(Book of Numbers 4:1 - 4:49)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. The work of the Kohathites at Tabernacle is the custodianship of sacred objects.
"When camp is broken, Aaron and his sons will take down the veil that surrounds the Inner Sanctum and with it cover the Chest of Sacred Records. Over the top of it they must lay a cloth of fine leather and over that, a cloth of blue. Then insert into the Chest of Sacred Records its carrying staves. Then put a blue cloth over the Showbread table, over its dishes, cups, and utensils used for drink offerings and the Showbread itself that is always displayed on it. It should be covered with a cloth of scarlet and one of fine leather. Afterwards, the carrying staves should be inserted into the table. Next they should cover with a blue cloth the Menorah, its lamps, wick trimmers, trays, and the jars of olive oil that are its fuel. These and all its accessories should be wrapped in fine leather and placed on a carrying frame. Spread a blue cloth over the gold Incense Altar and cover it with fine leather. Then insert the carrying staves into the altar. The remaining furnishings of the Sanctum should be covered with a blue cloth, wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying.
"They must clean the ashes from the Sacrificial Altar and cover it with a purple cloth. All the utensils used at the altar, the fire pans, forks, shovels, and basins, should be covered with the cloth, then wrapped in fine leather, and placed on a frame for carrying. Afterwards the carrying staves should be put in place.
"The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have completed covering all the articles of the Sanctum. As the camp sets out, the Kohathites will carry the afore-named objects, but they must not touch the sacred objects themselves, or else they will die. But these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites are responsible for transporting.
"Eleazar, the son of Aaron, will be responsible for the oil of the Menorah, the Sacred Incense, the daily grain offering, and the Anointing Oil. Moreover, he will be in charge of the entire Tabernacle, including the Sanctum and its sacred objects."
Jehovah warned Moses and Aaron, "Do not let the Kohathite branch of the Levite tribe perish! So that they may be protected from being killed, Aaron or one of his sons must accompany the Kohathites whenever they enter the Sanctum and assign each man a specific task or object to carry. No Kohathite must be allowed to sneak into the Sanctum in order to gaze upon the uncovered sacred objects, even for an instant. Anyone who does so will be killed!"
Jehovah also instructed Moses, "Record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Gershonite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle. As a part of their duties the Gershonites will be entrusted with carrying the following objects: the curtains of the Sanctum, the covering to the Sanctum, including the fine leather outer covering that goes on top of it, the screen before the Sanctum entrance, the curtains that surround the Tabernacle courtyard, the curtains for the Tabernacle entrance, and all the cords and other equipment necessary for installing the curtains. Such are the items the Gershonites will be responsible for. Aaron and his sons will supervise the Gershonites, whether it involves transporting objects from the Tabernacle or other tasks, and they will assign to each Gershonite worker the load he is to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Gerhsonites will be responsible for and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar.
"Now record by their families and clans the names of all members of the Merarite branch of the Levite tribe who are 30 to 50 years of age and are eligible to do work related to the Tabernacle. Their sole duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry the framework of the Sanctum, its crossbars, posts, and plinths, and the posts for the walls of the Tabernacle courtyard, with their plinths, tent pegs, ropes, and all related equipment. Each man will be assigned an object to carry. These are the Tabernacle duties that the Merarites will be responsible for, and in them they will be personally directed by Aaron's son Ithamar."
Moses, Aaron, and the other tribal leaders recorded by their families and clans the Kohathite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,750. This was the result of the census of Kohathites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Gershonite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 2,630. This was the result of the census of Gershonites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
They also recorded by their families and clans the Merarite branch. The list comprising men from the age of 30 to 50 and able to serve in the Tabernacle numbered 3,200. This was the result of the census of Merarites able to serve in the Tabernacle conducted by Moses and Aaron in accordance with the instructions of Jehovah.
Moses, Aaron, and the tribal leaders completed their census of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans, of those from 30 to 50 years of age and able to serve in the Tabernacle and work in its transportation. Their number totaled 8,580. After their names were recorded, as Jehovah had instructed Moses, each was given a specific task to carry out and told what he was to carry. And so the count was performed in accordance with the instructions Jehovah had given Moses.
Notes
1. While Aaron and his descendants have the privilege of being priests, the rest of the Levite tribe, as has been said before, are reduced to being holy roustabouts, beasts of burden. The work force is highly supervised; tasks are those a moron can perform. Aaron and his sons have all the authority and those who work for them in the Tabernacle are decidedly just menials.
2. The objects to be carried when camp is broken and the portable Tabernacle is disassembled would require the labor of dozens or scores of men, not thousands. There are only so many objects to carry. How could the Tabernacle find work for 8,580 men? It seems that consistently the numbers in Numbers are inflated by about a hundred times.
