(Book of Numbers 8:5 - 8:26)
Jehovah commanded Moses, "Separate the Levites from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ritually pure. To do so, sprinkle purifying water on them, then have them shave all the hair from their bodies, and wash their clothes, thus cleansing themselves. Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour mixed with olive oil, as well as a second bull for a sin offering. Assemble the entire community of Israel and bring the Levites to the entrance to the Tabernacle. When the Levites are brought before the altar, it is the Israelite people who will sacrifice them: Aaron will present the Levites as an elevated offering from the Israelites at the altar of Jehovah, that they may be prepared to serve him. The Levites will then seize the bulls, designating one as the sin offering and the other as a burnt offering of atonement to Jehovah. The Levites will stand before Aaron and his sons and be presented by them as an elevated offering to Jehovah. In this way the Levites will be set apart from the other people of Israel. They will be mine!
"After the Levites have been purified and presented as an elevated offering, they will then minister in the Tabernacle. They have thus been given totally to me, for I have claimed the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel. All the firstborn of the Israelites, whether human or animal, belong to me. I have laid claim to them ever since I struck down all the firstborn of the Egyptians. But I accept the Levites in place of the firstborn sons of Israel. From among the people of Israel, I have assigned the Levites to be the assistants to Aaron and his sons, to serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelite people and to make the requisite sacrifices of atonement so that no affliction may befall the Israelites when they approach the Sanctum."
And so Moses, Aaron, and the entire community of Israel dealt in this way with the Levites, following meticulously the instructions concerning them Jehovah gave to Moses. The Levites cleaned themselves and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as an elevated offering before the altar and made sacrifices of atonement to purify them. Afterwards, the Levites entered service in the Tabernacle and assisted Aaron and his sons. What Jehovah had instructed Moses concerning the Levites was indeed accomplished.
Jehovah also instructed Moses, "This shall apply to the Levites: when they have reached the age of 25, they will enter into service at the Tabernacle, but when they are 50, they must retire from active duty and minister no more. After retirement, they may continue to help their fellow Levites with their work in the Tabernacle, but they may no longer officiate themselves. This restriction must be observed when assigning duties to the Levites."
Notes
1. Remembering from the census that Levite males numbered 22,000, it beggars belief that the described ceremony could have taken place. It seems logistically impossible. For instance, the Levites are instructed to stand before Aaron. Are 22,000 men to stand before Aaron? Possibly a few dozen Levites could have been consecrated in a day, but, at that rate, it would have taken a year to consecrate them all. A larger batch could have been handled, maybe, but how many people can squeeze into the Tabernacle compound? And how would the Israelites have had sufficient livestock to accommodate all those sacrifices? Over and over, we see that the numbers in Numbers are preposterously inflated.
2. Bathing, shaving the body, and washing the clothes symbolize the act of spiritual purification. Linking physical cleanliness and spiritual purity, a natural connection, was not unique to the Hebrews: for instance, the custom of priests regularly shaving all the hair from their bodies was practiced by the Egyptians. There are, however, just as many cases in which holiness is connected with a rejection of physical needs and hygiene and a contempt for appearances, not washing, not wearing clean clothes, not shaving or cutting the hair. We have just seen that the Nazirites were forbidden to cut their hair.
3. We are reminded that Jehovah will strike down or afflict with a plague anyone who approaches his Inner Sanctum, where the Chest of Sacred Records is housed and where his voice speaks to Moses. But making certain sacrifices will apparently protect the people from this fate. Is Jehovah ever vigilant and zaps any intruder who appears, or is some automatic mechanism at work here? Is the Chest of Sacred Records, which, for what we know of it, is only a wood box covered with gold, somehow dangerous? If so, how would a priest be shielded from its lethal power merely by making a sacrifice? Why, if Jehovah were God and he wanted to protect his space, would he not simply throw a little force field or something around the Inner Sanctum and let it go at that? Or is this all an empty threat, like a "Violators Will Be Prosecuted" sign?
4. A Levite would begin officiating at the age of 25, apparently after he had acquired sufficient experience and maturity. A retirement age of 50 is very reasonable, one of the most credible numbers in Numbers. By 50, most Levites would be dead. People really didn't live to be a hundred-and-something years old in those days; the average life span was probably about 25 years, and, for those who had reached adulthood, life expectancy would only have been around 45 years. The duties involving slaughtering livestock may have been too demanding for an older man, and a senior might have a senior moment and forget some of the finer points of a ceremony and end up being struck down dead by Jehovah. Apparently though, this mandatory retirement age did not apply to Aaron, who was supposedly already in his 80’s. Was he grandfathered in? (In the movies the biblical high priest is invariably a white-bearded ancient -- not correct, it seems.)
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Installation of the Menorah
(Book of Numbers 8:1 - 8:4)
Jehovah told Moses to instruct Aaron, "When you set up the lamps, make sure they illuminate the area in front of the Menorah."
