Bezalel son of Uri בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי
the builder of the Tabernacle, the first in the Torah called "filled with the spirit of God"
Of the tribe of Judah, son of Uri, son of Hur. God names him by name: "See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Exodus 31:2–3).
This is the first time in the Torah that a person is said to be filled with the spirit of God—and it is said not of a prophet nor of a leader but of a craftsman. The work of the hands is set level with prophecy.
The sages say he was then thirteen years old (Sanhedrin 69b). He made the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the veil and all the rest, and knew how to do "the work of the engraver, and of the skilful workman, and of the embroiderer" (35:31–35). With him was set Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan—the tribe that camped last: the greatest of the tribes and the least made the Tabernacle together.
The sages. The Talmud (Berakhot 55a) says: "Bezalel knew how to join the letters with which heaven and earth were created." That is, his craft was not decoration but work of the same order as Creation.
On the timeline
Related
Sources
Tanakh
- Shemot 31:1–11 — called by name and filled with the spirit of God
- Shemot 35:30–35 — the list of his crafts and Oholiab set with him
Chazal: Mishnah, Talmud, midrash, Zohar
- Berakhot 55a — “knew how to join the letters with which heaven and earth were created”
- Sanhedrin 69b — the age of Betzalel
Basis: stated in the Tanakh.