The fleshhook is a liturgical implement mentioned in the context of the Tabernacle, primarily associated with the sacrificial system established by God for the Israelites. It is referenced in the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and 1 Samuel. The fleshhook was a tool used by the priests to handle the meat of the sacrifices offered on the altar.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 27:3 : "Make all the utensils of bronze: its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans." This verse lists the fleshhook among the various bronze utensils crafted for use in the Tabernacle. The term "meat forks" in this context is understood to refer to fleshhooks, which were used to manipulate the sacrificial meat.

2. 1 Samuel 2:13-14 : "Now it was the custom of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling and plunge it into the pan, kettle, cauldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh." This passage provides insight into the practical use of the fleshhook in the sacrificial process. The three-pronged design allowed the priest to retrieve portions of the meat from the boiling pot, which was part of the priestly portion of the sacrifice.

Function and Symbolism:

The fleshhook served a practical function in the sacrificial rituals, allowing priests to handle the meat offerings without direct contact, thus maintaining ritual purity. Its use was integral to the orderly conduct of sacrifices, ensuring that the portions designated for the priests were properly allocated.

Symbolically, the fleshhook represents the priestly authority and the divinely ordained system of worship. It underscores the importance of the sacrificial system in maintaining the covenant relationship between God and His people. The use of the fleshhook also highlights the provision made for the Levitical priesthood, who were sustained by the offerings of the people as they served in the Tabernacle.

Construction and Design:

The fleshhook was typically made of bronze, a metal commonly used in the construction of Tabernacle utensils due to its durability and resistance to heat. The three-pronged design mentioned in 1 Samuel suggests a specific form that facilitated the retrieval of meat from boiling pots, ensuring efficiency and ease of use.

Cultural and Religious Context:

In the broader cultural and religious context of the ancient Near East, the use of tools like the fleshhook in sacrificial rituals was not unique to Israel. However, within the Israelite tradition, these implements were sanctified for use in the worship of Yahweh, reflecting the distinctiveness of Israel's covenantal worship practices.

The fleshhook, as part of the Tabernacle's sacred furnishings, played a role in the daily religious life of the Israelites, contributing to the maintenance of the sacrificial system that foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, as understood in Christian theology.Exodus 27:3
And you shall make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his meat hooks, and his fire pans: all the vessels thereof you shall make of brass.
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Exodus 38:3
And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the meat hooks, and the fire pans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
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Numbers 4:14
And they shall put on it all the vessels thereof, with which they minister about it, even the censers, the meat hooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.
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1 Samuel 2:13,14
And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a meat hook of three teeth in his hand;
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