Aaron complied with what Jehovah had told Moses; he installed the lamps so that they would cast their light in front of the Menorah. The Menorah had been crafted entirely of beaten gold, from its base to its decorative elements shaped like blossoms. It had been made in strict accordance to a design shown to Moses by Jehovah.
Notes
1. It must be remembered that the Menorah, a part of the sacred furnishings of the Sanctum, was a stand for oil lamps, for candles would not be invented for many centuries. With its 7 stems, it was different from the familiar Chanukah Menorah, which has 9. The lamps must have had shades or reflectors that could be tilted or adjusted to direct the light of the flames.
2. Jehovah, the ultimate micro-manager, has not only designed the Menorah and its decorative motifs, but has to tell Aaron exactly how to set it up, as if the high priest couldn’t figure that out for himself. What's important is that the people be assured that everything the priests do, down to the smallest detail, the most insignificant act, is in exact conformity to the expressed orders of Jehovah.
Jehovah told Moses to instruct Aaron, "When you set up the lamps, make sure they illuminate the area in front of the Menorah."
Aaron complied with what Jehovah had told Moses; he installed the lamps so that they would cast their light in front of the Menorah. The Menorah had been crafted entirely of beaten gold, from its base to its decorative elements shaped like blossoms. It had been made in strict accordance to a design shown to Moses by Jehovah.
Notes
1. It must be remembered that the Menorah, a part of the sacred furnishings of the Sanctum, was a stand for oil lamps, for candles would not be invented for many centuries. With its 7 stems, it was different from the familiar Chanukah Menorah, which has 9. The lamps must have had shades or reflectors that could be tilted or adjusted to direct the light of the flames.
2. Jehovah, the ultimate micro-manager, has not only designed the Menorah and its decorative motifs, but has to tell Aaron exactly how to set it up, as if the high priest couldn’t figure that out for himself. What's important is that the people be assured that everything the priests do, down to the smallest detail, the most insignificant act, is in exact conformity to the expressed orders of Jehovah.
Dedication Offerings
(Book of Numbers 7:1- 7:89)
Moses had completed the erection of the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and all its utensils. At that time, the leaders of Israel, the clan heads and tribal chiefs, who were in charge of those who had been enrolled in the census, came with donations. These consisted of 6 large wagons pulled by 12 oxen. (There was a wagon for every two tribal chiefs and an ox for each.) These they presented at the Tabernacle.
Jehovah told Moses, "Accept the wagons and oxen from them so that they can be used in the transportation of the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites for their required work."
And so Moses accepted the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. Two of the wagons and four of the oxen were given to the Gershonites for their use, while the other four wagons and eight oxen were given to the Merarites who were under the supervision of Ithamar, the son the Aaron, the high priest. The Kohathites, however, were not given any, since the sacred objects they were in charge of transporting could be carried by hand.
When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought offerings to celebrate its dedication. These they presented before the altar. Jehovah instructed Moses, "Each day let one tribal chief present his offerings for the dedication of the altar."
The one who brought his offerings on the first day was Nahshon, the son of Amminabab, representing the Tribe of Judah. These offerings consisted of a silver plate weighing 130 shekels, a silver basin weighing 70 shekels, (according to the weights employed by the priests), both of them filled with choice flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one golden dish full of incense weighing 10 shekels, one young bull, one ram, and one yearling male lamb for a burnt offering, one male goat for a sin offering, 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 yearling male lambs for a peace offering. Such were the offerings of Nahshon, the son of Amminabab.
[Identical offerings were made by:]
Nethanel, the son of Zuar, chief of the Tribe of Issachar on the 2nd day
Eliab, the son of Helon, chief of the Tribe of Zebulun, on the 3rd day
Elizur, the son of Shedeur, chief of the Tribe of Reuben, on the 4th day
Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Simeon, on the 5th day
Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, chief of the Tribe of Gad, on the 6th day
Elishama, the son Ammihud, chief of the Tribe of Ephraim, on the 7th day
Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, chief of the Tribe of Manasseh, on the 8th day
Abidan, the son of Gideoni, chief of the Tribe of Benjamin, on the 9th day
Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Dan, on the 10th day
Pagiel, the son of Okran, chief of the Tribe of Asher, on the 11th day
Ahira, the son of Enan, chief of the Tribe of Naphtali, on the 12th day
In total, the offerings made by the Israelite tribal chiefs for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed were as follows: 12 silver plates, 12 silver basins, and 12 gold dishes. Each silver plate weighed 130 shekels, each silver basin, 70 shekels. Together, the silver weighed 2400 shekels (according to the weights used by the priests). The 12 gold dishes containing incense weighed 10 shekels each (according to the weights used by the priests). Together the gold weighed 120 shekels. The total number of sacrificial animals for the burnt offering was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 yearling male lambs, with the accompanying grain offerings. For the sin offering, 12 goats were sacrificed. For the peace offering the total number of animals sacrificed were 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling male lambs. These were the offerings made for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
When Moses entered the Sanctum to commune with Jehovah, he would hear his voice speaking from between the images of the Cherubim situated on the lid of the Chest of Sacred Records. It was in this way that Jehovah communicated with him.