3. Ordinary objects become sacred when touching or even looking at them causes death. Jehovah is apparently so proprietary he will kill anyone that even breaths upon what he regards as his property. But it is not clear what happens to the violator. Is he suddenly burned up, struck by a lightning bolt, or does he merely drop dead. Or, is the person arrested, charged with a crime, and executed?
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Redemption of the Firstborn
(Book of Numbers 3:40 -3:51)
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Now make a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel a month old or more and make a list of their names. Let the Levites be substitutes for all the firstborn sons of Israel and let the Levites' livestock be substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the entire nation of Israel. Thus says Jehovah."
And so Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel, as Jehovah had commanded him. Counting the names of the firstborn sons a month or older, the total came to 22,273.
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "The Levites will be substitutes for the firstborn of Israel and their livestock substitutes for the livestock of Israel. The Levites belong to me. Thus says Jehovah. However, to redeem the additional 273 firstborn of Israel, those exceeding the 22,000 Levites, collect from each of them 5 pieces of silver, each equal to a shekel (that is, a shekel determined by the priest's weights, which is equal to 20 gerahs). Give this silver to Aaron as the price for the redemption of the extra firstborn sons."
Moses thus collected the silver for the redemption of the firstborn sons of Israel above the number redeemed by the Levites. The amount of silver collected was 1,365 pieces, with each piece being equal to a shekel by the priest's weights. On behalf of those firstborn sons of Israel, Moses presented this silver to Aaron and his sons, as Jehovah had commanded.
Notes
1. Jehovah claims the entire tribe of Levi as his property, his slaves, forced to dedicate their lives to his worship. The justification for this is curious. Jehovah murders all the firstborn Egyptians in order to compel the Pharaoh of Egypt to free the Israelites from their bondage. Then, as payment for his "good" deed, he demands that the Israelites give to him all their firstborn, livestock and human. Instead of requiring the firstborn males to be human sacrifices on his altar, he allows the debt to be satisfied by his being given one of the tribes of Israel. The numbers of Levites and the number of firstborn among the entire people of Israel are roughly equal. But Jehovah will not be cheated or shorted. The 273 firstborns that the Levites do not cover must be paid for, literally.
2. To Jehovah the life of a human being is worth 5 shekels, two ounces of silver, at present market values, about $32. However, in Leviticus a man is worth ten times as much as a votive offering.
3. The silver that Jehovah demands in payment for the firstborn is given to Aaron and his sons. Yet another money-making racket for the priests! (The 1,365 pieces of silver would amount to about $8700 in current money, although, of course, it is difficult to know its real buying power in ancient Hebrew society.)
4. The male population of Israel of an age to bear arms is reported to be over 600,000. The entire number of firstborn males is more than 22,000. Hasn’t anyone noticed that these numbers are rather askew? They only make sense if every couple had 30 or 40 children.
5. It is not explicit what happens to the livestock belonging to the Levites and, therefore, belonging to Jehovah. Are they all destined for the Sacrificial Altar?
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "Now make a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel a month old or more and make a list of their names. Let the Levites be substitutes for all the firstborn sons of Israel and let the Levites' livestock be substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the entire nation of Israel. Thus says Jehovah."
And so Moses conducted a census of all the firstborn sons of Israel, as Jehovah had commanded him. Counting the names of the firstborn sons a month or older, the total came to 22,273.
Jehovah then instructed Moses, "The Levites will be substitutes for the firstborn of Israel and their livestock substitutes for the livestock of Israel. The Levites belong to me. Thus says Jehovah. However, to redeem the additional 273 firstborn of Israel, those exceeding the 22,000 Levites, collect from each of them 5 pieces of silver, each equal to a shekel (that is, a shekel determined by the priest's weights, which is equal to 20 gerahs). Give this silver to Aaron as the price for the redemption of the extra firstborn sons."
Moses thus collected the silver for the redemption of the firstborn sons of Israel above the number redeemed by the Levites. The amount of silver collected was 1,365 pieces, with each piece being equal to a shekel by the priest's weights. On behalf of those firstborn sons of Israel, Moses presented this silver to Aaron and his sons, as Jehovah had commanded.
Notes
1. Jehovah claims the entire tribe of Levi as his property, his slaves, forced to dedicate their lives to his worship. The justification for this is curious. Jehovah murders all the firstborn Egyptians in order to compel the Pharaoh of Egypt to free the Israelites from their bondage. Then, as payment for his "good" deed, he demands that the Israelites give to him all their firstborn, livestock and human. Instead of requiring the firstborn males to be human sacrifices on his altar, he allows the debt to be satisfied by his being given one of the tribes of Israel. The numbers of Levites and the number of firstborn among the entire people of Israel are roughly equal. But Jehovah will not be cheated or shorted. The 273 firstborns that the Levites do not cover must be paid for, literally.
2. To Jehovah the life of a human being is worth 5 shekels, two ounces of silver, at present market values, about $32. However, in Leviticus a man is worth ten times as much as a votive offering.
