(Book of Numbers 25:1 - 25:18)
While the Israelites were camping at Shittim [Acacia Grove], some of the men started having sex with the local Moabite women, who then encouraged them to attend services to their gods. These Israelites participated in the sacred feasts and bowed down to the Moabite gods. Israel joined the cult of Baal of Peor! This incurred the wrath of Jehovah against the Israelites.
Jehovah told Moses, "Round up the ring leaders and execute them before Jehovah’s altar in broad daylight so that the anger of Jehovah may no longer be directed toward the Israelites."
Moses then told the judges of Israel, "Kill any of your people who have dedicated themselves to Baal of Peor!”
At that moment, one of the Israelites was bringing a Midianite woman home to his family in full view of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel -- while they were weeping before the entrance to the Tabernacle! When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of the priest Aaron, saw this, he immediately rose and left the assembly. He grabbed a spear and followed the man into his tent. He thrust the spear through the man's body and into the stomach of the woman. This put an end to the plague that was afflicting the Israelite people. Even so, 24,000 people had already perished as a result of it.
Jehovah told Moses, "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of the priest Aaron, has succeeded in turning my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous to defend my honor as I am, I did not put an end to the Israelites in my jealous wrath. Therefore I declare, 'I hereby make with him a personal covenant of peace by which I grant to him and his descendants the exclusive and everlasting right to the priesthood. Because of his zeal to defend the honor of his god, he has made atonement for the people of Israel."
The name of Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, leader of a Simeonite clan. The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Kozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of an ancestral Midianite clan.
Jehovah told Moses, "Regard the Midianites as your enemies. Kill them, because they acted towards you with treachery when they tricked you into worshiping Baal at Peor as well as in the matter of Kozbi, their countrywoman, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed during the time of the plague (which resulted from what had happened at Peor).
Notes
1. One might have thought that the Israelite camp was isolated and that there would not have been any flow of people in and out of it to the neighboring land of Moab, pretty much enemy territory. Such, apparently, was not the case. Some Israelite men, probably like sailors on liberty, were straying in to Peor and, guess what, seeking out some available females. This cannot be surprising. For 40 years or so the Israelites had been wandering the desert where there was a girl behind every tree -- only there weren't many trees. The Moabite gals must have looked a lot better than the weather-beaten women back at the Israelite camp.
2. Betraying Jehovah by worshiping another god, like Baal, is the ultimate sin as far as Jehovah is concerned, and he demands the death penalty for violators. There is no trial or clemency for any who might express remorse or argue that they were coerced or compelled. Freedom of worship is the greatest of evils. Those who do not conform and worship Jehovah are to be purged from Israelite society. There will be fewer, but better Israelites!
3. Aaron's grandson, Phinehas is the ultimate Jehovan hero, a man after Jehovah's heart, an unreasoning zealot and a cold-blooded killer. He allows his victims, Zimri and Kozbi no quarter. He simply murders them ruthlessly, as is typical, even today, of honor killings. Of course, Phinehas is pretty gutsy, murdering someone of considerable stature, with a family that might take it upon themselves to avenge the murder.
4. This incident allows considerable insight into the nature of early Israelite society and the thought processes of the primitive, tribalistic mind. A basic and universal primitive belief is that catastrophes, disasters, diseases, and so forth are not due to natural causes, but are punishments from the gods, divine retribution for sins, often involving lapses in worship. Here, Jehovah is mad at the Israelites for two-timing him with Baal of Peor, so he unleashes a plague against his own people.
5. The plague will kill 24,000 Israelites. (Some of 24,000 may have been executed by the judges. Traditionally this number is 1000.) It is not targeted at the offenders, who are being killed by the Israelites themselves, but at the general population. Jehovah is ready once again to destroy the entire Israelite community for the actions of a few. Instead of being placated by Moses, it is Phinehas' murderous actions that assuage his ire.
6. It is difficult to determine what is the nature of the plagues that Jehovah has several times inflicted upon the Israelites. As a result of them, people, randomly it seems, die in great numbers and within a very short period of time. Here, the impression is given that the plague lasts but a single day. Diseases, though, must incubate and people perish from them after a period of time. These plagues always miraculously end immediately after Jehovah is placated. It is hard to see these plagues are anything but elements of fable, conveying the message, "Defy Jehovah and your people will die!"
7. As a result of Phinehas' "heroic" actions, Jehovah rewards his descendants by giving them the exclusive right to be his priests. But Jehovah has done this several times before, why again? Is it now necessary to find a reason for making his hereditary priesthood a perk of the Aaronite clan?
8. Phinehas' victims are important people, the son and the daughter of tribal leaders. One might have thought that a union such as that of Zimri and Kozbi might have cemented peace and encouraged cooperation between the Israelites and the Midianites. But this is contrary to the xenophobic Israelite mindset and an anathema to Jehovah, the original racial bigot.