Notes
1. The text is here condensed to eliminate redundancies. One feels it is not necessary to bore the reader by listing the identical offerings made by each tribal chief.
2. Judah's place of privilege among the sons of Israel allows his tribe to make the first offering. Each tribe, regardless of its population and wealth, are required to make the same contribution and bear an equal burden. It is similar to the United States in that each state is given equal power in the Senate with two Senators each.
3. With more than 20 animals being slaughtered on the altar every day for 12 days, the Tabernacle dedication would have been a ceremony of butchery and overwhelming blood and stench. But, to the ancient Israelites, such things would have been evocative of holiness. Also, this prodigal animal slaughter illustrates how rich in livestock were the Israelites, who were previously depicted as wandering, starving in the desert.
4. The biblical shekel, a measure of weight, is thought to be about .4 ounces. Therefore, 10 shekels = 1/4 pound, 30 shekels = 3/4 pounds, 70 shekels = 1 3/4 pounds, 120 shekels = 3 pounds, 130 shekels = 3 1/4 pounds, 1300 shekels = 32 1/3 pounds, 2400 shekels = 60 1/3 pounds. Silver (not actually in coinage) was used as a barter commodity in this part of the world, but probably beginning at a date later than the time of the Exodus. The weights used by the Hebrew priests would have been somewhat different than those used by merchants, thus the repeated stipulations in the texts that the Tabernacle weights are to be employed. In Egypt, silver, owing to its scarcity, once had a value greater than gold, but, by the 2nd millennium B.C., it was considered worth about half as much as gold.
5. Jehovah communicates to Moses from the Inner Sanctum, his voice coming from the space between the golden images of the winged Cherubim on the lid (Judgment Seat) of the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant). There was, then, no telepathic rapport between Moses and Jehovah. Moses could not call upon Jehovah wherever he happened to be, but had to visit him in the Inner Sanctum of the Tabernacle. One assumes that Moses spoke with a disembodied, spirit voice. Some, though, have intriguingly suggested that the Chest of Sacred Records contained a communication device, a receiver and a speaker by which a voice could have been transmitted and generated electronically. If this is true, the memory of such a device was lost, or conveniently forgotten. If it was a disembodied voice, why does it speak only at a certain location? For those who have had commerce with spirits have found that being in a specific place is not necessary for communication with them. Joan of Arc, for instance, heard her voices even in prison. Others have had their prayers answered regardless of where they happened to be. Spirit is not bound in the material world. There is much similarity between the voice of the Judgment Seat and the voices that reportedly emanated from the statues of the pagan gods and goddesses in their temples. There was always the idea that to speak to a god, you had to visit his temple and evoke him in spoken prayer and perhaps be responded to, audibly. This was the original rational for building temples and statues of divinities. But since the divinities were not always responsive to the lay individual, the concept of the priest as intermediary was born.
Moses had completed the erection of the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and all its utensils. At that time, the leaders of Israel, the clan heads and tribal chiefs, who were in charge of those who had been enrolled in the census, came with donations. These consisted of 6 large wagons pulled by 12 oxen. (There was a wagon for every two tribal chiefs and an ox for each.) These they presented at the Tabernacle.
Jehovah told Moses, "Accept the wagons and oxen from them so that they can be used in the transportation of the Tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites for their required work."
And so Moses accepted the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. Two of the wagons and four of the oxen were given to the Gershonites for their use, while the other four wagons and eight oxen were given to the Merarites who were under the supervision of Ithamar, the son the Aaron, the high priest. The Kohathites, however, were not given any, since the sacred objects they were in charge of transporting could be carried by hand.
When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought offerings to celebrate its dedication. These they presented before the altar. Jehovah instructed Moses, "Each day let one tribal chief present his offerings for the dedication of the altar."
The one who brought his offerings on the first day was Nahshon, the son of Amminabab, representing the Tribe of Judah. These offerings consisted of a silver plate weighing 130 shekels, a silver basin weighing 70 shekels, (according to the weights employed by the priests), both of them filled with choice flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one golden dish full of incense weighing 10 shekels, one young bull, one ram, and one yearling male lamb for a burnt offering, one male goat for a sin offering, 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 yearling male lambs for a peace offering. Such were the offerings of Nahshon, the son of Amminabab.
