ick, and the altars, and the vessels of the
sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging and all the service
thereof.'(697) Outside of them were the three tribes of Reuben, Simeon,
Levi. The family of Gershon watched in the west, as is said, 'The families
of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.'(698) And
they were intrusted with all the vessels of the tabernacle, as is said,
'And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of
the congregation.'(699) Outside of them were the three tribes of Ephraim,
and Manasseh, and Benjamin. The family of Merari watched on the north, as
is said, 'And the chief of the house of the father of the families of
Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the
tabernacle northward.'(700) And they were intrusted with the taches, and
boards, and bars, and pillars, and the sockets of the tabernacle, as is
said, 'And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the
boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof,
and the sockets thereof.'(701) And outside of them were the three tribes
of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. On the east were Moses, Aaron, and their
families, as is said, 'But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward
the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall
be Moses and Aaron and his sons.'(702) And outside of them were the three
tribes of Judah, Yissachar, and Zebulon. The whole encampment of Israel
was twelve miles. The standard of Judah was four miles, and the encampment
of the Levites, and the encampment of the SHECHINAH, four miles. The
standard of Reuben was four miles. The standard of Ephraim was four miles.
The encampment of the Levites and the encampment of the SHECHINAH was four
miles. And the encampment of Dan was four miles. It follows _that_ the
four corners of the tabernacle were four encampments for service on every
side, as is said, 'Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set
forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp; as they
encamp so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their
standards.'(703) So soon as Israel set forward, the pillar of cloud which
was standing still rolled up and spread out over the children of Judah
like a kind of beam. The (trumpet) sounded, and blew an alarm, and
sounded, and the standard of Judah moved forward first, as is said, 'In
the first place went the standard