SHEW-BREAD, among the Hebrews, the name given to those loaves of bread which the priests placed every sabbath-day upon the golden table in the sanctuary. The shew-bread consisted of 12 loaves, according to the number of the tribes. These were served up hot
on the sabbath-day; and at the same time the stale ones, which had been exposed all the week, were taken away. It was not lawful for any one to eat of these loaves but the priests only: this offering was accompanied with salt and frankincense, which was burnt upon the table at the time they set on fresh loaves.