[Identical offerings were made by:]
Nethanel, the son of Zuar, chief of the Tribe of Issachar on the 2nd day
Eliab, the son of Helon, chief of the Tribe of Zebulun, on the 3rd day
Elizur, the son of Shedeur, chief of the Tribe of Reuben, on the 4th day
Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Simeon, on the 5th day
Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, chief of the Tribe of Gad, on the 6th day
Elishama, the son Ammihud, chief of the Tribe of Ephraim, on the 7th day
Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, chief of the Tribe of Manasseh, on the 8th day
Abidan, the son of Gideoni, chief of the Tribe of Benjamin, on the 9th day
Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, chief of the Tribe of Dan, on the 10th day
Pagiel, the son of Okran, chief of the Tribe of Asher, on the 11th day
Ahira, the son of Enan, chief of the Tribe of Naphtali, on the 12th day
In total, the offerings made by the Israelite tribal chiefs for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed were as follows: 12 silver plates, 12 silver basins, and 12 gold dishes. Each silver plate weighed 130 shekels, each silver basin, 70 shekels. Together, the silver weighed 2400 shekels (according to the weights used by the priests). The 12 gold dishes containing incense weighed 10 shekels each (according to the weights used by the priests). Together the gold weighed 120 shekels. The total number of sacrificial animals for the burnt offering was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 yearling male lambs, with the accompanying grain offerings. For the sin offering, 12 goats were sacrificed. For the peace offering the total number of animals sacrificed were 24 oxen, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling male lambs. These were the offerings made for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
When Moses entered the Sanctum to commune with Jehovah, he would hear his voice speaking from between the images of the Cherubim situated on the lid of the Chest of Sacred Records. It was in this way that Jehovah communicated with him.
Notes
1. The text is here condensed to eliminate redundancies. One feels it is not necessary to bore the reader by listing the identical offerings made by each tribal chief.
2. Judah's place of privilege among the sons of Israel allows his tribe to make the first offering. Each tribe, regardless of its population and wealth, are required to make the same contribution and bear an equal burden. It is similar to the United States in that each state is given equal power in the Senate with two Senators each.
3. With more than 20 animals being slaughtered on the altar every day for 12 days, the Tabernacle dedication would have been a ceremony of butchery and overwhelming blood and stench. But, to the ancient Israelites, such things would have been evocative of holiness. Also, this prodigal animal slaughter illustrates how rich in livestock were the Israelites, who were previously depicted as wandering, starving in the desert.
4. The biblical shekel, a measure of weight, is thought to be about .4 ounces. Therefore, 10 shekels = 1/4 pound, 30 shekels = 3/4 pounds, 70 shekels = 1 3/4 pounds, 120 shekels = 3 pounds, 130 shekels = 3 1/4 pounds, 1300 shekels = 32 1/3 pounds, 2400 shekels = 60 1/3 pounds. Silver (not actually in coinage) was used as a barter commodity in this part of the world, but probably beginning at a date later than the time of the Exodus. The weights used by the Hebrew priests would have been somewhat different than those used by merchants, thus the repeated stipulations in the texts that the Tabernacle weights are to be employed. In Egypt, silver, owing to its scarcity, once had a value greater than gold, but, by the 2nd millennium B.C., it was considered worth about half as much as gold.
5. Jehovah communicates to Moses from the Inner Sanctum, his voice coming from the space between the golden images of the winged Cherubim on the lid (Judgment Seat) of the Chest of Sacred Records (often called the Ark of the Covenant). There was, then, no telepathic rapport between Moses and Jehovah. Moses could not call upon Jehovah wherever he happened to be, but had to visit him in the Inner Sanctum of the Tabernacle. One assumes that Moses spoke with a disembodied, spirit voice. Some, though, have intriguingly suggested that the Chest of Sacred Records contained a communication device, a receiver and a speaker by which a voice could have been transmitted and generated electronically. If this is true, the memory of such a device was lost, or conveniently forgotten. If it was a disembodied voice, why does it speak only at a certain location? For those who have had commerce with spirits have found that being in a specific place is not necessary for communication with them. Joan of Arc, for instance, heard her voices even in prison. Others have had their prayers answered regardless of where they happened to be. Spirit is not bound in the material world. There is much similarity between the voice of the Judgment Seat and the voices that reportedly emanated from the statues of the pagan gods and goddesses in their temples. There was always the idea that to speak to a god, you had to visit his temple and evoke him in spoken prayer and perhaps be responded to, audibly. This was the original rational for building temples and statues of divinities. But since the divinities were not always responsive to the lay individual, the concept of the priest as intermediary was born.
Benediction
(Book of Numbers 6:22 - 6:27)
Jehovah instructed Moses, "When Aaron and his descendants confer a blessing upon the Israelites, they should do so in the following manner, saying these words:
'May Jehovah bless you and protect you,
May Jehovah smile upon you and be gracious to you,
May Jehovah show you his favor and give you peace.'
“Whenever Aaron and his descendants bless the people in my name, I myself will bless them."
Notes
1. Benediction, conveying the blessing of the god has always been a function of the priesthood in most religions. The priest is an ordained intermediary, standing between man and god. Therefore, he is charged with conferring the blessings of the deity upon his worshipers. Religious people today still seek the affirmation of the blessing and prefer it to the preaching they probably need more.
2. This particularly blessing expresses what is desired most by Jehovah's worshipers, the favor of their god, security, and peace. Not included is prosperity or happiness, or the wish that the recipient of the blessing become good, loving, and wise, and worthy of Jehovah’s blessing, only that he may please Jehovah.
Jehovah instructed Moses, "When Aaron and his descendants confer a blessing upon the Israelites, they should do so in the following manner, saying these words:
'May Jehovah bless you and protect you,
May Jehovah smile upon you and be gracious to you,
May Jehovah show you his favor and give you peace.'
