Used in Tabernacle and Temple. Gold’s malleability permits it to be hammered into countless shapes. In the construction of the tabernacle, gold was beaten into plates for overlay work and into thin sheets cut into thread that was woven into certain garments of the high priest. (Ex 25:31; 30:1-3; 37:1, 2; 39:2, 3) It was similarly used in the temple built by Solomon. (1Ki 6:21-35; 2Ch 3:5-9) Alloying gold with other metal to increase its hardness extends its utility. This process was also employed in ancient Israel.​—1Ki 10:16; see ELECTRUM.

A great quantity of gold was used in the tabernacle, the current value of this gold being estimated at about $11,269,000. (Ex 25:10-40; 38:24) However, in comparison with the amount of gold used, the wilderness tabernacle was only a miniature of Solomon’s glorious temple. David had set aside no less than 100,000 talents of gold for that temple, valued today in excess of $38,535,000,000. (1Ch 22:14) The lampstands and the temple’s utensils​—forks, bowls, pitchers, basins, cups, and so forth—​were made of gold and silver; some utensils were of copper; the cherubs in the Most Holy, the altar of incense, and even the entire inside of the house were overlaid with gold.​—1Ki 6:20-22; 7:48-50; 1Ch 28:14-18; 2Ch 3:1-13.

In the tabernacle built by Moses, gold was used in the enclosed compartments​—the Holy Place, where the priests entered and performed duties, and the Most Holy, entered only by the high priest. Since the Most Holy with its golden ark of the covenant represented heaven, God’s dwelling place, and since priests, but not ordinary Israelites, could enter the Holy Place, these things would logically represent things having to do with the heavens of God and with his “royal priesthood,” that is, those with the heavenly calling, and their activity and duties toward God. (1Pe 2:9; Heb 9:1-5, 9, 11, 12, 23-25; 3:1) This priesthood is thus symbolically distinguished from people on earth to whom the priesthood ministers.