What is Showbread?
Showbread, Shewbread or the presence of bread are bread cakes or loafs that were arranged in two piles or rows on a special table in Jerusalem. Twelve Showbread have always been exhibited in the presence of the LORD or God and replaced on Saturday with a fresh dose. The bread of the previous week was then eaten in a sacred place of priests. This offer was baked with flour, but the real recipe was well guarded by priests and remains elusive. Leviticus 24: 5-6 describes bread as a dozen cakes or loaves baked with fine flour, which is placed on a table in piles or rows in front of God. The cups of the incense were placed on the top of each pile or a row of Shewbread as a memorial. Other biblical books such as Chronicles , The Book of Samuel and The Book of the Kings also mention the aspects of this offer.
Bread remained on the display for one week and then replaced by new loaves on Saturdays so that the offer is always fresh. The loaves were probably ready for the day pDirector Saturday. Since the bread was considered holy, the priests were allowed to eat old loaves in the holy place. The right of priests to the consumption of Showbread was not exclusive. In 1 Samuel 21: 4-6 it is said that the priest gave David an old loaf in the Nob.
biblical regulations determine that bread must be placed on a table located in the northern part of the shrine. There is an altar of incense between this table and Menorah. Some sources claim that the table was made of solid gold, while others state that it is a gold acacia wood. The table was portable and was covered with a blue cloth while moving.
Showbread Custom was not unique to the Israeli community. The Babylonians and the ASIS also offered 12 (or multipliers of 12) cakes or loaves on the tables in front of their gods. It is not certain what religious meaning is number 12 for these cultures. Babylonian cakes were made of wheat flour like a showbread, but also had to weaken.
It is assumed that these three customs have evolved independently. However, the root idea was the same: the food should always be present in front of the deity to consume whenever it decided to discover. Burning incense rather than bread itself suggests some scientists that the origin of the habits is buried in antiquity.
The original Showbread recipe is unknown because the preparation stopped when the temple was destroyed in approximately 70 NL. Although it was not shown on the altar, it is likely that the bread was unleashed because it was brought to the inner shrine. There were some research on possible techniques and ingredients and two shapes. It is possible that the tradition of bread bread headed on Saturdays and saints is a reminder of the showbread ritual.