“Whenever Aaron and his descendants bless the people in my name, I myself will bless them."
Notes
1. Benediction, conveying the blessing of the god has always been a function of the priesthood in most religions. The priest is an ordained intermediary, standing between man and god. Therefore, he is charged with conferring the blessings of the deity upon his worshipers. Religious people today still seek the affirmation of the blessing and prefer it to the preaching they probably need more.
2. This particularly blessing expresses what is desired most by Jehovah's worshipers, the favor of their god, security, and peace. Not included is prosperity or happiness, or the wish that the recipient of the blessing become good, loving, and wise, and worthy of Jehovah’s blessing, only that he may please Jehovah.
Nazirite Vows
(Book of Numbers 6:1 - 6:21)
Jehovah then told Moses to give the following instructions to the people of Israel: "If any of the people, whether a man or a woman, takes the special vow of the Nazirite, to consecrate themselves to Jehovah, he must abstain from wine and fermented drink. He must not use vinegar made from wine or from any fermented juice. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as one is under the vow of the Nazirite, he must refrain from consuming any part of the grape, even the seeds or skins.
"During the time of the vow, no razor must touch his head. He must remain holy until the period of his dedication to Jehovah is over: he must let the hair on his head grow long.
"And throughout this period of dedication, the Nazirite must not be exposed to a dead body. Even if the deceased is a close family member, he must refrain from so defiling himself. The uncut hair on his head is a sign of his dedication to Jehovah; he must remain holy during the duration of that dedication.
"However, if it happens that someone dies suddenly in the presence of a Nazirite, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes his dedication, he must wait a period of seven days and then, on the seventh day, shave his head to be cleansed of this defilement. On the eighth day he must bring to the priest at the entrance to the Sanctum, two turtledoves or young pigeons. One of the birds will be given as a sin offering, the second as a burnt offering, so that the Nazirite may be purified from the defilement caused by contact with the dead body. On that same day he should reconsecrate himself and let his hair grow again. He must then bring a male yearling lamb as a guilt offering. (The days spent before this defilement will not count toward fulfilling the vow.)
"When the period of consecration has ended, this is proper procedure for the Nazirite. He should be brought to the entrance to the Sanctum and present to Jehovah a male yearling lamb without flaw as a burnt offering, a female yearling lamb without flaw as a sin offering, a ram without flaw as a peace offering, a basket of unleavened bread, cakes made with choice flour mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with olive oil, along with the requisite grain and liquid offerings. The priest will present these offerings at the altar, first the sin offering and the burnt offering, then the ram as peace offering along with the basket of unleavened bread, the grain offering, and the drink offering.
"Then, at the entrance to the Sanctum, the Nazirite should shave his head and take the cut hair symbolizing his consecration and put it in the altar fire under the peace offering. The priest should take the shoulder of the ram, after it has been boiled, one cake from the basket of unleavened bread, and one unleavened wafer and present them to the Nazirite after his head has been shaven. The priest should raise and wave them above the altar as an offering to Jehovah. These portions are reserved for the priest, along with the breast that was raised above the altar and the thigh that was offered. After this ceremony, the Nazirite will be permitted to drink wine again.
"These are the rules that must be followed for the Nazirite when, in accordance with his vow, he brings to the altar the aforementioned sacrifices, (in addition to any others he may afford). He must, as well, be dutiful in fulfilling the conditions of the vow he made when he consecrated himself as a Nazirite.
Notes
1. A Nazirite is someone who has made a vow to dedicate himself to Jehovah, or, as we might say, to devote a certain part of his life to serving God. The only requirements are to steer clear of the grape -- no wine or strong drink, to refrain from cutting the hair, and to avoid contact with dead bodies. For a religion that is ritually demanding, these seem fairly modest departures from normal life. But, of course, there are the sacrifices to be made at the end of the consecration period. They would seem financially onerous to a poor man, much more so if his stint as a Nazirite was interrupted and spoiled by some chance exposure to a corpse, thus necessitating additional sacrifices.
2. The uncut hair symbolizes the Nazirites consecration to the vow. Apparently the duration of the consecration was long enough that the length of one's unshorn hair would become noticeable. Traditional, it is at least 30 days, but can be much longer, even lasting a lifetime. How long Israelites may have grown their hair at every period in their history is not known with certainty, but they must have regularly cut it short enough so that someone with long, unshorn hair would be noticeable.
Jehovah then told Moses to give the following instructions to the people of Israel: "If any of the people, whether a man or a woman, takes the special vow of the Nazirite, to consecrate themselves to Jehovah, he must abstain from wine and fermented drink. He must not use vinegar made from wine or from any fermented juice. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as one is under the vow of the Nazirite, he must refrain from consuming any part of the grape, even the seeds or skins.
"During the time of the vow, no razor must touch his head. He must remain holy until the period of his dedication to Jehovah is over: he must let the hair on his head grow long.