3. The silver that Jehovah demands in payment for the firstborn is given to Aaron and his sons. Yet another money-making racket for the priests! (The 1,365 pieces of silver would amount to about $8700 in current money, although, of course, it is difficult to know its real buying power in ancient Hebrew society.)
4. The male population of Israel of an age to bear arms is reported to be over 600,000. The entire number of firstborn males is more than 22,000. Hasn’t anyone noticed that these numbers are rather askew? They only make sense if every couple had 30 or 40 children.
5. It is not explicit what happens to the livestock belonging to the Levites and, therefore, belonging to Jehovah. Are they all destined for the Sacrificial Altar?
The Levite Tribe
(Book of Numbers 3:1 - 3:39)
This is the family line of Aaron and Moses at the time when Jehovah communed with Moses on the mountain in Sinai. The names of Aaron's sons are as follows: Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These named sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. Nabad and Abihu, however, were killed before the altar in the desert of Sinai when they made an offering to Jehovah of fire from an unauthorized source. Neither had children. Therefore, in their stead, Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the tutelage of their father Aaron.
Jehovah told Moses, "Call together the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so that they may assist him. They will serve Aaron and the congregation of Israel by performing work in the Tabernacle, taking charge of all its furnishings, and fulfilling the needs of the Israelite people who come to the Tabernacle. Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. From among the Israelites, it is the Levites who are to serve them exclusively. Aaron and his sons are to be appointed priests and fulfill the duties of the office. Anyone else who approaches the Sanctum must be put to death.
"I have selected the Levites from among the Israelites to represent every first born male of every Israelite mother. They will belong to me, for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn sons of Egypt, I laid claim to all the firstborn of Israel, whether man or beast. They are mine. Thus says Jehovah!"
Jehovah again instructed Moses in the desert of Sinai, "Take a census of the members of tribe of Levi, their clans and families. Count every male one month of age or older." And Moses made a record of them, as he was commanded by Jehovah.
The names of the Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Descended from Gershon were the clans of his sons Libni and Shimei, from Kohath -- Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and from Merari -- Mahli and Mushi. Such are branches of the Levite tribe, recorded by family.
Gershon's descendants belonged to the Libnite and Shimeite clans. In these Gershonite clans were counted 7500 males a month of older. Their assigned camp was to the west of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Eliasaph, the son of Lael. These two clans were responsible for the care and upkeep of the Tabernacle, the tent surrounding the Sanctum and its coverings, the curtains at the entrance to the Sanctum, the curtains enclosing the Tabernacle courtyard around the Sanctum and the Sacrificial Altar and those at its entrance, and all the tent ropes and related equipment.
Kohath's descendants belonged to the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite, and Uzzielite clans. In these Kohathite clans were counted 8300 males a month of older, to serve in the upkeep of the Sanctum. Their assigned camp was to the south of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel. These four clans were responsible for the Chest of Sacred Records, the Showbread Table, the Menorah, the altars, the sacred vessels used by the priests, the veil surrounding the Inner Sanctum, and all the articles and utensils used in the Sanctum. Eleazer, son of the priest Aaron, was to supervise those who were responsible for the upkeep of the Sanctum.
Merari's descendants belonged to the Mahlite and Mushite clans. In these Merarite clans were counted 6200 males a month of older, to serve in the upkeep of the Sanctum. Their assigned camp was to the north of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. These two clans were responsible for the framework supporting the Sanctum, the crossbars, posts, plinths, and related equipment, and also the posts and plinths, tent pegs and ropes for the enclosure of the Tabernacle courtyard.
The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east, facing the rising sun was reserved for the tents of Moses, Aaron, and their sons. They were ultimately responsible for the Sanctum in the name of the people of Israel. (Anyone unauthorized approaching the Sanctum was to be put to death.)
According to the census ordered by Jehovah and carried out by Moses and Aaron, the total number of Levites over the age of one month was 22,000.
Notes
1. It is established by Jehovah that there is to be an hereditary priesthood and that a single tribe, the Levites are to furnish his priests and have sole authority not only in religious matters, but in the practical aspects of worship. Curiously, not a word is here disclosed about Moses’ progeny.
2. While the Levites comprise a tribe, his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari are founders of three branches of that tribe. The sons of these three were founders of Levite clans. Within these clans were various families. (This is how I have rendered the often confusing terminology.) Incidentally, even though Levi was a son of Jacob, the Levite tribe is not one of the 12 tribes of Israel, since it did not receive a land inheritance. Joseph’s descendants are split into two tribes named after his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, making the number 12.
3. Reference is made to Aaron's eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, who were struck down dead while they were ministering at the altar. They violated protocol by lighting the fire under the altar by using a flame from an unauthorized source. (Reading between the biblical lines, one may conclude that they were drunk at the time.) Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's third and fourth sons, therefore, succeeded to the priesthood.
