Tosefta for Chagigah 3:8

כֵּיצַד מַעֲבִירִים עַל טָהֳרַת עֲזָרָה. מַטְבִּילִין אֶת הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְאוֹמְרִין לָהֶם, הִזָּהֲרוּ שֶׁלֹּא תִגְּעוּ בַּשֻּׁלְחָן וּבַמְּנוֹרָה וּתְטַמְּאוּהוּ. כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁנִיִּים וּשְׁלִישִׁים, שֶׁאִם נִטְמְאוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יָבִיאוּ שְׁנִיִּים תַּחְתֵּיהֶן. כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, טְעוּנִין טְבִילָה, חוּץ מִמִּזְבַּח הַזָּהָב וּמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן כַּקַּרְקַע, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן מְצֻפִּין:

How would they remove [the vessels] to cleanse the azarah? They would immerse the vessels which were in the sanctuary, and they would tell them [the amei ha'aretz, on the festival]: "Take care not to touch the table, and render it unclean." [For they could not immerse it after the festival, not being permitted to remove it from its place, it being written (Exodus 28:30): "And you shall place upon the table show-bread before Me always."] All the vessels in the Temple had seconds and thirds, so that if the first became unclean, the seconds were brought in their stead. All the vessels in the Temple required immersion [because of the uncleanliness they had sustained on the festival], except the golden altar and the copper altar, being regarded as earth, [the copper altar being called (Exodus 20:21) "an altar of earth," and the golden altar being likened to it, viz. (Numbers 3:31): "…the menorah and the altars." As to the table, the amei ha'aretz did not touch it, as stated above.] These are the words of R. Eliezer. The sages say: Because they are plated. [This is the intent: The sages rule them unclean and say that they, too, require immersion, because they are plated. For if they were not plated, they would be ruled clean by reason of "wooden vessels made to rest" (in their place and not be moved). Another interpretation: The sages say that the reason they do not require immersion (even though) they are plated with gold and copper is that the plating is neutralized (by the wood, which is dominant), so that they are regarded as wooden vessels made to rest, which do not become unclean. (According to this interpretation) the sages differ with R. Eliezer only vis-à-vis the reason (for their not requiring immersion). Rambam explains it thus in Hilchoth Metamei Mishkav Umoshav.]

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