"And throughout this period of dedication, the Nazirite must not be exposed to a dead body. Even if the deceased is a close family member, he must refrain from so defiling himself. The uncut hair on his head is a sign of his dedication to Jehovah; he must remain holy during the duration of that dedication.
"However, if it happens that someone dies suddenly in the presence of a Nazirite, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes his dedication, he must wait a period of seven days and then, on the seventh day, shave his head to be cleansed of this defilement. On the eighth day he must bring to the priest at the entrance to the Sanctum, two turtledoves or young pigeons. One of the birds will be given as a sin offering, the second as a burnt offering, so that the Nazirite may be purified from the defilement caused by contact with the dead body. On that same day he should reconsecrate himself and let his hair grow again. He must then bring a male yearling lamb as a guilt offering. (The days spent before this defilement will not count toward fulfilling the vow.)
"When the period of consecration has ended, this is proper procedure for the Nazirite. He should be brought to the entrance to the Sanctum and present to Jehovah a male yearling lamb without flaw as a burnt offering, a female yearling lamb without flaw as a sin offering, a ram without flaw as a peace offering, a basket of unleavened bread, cakes made with choice flour mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with olive oil, along with the requisite grain and liquid offerings. The priest will present these offerings at the altar, first the sin offering and the burnt offering, then the ram as peace offering along with the basket of unleavened bread, the grain offering, and the drink offering.
"Then, at the entrance to the Sanctum, the Nazirite should shave his head and take the cut hair symbolizing his consecration and put it in the altar fire under the peace offering. The priest should take the shoulder of the ram, after it has been boiled, one cake from the basket of unleavened bread, and one unleavened wafer and present them to the Nazirite after his head has been shaven. The priest should raise and wave them above the altar as an offering to Jehovah. These portions are reserved for the priest, along with the breast that was raised above the altar and the thigh that was offered. After this ceremony, the Nazirite will be permitted to drink wine again.
"These are the rules that must be followed for the Nazirite when, in accordance with his vow, he brings to the altar the aforementioned sacrifices, (in addition to any others he may afford). He must, as well, be dutiful in fulfilling the conditions of the vow he made when he consecrated himself as a Nazirite.
Notes
1. A Nazirite is someone who has made a vow to dedicate himself to Jehovah, or, as we might say, to devote a certain part of his life to serving God. The only requirements are to steer clear of the grape -- no wine or strong drink, to refrain from cutting the hair, and to avoid contact with dead bodies. For a religion that is ritually demanding, these seem fairly modest departures from normal life. But, of course, there are the sacrifices to be made at the end of the consecration period. They would seem financially onerous to a poor man, much more so if his stint as a Nazirite was interrupted and spoiled by some chance exposure to a corpse, thus necessitating additional sacrifices.
2. The uncut hair symbolizes the Nazirites consecration to the vow. Apparently the duration of the consecration was long enough that the length of one's unshorn hair would become noticeable. Traditional, it is at least 30 days, but can be much longer, even lasting a lifetime. How long Israelites may have grown their hair at every period in their history is not known with certainty, but they must have regularly cut it short enough so that someone with long, unshorn hair would be noticeable.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Testing a Wife for Infidelity
(Book of Numbers 5:11 - 5:31)
Jehovah told Moses to give the following instructions to the Israelites: "Suppose a wife strays and is unfaithful to her husband by having sexual intercourse with another man, even though her husband is unaware of it and the sinful act remains undetected. (There were no witnesses to her adultery and she was not caught in the act.) Nevertheless, the husband becomes jealous and entertains suspicions concerning his wife's fidelity. To determine whether or not his wife is guilty of adultery, the husband should take his wife to see a priest. He should also bring a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. The flour should not be mixed with any oil or incense, for this is to be a grain offering of jealousy, specifically, an offering of remembrance intended to summon up the memory of wrongdoing.
"The priest should bring the offering into the Tabernacle, to the Sacrificial Altar. He should pour some holy water into an earthen cup and mix with it some dust from the Tabernacle floor. The priest should then bring the wife to the altar, uncover her head, and place her hands in the remembrance offering, the grain offering of jealousy, while he holds the cup of bitter water that brings a curse upon the guilty. The priest shall make her take an oath and say to her, 'If you have had sexual relations with no other man, if you have not been guilty of infidelity while married to your husband, then may this bitter water that brings a curse be harmless to you. But, if you have strayed and defiled yourself by having sexual relations with another man,' warns the priest, who must now make the woman take the oath and subject her to the curse, 'then let everyone know that the curse of Jehovah is upon you: you will become infertile, your womb will miscarry whenever you become pregnant. May this bitter water enter your body and cause a miscarriage whenever you become pregnant!’ The woman must then affirm, 'So let it be, so let it be!'
"The priest will write this curse on a papyrus scroll and then wash off the writing in the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings the curse, and when it enters her body, it will produce bitterness -- if she is guilty. The priest will take the grain offering from the woman, elevate and wave it, and then present it upon the altar. A handful of grain he will burn upon the altar as a token portion. The woman will then drink from the bitter water. If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, then the bitter water that brings the curse will cause her great pain, her womb will miscarry if she becomes pregnant, and her name will become an anathema among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is innocent, then she will be unharmed and able still to have children.