4. Of the named figures referred to in this section, the number of sons they father does not suggest that they were greatly prolific. Aaron - 4, Levi - 3, Gershon -- 2, Kohath - 4, Merari - 2. This is a credible average of 3 sons. Considering that an equal number of daughters would also be born and that Levites would only marry Levites, to produce 22,000 living Levite men would require nine generations. This is premised on every couple having six children, and all members of three generations being alive at any one time. Yet, Aaron is supposedly only three generations removed from Levi. (Aaron < Amram < Kohath < Levi). Therefore, at the time of the Exodus there really could not have been 22,000 living Levite men, but, optimally, little more than 300 --the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of Levi's 8 grandsons. This seems very reasonable since it would fit the number of persons who, from a logistical perspective, might actually have been able to participate in any possible Exodus, 600 men and women from each tribe roughly yielding 7000 persons, although this would probably be a maximum and is probably too high. (The number of descendants a person may have can, of course, vary greatly, for example, although my mother's father's father had 7 children, he has less than 15 living descendants, my mother's mother's father having only 10 -- while my father’s father’ father must have more than a hundred!)
This is the family line of Aaron and Moses at the time when Jehovah communed with Moses on the mountain in Sinai. The names of Aaron's sons are as follows: Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These named sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. Nabad and Abihu, however, were killed before the altar in the desert of Sinai when they made an offering to Jehovah of fire from an unauthorized source. Neither had children. Therefore, in their stead, Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the tutelage of their father Aaron.
Jehovah told Moses, "Call together the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so that they may assist him. They will serve Aaron and the congregation of Israel by performing work in the Tabernacle, taking charge of all its furnishings, and fulfilling the needs of the Israelite people who come to the Tabernacle. Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. From among the Israelites, it is the Levites who are to serve them exclusively. Aaron and his sons are to be appointed priests and fulfill the duties of the office. Anyone else who approaches the Sanctum must be put to death.
"I have selected the Levites from among the Israelites to represent every first born male of every Israelite mother. They will belong to me, for every firstborn is mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn sons of Egypt, I laid claim to all the firstborn of Israel, whether man or beast. They are mine. Thus says Jehovah!"
Jehovah again instructed Moses in the desert of Sinai, "Take a census of the members of tribe of Levi, their clans and families. Count every male one month of age or older." And Moses made a record of them, as he was commanded by Jehovah.
The names of the Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Descended from Gershon were the clans of his sons Libni and Shimei, from Kohath -- Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and from Merari -- Mahli and Mushi. Such are branches of the Levite tribe, recorded by family.
Gershon's descendants belonged to the Libnite and Shimeite clans. In these Gershonite clans were counted 7500 males a month of older. Their assigned camp was to the west of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Eliasaph, the son of Lael. These two clans were responsible for the care and upkeep of the Tabernacle, the tent surrounding the Sanctum and its coverings, the curtains at the entrance to the Sanctum, the curtains enclosing the Tabernacle courtyard around the Sanctum and the Sacrificial Altar and those at its entrance, and all the tent ropes and related equipment.
Kohath's descendants belonged to the Amramite, Izharite, Hebronite, and Uzzielite clans. In these Kohathite clans were counted 8300 males a month of older, to serve in the upkeep of the Sanctum. Their assigned camp was to the south of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel. These four clans were responsible for the Chest of Sacred Records, the Showbread Table, the Menorah, the altars, the sacred vessels used by the priests, the veil surrounding the Inner Sanctum, and all the articles and utensils used in the Sanctum. Eleazer, son of the priest Aaron, was to supervise those who were responsible for the upkeep of the Sanctum.
Merari's descendants belonged to the Mahlite and Mushite clans. In these Merarite clans were counted 6200 males a month of older, to serve in the upkeep of the Sanctum. Their assigned camp was to the north of the Tabernacle. Their leader was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. These two clans were responsible for the framework supporting the Sanctum, the crossbars, posts, plinths, and related equipment, and also the posts and plinths, tent pegs and ropes for the enclosure of the Tabernacle courtyard.
The area in front of the Tabernacle, in the east, facing the rising sun was reserved for the tents of Moses, Aaron, and their sons. They were ultimately responsible for the Sanctum in the name of the people of Israel. (Anyone unauthorized approaching the Sanctum was to be put to death.)
According to the census ordered by Jehovah and carried out by Moses and Aaron, the total number of Levites over the age of one month was 22,000.
Notes
1. It is established by Jehovah that there is to be an hereditary priesthood and that a single tribe, the Levites are to furnish his priests and have sole authority not only in religious matters, but in the practical aspects of worship. Curiously, not a word is here disclosed about Moses’ progeny.
2. While the Levites comprise a tribe, his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari are founders of three branches of that tribe. The sons of these three were founders of Levite clans. Within these clans were various families. (This is how I have rendered the often confusing terminology.) Incidentally, even though Levi was a son of Jacob, the Levite tribe is not one of the 12 tribes of Israel, since it did not receive a land inheritance. Joseph’s descendants are split into two tribes named after his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, making the number 12.
