And it came to pass in the first month, in the
second
year
Of the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt;
on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was
reared up;
so that this was in the spring of the year, about the vernal
equinox, on a new year's day, that this was done, which was
beginning the year well: it was within a fortnight of a year
after their coming out of Egypt, and when they had been about
five months and a half in building the tabernacle; for such a
time it seems they were in doing that, and which, considering the
many things to be done, and in the winter season, it shows great
dispatch. Where was the place, in which the tabernacle was reared
up, is not said: it is F4 observed, that near the southwest
corner of that part of Mount Sinai, which is called Mount
Episteme, there is a little hill called Araone by the Arabs, and
by the Greeks the tabernacle of the testimony, where they say
Aaron was consecrated, and first performed the offices of the
priesthood: probably, says a learned man F5, on
this hill was placed the tabernacle of the congregation, which
Moses was ordered to place without the camp afar off; but he
seems to mistake the tent of Moses, or however the little
tabernacle erected before the grand one was made, for this
tabernacle in ( Exodus 33:7 ) which he
seems to refer to; it is more probable that it was now reared up
in the midst of the camp of Israel, see ( Numbers 2:2 ) .