"This is the proper procedure when dealing with marital jealousy, when a woman strays and defiles herself while she is her husband's legal wife, or when a husband becomes jealous and suspects his wife of adultery. In such cases, he should present his wife at Jehovah's altar where the priest will apply the whole of this law to her. The man will be judged innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.
Notes
1. A tenth of an ephah would be about two quarts.
2. This procedure, which, to the modern, must border on risibility, is straight out of the traditional witch-doctor's manual. Primitive societies round the world would have had customs similar to this. The determination of guilt, not through evidence and testimony, but through religious ritual, through variations of trial by ordeal, is reasonably justified by several postulates. Firstly, there must be a god, a divine entity that takes sufficient interest in the affairs of men to be concerned about transgressions of law and custom. Secondly, the divinity must possess supernatural knowledge and insight that permits an infallible assessment of innocence and guilt. Thirdly, the divinity must be ever aware when he is being invoked and his intervention desired. Fourthly, the divinity must subscribe to the procedure practiced by the priest, be willing to observe the ritual and act according to its protocols. Lastly, the divinity must be able and willing to exercise the power and work whatever miracles are necessary to carry out the curse. --- Worshipers asking a lot of their god!
3. The punishment for infidelity is, for a woman, losing her ability to have children and becoming a pariah in the community. The second is easily inflicted, but the first requires miraculous action. One is divine punishment, the other communal. As for the first, one may ask why a ceremony is required to determine guilt when the divinity sees all and knows all. Why, if sin is be punished by God in this world, are rituals and priestly intermediaries even necessary. And if the deity is engaged in exacting such punishment, why does he need the assistance of mortals in any capacity?
4. If a wife is unfaithful and her husband never suspects anything, at least has no suspicion that warrants taking her to the priest, then apparently she gets off scot free, at least for the present, as Jehovah only punishes adulterers who are taken to the priest and made to drink the bitter water. It seems that a just god would punish even the offenders who are clever and evade being caught.
5. Water would not be made bitter per se simply by having some dust added to it, but "bitter" is respect to water can mean not only acrid, but merely bad tasting, undrinkable, just as "sweet" means good to drink and not sugary in taste.
6. An interesting feature of the ritual is the priest writing down the curse and then washing away the writing in the bitter water. It reminds one of ritual magic. Something written down is somehow invested with power -- this, at a time when writing, initially in hieroglyphics and centuries later in an alphabet, was something special, for only the learned were literate and writing seemed mystical.
7. One wonders if the Israelites ever found out that an accursed adulteress could still have children, in spite of Jehovah’s curse. But fear of divine punishment has always been a fairly effective discouragement to bad behavior. Man, though, has always felt that sin should be punished and sinners receive their comeuppance in the here and now. Unfortunately, in real life and in the unjust world, it isn’t always obvious that this occurs, at least in the form and with the regularity that one would wish.
8. The husband of the adulterous wife bears no guilt. It’s never his fault. The adulteress is guilty, period, apparently with no consideration of extenuating circumstances. And the husband is not at fault for his false suspicions or the humiliation he causes his faithful wife by initiating this ritual.
9. How this test might work in practice is questionable. Drinking dirty water cannot be expected to have much effect upon the innocent or upon the guilty. If there isn’t some divine intervention every time the test is made, then effectiveness must rely upon the conscience of the adulteress producing sufficient psychosomatic pain to tip off the priest to her guilt.
10. The woman who went through this adultery test and was deemed innocent could supposedly pick up her life and have children. But how would she feel about the suspicious husband who had mistrusted her? What would happen if her next pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage? Wouldn’t everyone then say she was guilty? Wouldn’t the shame of having to undergo this ritual be devastating? Wouldn’t it also be embarrassing as well for the husband, who, if he suspected his wife was unfaithful, could just as easily divorce her or send her off into the desert? Happily, while the Bible presents a goodly number of adulterous wives, there is little record of this test having been practiced.
Jehovah told Moses to give the following instructions to the Israelites: "Suppose a wife strays and is unfaithful to her husband by having sexual intercourse with another man, even though her husband is unaware of it and the sinful act remains undetected. (There were no witnesses to her adultery and she was not caught in the act.) Nevertheless, the husband becomes jealous and entertains suspicions concerning his wife's fidelity. To determine whether or not his wife is guilty of adultery, the husband should take his wife to see a priest. He should also bring a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. The flour should not be mixed with any oil or incense, for this is to be a grain offering of jealousy, specifically, an offering of remembrance intended to summon up the memory of wrongdoing.