3. Reference is made to Aaron's eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, who were struck down dead while they were ministering at the altar. They violated protocol by lighting the fire under the altar by using a flame from an unauthorized source. (Reading between the biblical lines, one may conclude that they were drunk at the time.) Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's third and fourth sons, therefore, succeeded to the priesthood.
4. Of the named figures referred to in this section, the number of sons they father does not suggest that they were greatly prolific. Aaron - 4, Levi - 3, Gershon -- 2, Kohath - 4, Merari - 2. This is a credible average of 3 sons. Considering that an equal number of daughters would also be born and that Levites would only marry Levites, to produce 22,000 living Levite men would require nine generations. This is premised on every couple having six children, and all members of three generations being alive at any one time. Yet, Aaron is supposedly only three generations removed from Levi. (Aaron < Amram < Kohath < Levi). Therefore, at the time of the Exodus there really could not have been 22,000 living Levite men, but, optimally, little more than 300 --the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of Levi's 8 grandsons. This seems very reasonable since it would fit the number of persons who, from a logistical perspective, might actually have been able to participate in any possible Exodus, 600 men and women from each tribe roughly yielding 7000 persons, although this would probably be a maximum and is probably too high. (The number of descendants a person may have can, of course, vary greatly, for example, although my mother's father's father had 7 children, he has less than 15 living descendants, my mother's mother's father having only 10 -- while my father’s father’ father must have more than a hundred!)
Friday, November 21, 2014
Organization of the Camp
(Book of Numbers 2:1 - 2:34)
Jehovah gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: "When camp is set up, each family will pitch their tents beneath their family’s ancestral banners. The encampment will be made on all sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.
"On the east side, facing the rising sun, will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Judah, led Nahshon, son of Amminadab, numbering 74,600 fighting men
Issachar, led by Nethanel, son of Zuar, numbering 54,400 fighting men
Zebulun, led by Eliab, son of Helon, numbering 57,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Judah's side of the camp totals 186,400 fighting men. These tribes will set out first when the Israelites break camp.
"On the south side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Reuben, led by Elizur, son of Shedeur, numbering 46,500 fighting men
Simeon, led by Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, numbering 59,300 fighting men
Gad, led by Eliasaph, son Deuel [or Reuel], numbering 45,650 fighting men
The total number of forces from Reuben's side of the camp totals 151,450 fighting men. They will set out second.
"The Tabernacle and the camp of the Levites will have their places in the middle of the encampment. They will set out in the same order in which they make camp, each in their assigned places under their banners.
"On the west side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Ephraim, led by Elishama, son of Ammihud, numbering 40,500 fighting men
Manasseh, led by Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, numbering 32,200 fighting men
Benjamin, led by Abidan, son of Gideoni, numbering 35,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Ephraim's side of the camp totals 108,100 fighting men. They will set out third.
"On the north side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Dan, led by Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, numbering 62,700 fighting men
Asher, led by Pagiel, son of Okran, numbering 41,500 fighting men
Naphtali, led by Ahira, son of Enan, numbering 53,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Dan's side of the camp totals 157,100 fighting men. They will set out last whenever the Israelites break camp."
These, therefore, are the forces of the Israelites, counted according to their tribes. The total number of fighting men equals 603,550 (excluding, as Jehovah ordered, the Levites, who were not enrolled for military service). The Israelites complied with the instructions Jehovah gave to Moses: each family and tribe set up camp under their ancestral banners and, when marching, did so with their own family and tribe.
Notes
1. It is amazing the degree to which Jehovah (Creator-God of the universe?) takes an interest in the nuts-and-bolts details of Israelite affairs. His insistence on micromanaging everything suggests little confidence in Moses' administrative abilities.
2. A common characteristic of ancient and medieval chronicles is the presentation of superfluous details, those that really do not further the narrative or provide any significant insight. Most such chronicles, the Bible included, are based on oral traditions, and so it seems unlikely that such details, especially numbers and names, would have been accurately recorded and passed down, yet they are always pointedly presented with assumed exactitude. Perhaps the reason for this is that details always suggest accuracy, a confirmation of authenticity, authority and, in the case of the Bible, divine provenance. Significant details, on the other hands, seem always omitted and ignored. For instance, the readers were never informed in Exodus of the name of the Egyptian Pharaoh, which is the very first thing one would like to know, but we are given the exact details of the construction of the Tabernacle. We have the exact number of people in each tribe of Israel, but we are not informed, for instance, of the unglamorous details of how the sanitation needs of such a vast population could possibly have been met.
Jehovah gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: "When camp is set up, each family will pitch their tents beneath their family’s ancestral banners. The encampment will be made on all sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.
