Showbread, shewbread, Schaubrot, lechem (hap)p?n?m(??? ????), in a biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present on a specially dedicated table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God. An alternative, and more appropriate, translation would be presence breadJewish Encyclopedia, since the Bible requires that the bread is constantly in the presence of YahwehExodus 25:30.
In academic Biblical criticism
Within the Torah, the Shewbread is mentioned exclusively by the Priestly Code and Holiness CodeJewish Encyclopedia, but other sections of the Bible, including the Book of Chronicles, Books of Samuel, and Book of Kings, also describe aspects of them. In the Holiness Code, the Shewbread is described as twelve cakes/loaves baked from fine flour, arranged in two rows/piles on a table standing before God; each loaf/cake was to contain two Omers of flour. The Biblical regulations specify that cups of frankincense were to be placed upon
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showbread