, with three or four legs and of consid erable variety of form ; they were small and low. By Roman times the table had apparently become somewhat more common. The favourite form was the tripod, but one and four legs were also used. (See Plate I., BRONZE, GREEK AND ROMAN.) Already the shape varied considerably, and in addition to wood, there were tables of marble, ivory, bronze and the precious metals. The more costly examples were carved, inlaid or otherwise ornamented; cedar and the finely marked or grained woods generally were much sought after. As in Greece the tables were low; they were intended for reclining, rather than sitting; their legs were those of wild beasts, or were formed of sphinxes, termini and other figures. Some of those which remain are of extreme grace and most deli cate workmanship ; to them the Empire style is enormously in debted. In antiquity tables of any kind can only have been the appanage of the rich. In the early middle ages, although there was variety of form—the circular, semi-circular, oval and oblong were all in use—tables appear, save in rare instances, to have been port able and supported upon trestles fixed or folding, which were cleared out of the way at the end of a meal. The custom of serv ing dinner at several small tables, which is often supposed to be a very modern refinement, was certainly followed in the French châteaux, and probably also in the English castles, as early as the 13th century. For persons of high degree, fixed tables were re served. Even at a period when domestic furniture was of a very primitive character and few modern conveniences had been evolved, costly tables were by no means unknown—some dim tra ditions of Rome's refinements must necessarily have filtered through the centuries. Thus Charlemagne possessed three tables of silver and one of gold—no doubt they were of wood covered with plates of the precious metals. Before the 16th century the number of tables properly so called was small; hence very few of earlier date than the middle of that century have come down to us. In the chapter-house of Salisbury cathedral is a restored 13th century example which stands practically alone. In point of age it is most nearly approached by the famous pair of trestle tables in the great hall at Penshurst.