"On the east side, facing the rising sun, will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Judah, led Nahshon, son of Amminadab, numbering 74,600 fighting men
Issachar, led by Nethanel, son of Zuar, numbering 54,400 fighting men
Zebulun, led by Eliab, son of Helon, numbering 57,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Judah's side of the camp totals 186,400 fighting men. These tribes will set out first when the Israelites break camp.
"On the south side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Reuben, led by Elizur, son of Shedeur, numbering 46,500 fighting men
Simeon, led by Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, numbering 59,300 fighting men
Gad, led by Eliasaph, son Deuel [or Reuel], numbering 45,650 fighting men
The total number of forces from Reuben's side of the camp totals 151,450 fighting men. They will set out second.
"The Tabernacle and the camp of the Levites will have their places in the middle of the encampment. They will set out in the same order in which they make camp, each in their assigned places under their banners.
"On the west side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Ephraim, led by Elishama, son of Ammihud, numbering 40,500 fighting men
Manasseh, led by Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, numbering 32,200 fighting men
Benjamin, led by Abidan, son of Gideoni, numbering 35,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Ephraim's side of the camp totals 108,100 fighting men. They will set out third.
"On the north side will camp the following tribes under their ancestral banners:
Dan, led by Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, numbering 62,700 fighting men
Asher, led by Pagiel, son of Okran, numbering 41,500 fighting men
Naphtali, led by Ahira, son of Enan, numbering 53,400 fighting men
The total number of forces from Dan's side of the camp totals 157,100 fighting men. They will set out last whenever the Israelites break camp."
These, therefore, are the forces of the Israelites, counted according to their tribes. The total number of fighting men equals 603,550 (excluding, as Jehovah ordered, the Levites, who were not enrolled for military service). The Israelites complied with the instructions Jehovah gave to Moses: each family and tribe set up camp under their ancestral banners and, when marching, did so with their own family and tribe.
Notes
1. It is amazing the degree to which Jehovah (Creator-God of the universe?) takes an interest in the nuts-and-bolts details of Israelite affairs. His insistence on micromanaging everything suggests little confidence in Moses' administrative abilities.
2. A common characteristic of ancient and medieval chronicles is the presentation of superfluous details, those that really do not further the narrative or provide any significant insight. Most such chronicles, the Bible included, are based on oral traditions, and so it seems unlikely that such details, especially numbers and names, would have been accurately recorded and passed down, yet they are always pointedly presented with assumed exactitude. Perhaps the reason for this is that details always suggest accuracy, a confirmation of authenticity, authority and, in the case of the Bible, divine provenance. Significant details, on the other hands, seem always omitted and ignored. For instance, the readers were never informed in Exodus of the name of the Egyptian Pharaoh, which is the very first thing one would like to know, but we are given the exact details of the construction of the Tabernacle. We have the exact number of people in each tribe of Israel, but we are not informed, for instance, of the unglamorous details of how the sanitation needs of such a vast population could possibly have been met.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
The Census
(Book of Numbers 1:1 - 1:54)
One year after the Israelites had made their exodus from Egypt, on the first day of the second month, Jehovah spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the desert of Sinai. He instructed him, "Take a census of the entire population of Israel, recording each person's name, his family, and his tribe. You and Aaron must make a registry of every male who is twenty years of age or more and is able to bear arms. You are to be assisted in this by each of the tribal chiefs.
"The names of the chiefs and their tribes are as follows:
Reuben: Elizur, the son of Shedeur
Simeon: Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai
Judah: Hahshon, the son of Amminadab
Issachar: Nethanel, the son of Zuar
Zebulun: Eliab, the son of Helon
Joseph (Ephraim): Elishama, the son of Ammihud
Joseph (Manasseh): Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur
Benjamin: Abidan, the son of Gideoni
Dan: Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai
Asher: Pagiel, the son of Ochran
Gad: Eliasaph, the son of Deuel
Naphtali: Ahira, the son of Enan
"These are the chosen leaders, the elders of the ancestral clans, the chiefs of the tribes of Israel."
Moses and Aaron summoned these leaders and, on that same day, assembled the entire population of Israel. All the people were listed according to their family and tribe and the men twenty years old and above were individually registered, just as Jehovah had instructed Moses. And so a census was taken there in the desert of Sinai.
Men twenty years old and above and able to bear arms were listed by name. The following is the tally from each of Israel's tribes:
Reuben, Israel's first born: 46,500
Simeon: 59,300
Gad: 45,650
Judah: 74,600
Issachar: 54,400
Zebulun: 57,400
Joseph (Ephraim): 40,500
Joseph (Manasseh): 32,200
Benjamin: 35,400
Dan: 62,700
Asher: 41,500
Naphtali: 53,400
These were the men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs representing the tribes of Israel. All men twenty years old and above and able to bear arms were listed by family. Their total number was 603,550.