"The priest should bring the offering into the Tabernacle, to the Sacrificial Altar. He should pour some holy water into an earthen cup and mix with it some dust from the Tabernacle floor. The priest should then bring the wife to the altar, uncover her head, and place her hands in the remembrance offering, the grain offering of jealousy, while he holds the cup of bitter water that brings a curse upon the guilty. The priest shall make her take an oath and say to her, 'If you have had sexual relations with no other man, if you have not been guilty of infidelity while married to your husband, then may this bitter water that brings a curse be harmless to you. But, if you have strayed and defiled yourself by having sexual relations with another man,' warns the priest, who must now make the woman take the oath and subject her to the curse, 'then let everyone know that the curse of Jehovah is upon you: you will become infertile, your womb will miscarry whenever you become pregnant. May this bitter water enter your body and cause a miscarriage whenever you become pregnant!’ The woman must then affirm, 'So let it be, so let it be!'
"The priest will write this curse on a papyrus scroll and then wash off the writing in the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings the curse, and when it enters her body, it will produce bitterness -- if she is guilty. The priest will take the grain offering from the woman, elevate and wave it, and then present it upon the altar. A handful of grain he will burn upon the altar as a token portion. The woman will then drink from the bitter water. If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, then the bitter water that brings the curse will cause her great pain, her womb will miscarry if she becomes pregnant, and her name will become an anathema among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is innocent, then she will be unharmed and able still to have children.
"This is the proper procedure when dealing with marital jealousy, when a woman strays and defiles herself while she is her husband's legal wife, or when a husband becomes jealous and suspects his wife of adultery. In such cases, he should present his wife at Jehovah's altar where the priest will apply the whole of this law to her. The man will be judged innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman must bear the consequences of her wrongdoing.
Notes
1. A tenth of an ephah would be about two quarts.
2. This procedure, which, to the modern, must border on risibility, is straight out of the traditional witch-doctor's manual. Primitive societies round the world would have had customs similar to this. The determination of guilt, not through evidence and testimony, but through religious ritual, through variations of trial by ordeal, is reasonably justified by several postulates. Firstly, there must be a god, a divine entity that takes sufficient interest in the affairs of men to be concerned about transgressions of law and custom. Secondly, the divinity must possess supernatural knowledge and insight that permits an infallible assessment of innocence and guilt. Thirdly, the divinity must be ever aware when he is being invoked and his intervention desired. Fourthly, the divinity must subscribe to the procedure practiced by the priest, be willing to observe the ritual and act according to its protocols. Lastly, the divinity must be able and willing to exercise the power and work whatever miracles are necessary to carry out the curse. --- Worshipers asking a lot of their god!
3. The punishment for infidelity is, for a woman, losing her ability to have children and becoming a pariah in the community. The second is easily inflicted, but the first requires miraculous action. One is divine punishment, the other communal. As for the first, one may ask why a ceremony is required to determine guilt when the divinity sees all and knows all. Why, if sin is be punished by God in this world, are rituals and priestly intermediaries even necessary. And if the deity is engaged in exacting such punishment, why does he need the assistance of mortals in any capacity?
4. If a wife is unfaithful and her husband never suspects anything, at least has no suspicion that warrants taking her to the priest, then apparently she gets off scot free, at least for the present, as Jehovah only punishes adulterers who are taken to the priest and made to drink the bitter water. It seems that a just god would punish even the offenders who are clever and evade being caught.
5. Water would not be made bitter per se simply by having some dust added to it, but "bitter" is respect to water can mean not only acrid, but merely bad tasting, undrinkable, just as "sweet" means good to drink and not sugary in taste.
6. An interesting feature of the ritual is the priest writing down the curse and then washing away the writing in the bitter water. It reminds one of ritual magic. Something written down is somehow invested with power -- this, at a time when writing, initially in hieroglyphics and centuries later in an alphabet, was something special, for only the learned were literate and writing seemed mystical.
7. One wonders if the Israelites ever found out that an accursed adulteress could still have children, in spite of Jehovah’s curse. But fear of divine punishment has always been a fairly effective discouragement to bad behavior. Man, though, has always felt that sin should be punished and sinners receive their comeuppance in the here and now. Unfortunately, in real life and in the unjust world, it isn’t always obvious that this occurs, at least in the form and with the regularity that one would wish.
8. The husband of the adulterous wife bears no guilt. It’s never his fault. The adulteress is guilty, period, apparently with no consideration of extenuating circumstances. And the husband is not at fault for his false suspicions or the humiliation he causes his faithful wife by initiating this ritual.
9. How this test might work in practice is questionable. Drinking dirty water cannot be expected to have much effect upon the innocent or upon the guilty. If there isn’t some divine intervention every time the test is made, then effectiveness must rely upon the conscience of the adulteress producing sufficient psychosomatic pain to tip off the priest to her guilt.
10. The woman who went through this adultery test and was deemed innocent could supposedly pick up her life and have children. But how would she feel about the suspicious husband who had mistrusted her? What would happen if her next pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage? Wouldn’t everyone then say she was guilty? Wouldn’t the shame of having to undergo this ritual be devastating? Wouldn’t it also be embarrassing as well for the husband, who, if he suspected his wife was unfaithful, could just as easily divorce her or send her off into the desert? Happily, while the Bible presents a goodly number of adulterous wives, there is little record of this test having been practiced.
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