Moses and tabernacle

Meaning

Moses appears among biblical builders whose great works are linked, by reported philosophical belief, to possession of the secret. His example is the tabernacle with its golden vessels, placed beside Noah’s ark and Solomon’s temple. The construction provides a conspicuous sign of wealth directed to God’s honour rather than private splendour. The English “are said to have obtained” correctly preserves the attribution governing the alleged source of long life and wealth. The passage is not a biblical quotation establishing that Moses practised alchemy. The material nouns identify the cited sacred work, not equipment prescribed to the reader.