Those of the ancestral tribe of Levi, however, were not counted with the others, for Jehovah had told Moses, "You should not count those of the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the rest of the Israelites. The Levites are to be stewards of the Holy Tabernacle, its equipment and furnishings, everything it contains. They must tend and maintain it and transport it, and they must make their camp around it. When the Tabernacle is to be moved, they will take it down, and when it is to be set up again, it is they who will do it. If any unauthorized person approaches the Tabernacle, he is to be put to death. Each tribe of Israel will be assigned their own area in the encampment, marked with their tribal banner. But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle so that I may not vent my wrath upon the people of Israel. They will guard and protect the Tabernacle."
The people of Israel did all that Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Notes
1. Numbers picks up the story of the Israelites a year after the Exodus, eleven months after their encampment beneath the holy mountain in Sinai. Presumably the Tabernacle and its furnishings described in Exodus have been built.
2. Taking a census makes sense from an administrative and logistical point of view. A new nation, forged from the tribes of Israel, descended from the sons of Jacob, was being formed, even if it had not yet reached the land on which it would settle. Although censuses date to the early history of Egypt, historically citizens have had an ambivalent attitude toward them. Numbering the populace has not always seemed benign, but has often been disparaged as the intrusive instrument of tyrants. --- It is interesting that in the New Testament Jesus would supposedly come to be born in Bethlehem because of a census.
3. A former census described in Exodus was taken in order to raise "money" through taxes. The purpose of this census is to lay a foundation for the organization of a national army.
4. The numbers given for the various tribes must be regarded as fanciful. A total of over 600,00 men able to bear arms would suggest a total population of 3 or 4 million, even more, if the Israelites were as prolific as the biblical texts suggest. If the Israelites had remained in Egypt for 400 or 430 years as the biblical texts claim, technically there might be enough time for such a population to accrue. However, since life spans in ancient times were short due to wars, disease, famine, poor nutrition, bad sanitation, and minimal medical care, it is very unlikely. The frenetic population boom of a slave class asserted by the text conflicts with the reality that in ancient times population numbers were often stable and growth, if any, was slow. (It should be mentioned that Israelite bondage being four centuries in length is problematic considering there were only 5 generations between Jacob and Moses!) It is sheer nonsense to entertain the idea that such a horde could subsist in the desert wastes of Sinai, let alone journey en masse under any sort of effective leadership. As has been noted before, an exodus of any more than a few thousand souls would have been impractical, if not impossible. And there is, in fact, no historical or archaeological evidence to support any sort of exodus.
5. That the numbers of this census and the names of the tribal chiefs would be remembered and regarded as important enough to be remembered nearly a thousand years later by biblical authors is remarkable. One does suspect that the authors of Numbers cooked the books a bit to make the more important and respected tribes (Judah, for instance) look good with higher population numbers. (Of course the record of the census may, like much of the Old Testament, be facilely interpreted as nationalistic propaganda intended to aggrandize ancestors.)
6. One also wonders how the census would have been recorded since the only writing the Israelites could have known would have been Egyptian hieroglyphics.
7. The second month, Iyar, occurs in April-May.
8. The Levites are charged not only to protect the Tabernacle from the common people, but to protect the common people from Jehovah. It’s as if Jehovah was radioactive or a ferocious animal that needed to be caged. To approach Jehovah or to violate what he regarded as sacred meant death. His anger was not to be aroused or it meant destruction to the people. The Levites (Moses and Aaron were Levites -- what a coincidence!) were intermediaries between Jehovah and his Israelite worshipers --- and placaters. They, therefore, enjoyed special privileges, such as being exempt from military service. The Levites must have numbered in the tens of thousands. How would the Tabernacle find employment for all of them? Some, to be sure, could be priests, but how many priests could serve in a single place of worship. Many Levites would have to have been nothing more than glorified roustabouts who put up and took down the Tabernacle and its compound. What would the rest of them do? Would the Tabernacle have the need for thousands and thousands of “roustabouts”? -- even The Greatest Show on Earth doesn’t require so many.
One year after the Israelites had made their exodus from Egypt, on the first day of the second month, Jehovah spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the desert of Sinai. He instructed him, "Take a census of the entire population of Israel, recording each person's name, his family, and his tribe. You and Aaron must make a registry of every male who is twenty years of age or more and is able to bear arms. You are to be assisted in this by each of the tribal chiefs.
"The names of the chiefs and their tribes are as follows:
Reuben: Elizur, the son of Shedeur
Simeon: Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai
Judah: Hahshon, the son of Amminadab
Issachar: Nethanel, the son of Zuar
Zebulun: Eliab, the son of Helon
Joseph (Ephraim): Elishama, the son of Ammihud
Joseph (Manasseh): Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur
Benjamin: Abidan, the son of Gideoni
Dan: Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai
Asher: Pagiel, the son of Ochran
Gad: Eliasaph, the son of Deuel
Naphtali: Ahira, the son of Enan
"These are the chosen leaders, the elders of the ancestral clans, the chiefs of the tribes of Israel."
Moses and Aaron summoned these leaders and, on that same day, assembled the entire population of Israel. All the people were listed according to their family and tribe and the men twenty years old and above were individually registered, just as Jehovah had instructed Moses. And so a census was taken there in the desert of Sinai.
Men twenty years old and above and able to bear arms were listed by name. The following is the tally from each of Israel's tribes:
Reuben, Israel's first born: 46,500
Simeon: 59,300
Gad: 45,650
Judah: 74,600
Issachar: 54,400
Zebulun: 57,400
Joseph (Ephraim): 40,500
Joseph (Manasseh): 32,200
Benjamin: 35,400
Dan: 62,700
Asher: 41,500
Naphtali: 53,400
These were the men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the chiefs representing the tribes of Israel. All men twenty years old and above and able to bear arms were listed by family. Their total number was 603,550.
Those of the ancestral tribe of Levi, however, were not counted with the others, for Jehovah had told Moses, "You should not count those of the tribe of Levi or include them in the census with the rest of the Israelites. The Levites are to be stewards of the Holy Tabernacle, its equipment and furnishings, everything it contains. They must tend and maintain it and transport it, and they must make their camp around it. When the Tabernacle is to be moved, they will take it down, and when it is to be set up again, it is they who will do it. If any unauthorized person approaches the Tabernacle, he is to be put to death. Each tribe of Israel will be assigned their own area in the encampment, marked with their tribal banner. But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle so that I may not vent my wrath upon the people of Israel. They will guard and protect the Tabernacle."
The people of Israel did all that Jehovah had commanded Moses.
Notes
1. Numbers picks up the story of the Israelites a year after the Exodus, eleven months after their encampment beneath the holy mountain in Sinai. Presumably the Tabernacle and its furnishings described in Exodus have been built.
2. Taking a census makes sense from an administrative and logistical point of view. A new nation, forged from the tribes of Israel, descended from the sons of Jacob, was being formed, even if it had not yet reached the land on which it would settle. Although censuses date to the early history of Egypt, historically citizens have had an ambivalent attitude toward them. Numbering the populace has not always seemed benign, but has often been disparaged as the intrusive instrument of tyrants. --- It is interesting that in the New Testament Jesus would supposedly come to be born in Bethlehem because of a census.
3. A former census described in Exodus was taken in order to raise "money" through taxes. The purpose of this census is to lay a foundation for the organization of a national army.
4. The numbers given for the various tribes must be regarded as fanciful. A total of over 600,00 men able to bear arms would suggest a total population of 3 or 4 million, even more, if the Israelites were as prolific as the biblical texts suggest. If the Israelites had remained in Egypt for 400 or 430 years as the biblical texts claim, technically there might be enough time for such a population to accrue. However, since life spans in ancient times were short due to wars, disease, famine, poor nutrition, bad sanitation, and minimal medical care, it is very unlikely. The frenetic population boom of a slave class asserted by the text conflicts with the reality that in ancient times population numbers were often stable and growth, if any, was slow. (It should be mentioned that Israelite bondage being four centuries in length is problematic considering there were only 5 generations between Jacob and Moses!) It is sheer nonsense to entertain the idea that such a horde could subsist in the desert wastes of Sinai, let alone journey en masse under any sort of effective leadership. As has been noted before, an exodus of any more than a few thousand souls would have been impractical, if not impossible. And there is, in fact, no historical or archaeological evidence to support any sort of exodus.
5. That the numbers of this census and the names of the tribal chiefs would be remembered and regarded as important enough to be remembered nearly a thousand years later by biblical authors is remarkable. One does suspect that the authors of Numbers cooked the books a bit to make the more important and respected tribes (Judah, for instance) look good with higher population numbers. (Of course the record of the census may, like much of the Old Testament, be facilely interpreted as nationalistic propaganda intended to aggrandize ancestors.)
6. One also wonders how the census would have been recorded since the only writing the Israelites could have known would have been Egyptian hieroglyphics.
7. The second month, Iyar, occurs in April-May.
8. The Levites are charged not only to protect the Tabernacle from the common people, but to protect the common people from Jehovah. It’s as if Jehovah was radioactive or a ferocious animal that needed to be caged. To approach Jehovah or to violate what he regarded as sacred meant death. His anger was not to be aroused or it meant destruction to the people. The Levites (Moses and Aaron were Levites -- what a coincidence!) were intermediaries between Jehovah and his Israelite worshipers --- and placaters. They, therefore, enjoyed special privileges, such as being exempt from military service. The Levites must have numbered in the tens of thousands. How would the Tabernacle find employment for all of them? Some, to be sure, could be priests, but how many priests could serve in a single place of worship. Many Levites would have to have been nothing more than glorified roustabouts who put up and took down the Tabernacle and its compound. What would the rest of them do? Would the Tabernacle have the need for thousands and thousands of “roustabouts”? -- even The Greatest Show on Earth doesn’t require so many.
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