9. It is unstated why Zimri was taking the Midianite Kozbi into his tent. To have sex with her seems to be the usually accepted reason. Some even conclude that Zimri and Kozbi were killed in the “act.” But Phinehas followed them into the tent. Would he have waited until they were “doing it” before killing them? Their relationship is presented as immoral, but was it only because they were of different ethnicities? Maybe Zimri wanted to marry Kozbi and was introducing her to his family. She was, after all, his equal, the daughter of a chief, and not likely to be a whore, as she is often assumed to be. If they were to have a sexual tryst, why would he, the son of a tribal chief, do it in the family tent, apparently in the presence of his family and not seek a more suitable place in Peor or outdoors someplace.
10. Jehovah pronounces the Midianites as enemies of Israel. He does not include the Moabites, although we may conclude that the Midianites are a part of the Moabites or connected with them. Is it forgotten that Moses, during his exile from Egypt, lived with the Midianites, that his wife Sephora is a Midianite, that his father-in-law Jethro counseled him during the Exodus? One might theorize that Jehovah was originally a Midianite god, but that they eventually shunned or rejected him. And so he became the god of the Israelites, still harboring hard feelings toward his former, faithless worshipers who now prefer Baal of Peor, (Elsewhere he is called Chemosh, Baal being the generic term for a god or idol.) The rites of Chemosh were notoriously licentious, which would furnish another reason for Jehovah’s disapproval. If Chemosh, like Jehovah, was an actual entity, an extraterrestrial being, then Jehovah's jealousy and the competitive relationship he had with him (and other "deities”) makes great sense.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Oracles of Balaam
(Book of Numbers 23:1 -24:25 )
Balaam said to Balak, "On this place I want you to build me 7 altars and prepare as sacrifices, 7 young bulls and 7 rams." Balak did as he was instructed, and he and Balaam sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. Afterwards, Balaam told him, "Stay here with the burnt offerings. I am going to see if Jehovah will come to me. If he does, I will tell you what he reveals to me." And so he went off alone and climbed to the top of a barren hill.
Jehovah appeared and Balaam told him, "I have built 7 altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar."
Jehovah conveyed to Balaam a message for King Balak and ordered him, "Go back to Balak and give him my message." And so Balaam returned to Balak and found him standing beside the offerings along with the Moabite court.
This is the oracle that Balaam proclaimed: "Balak brought me here from Aram. The King of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains, urging me, 'Come, curse Jacob for me, denounce the house of Israel.' How can I curse those whom Jehovah has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom Jehovah has not denounced? From the tops of craggy mountains I see them. From the hills I view them. Here is a people apart, distinct from the other nations of the world. Who can count the descendants of Jacob, numerous as specks of dust? And who can number those in the dust cloud that is Israel's people? Let me die the death of the righteous man. Let my end be like his."
Balak voiced his objection to Balaam. "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead all you do is bless them!
"Must I not be careful to speak only the words that Jehovah puts in my mouth?" responded Balaam.
King Balak told him, "Come with me to a different location where you can see another part of the nation of Israel -- not all of them, but at least you can curse them for me from there." And so he took him to the plateau of Zophim on Mount Pisgah, where he build 7 altars and sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam told King Balak, "Remain with your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet with Jehovah." Jehovah met with Balaam and imparted to him his message and told him, "Return to Balak and give him my message."
Balaam went back to Balak, who was standing with his court by the burnt offerings. "What did Jehovah say?" Balak asked.
Balaam pronounced this oracle: "Pay attention and listen to me, Balak. Hear me, son of Zippor. God is not a human that he would lie. Or a mortal that he would change his mind. If he has made a promise, will he not fulfill it? If he has spoken, will he not keep his word? Listen, I have received a command to bless. The blessing has been made, and I cannot revoke it. He has foreseen no bad fortune for Jacob, no troubles in store for Israel. Jehovah, their god, is among them and is acclaimed as their leader. He brought them out of Egypt, and his strength is like that of a wild bull. There are no evil omens against Jacob, no curse upon Israel. Indeed it can be now said of Jacob, of the people of Israel, 'Behold what their god has done for them!' These people attack and pounce like the lion that refuses to rest until it has devoured its prey and drunk its blood."
Balak said to Balaam, "Well then, neither curse nor bless them at all."
But Balaam responded, "Didn't I tell you I must do whatever Jehovah says."
Balak then said to Balaam, "Come now, I'll take you to another location. Perhaps it may please Jehovah to curse them from there." Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks the desert wastelands.
Balaam told him, "Build for me 7 altars and prepare 7 young bulls and 7 rams." Balak did as he was bid and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
When he realized that Jehovah was resolved only to bless Israel, Balaam did not look for any omens, as he had done before. Rather, he gazed out over the expanse of desert where he saw the people of Israel encamped tribe by tribe.
Nevertheless, the divine spirit came upon him and it delivered an oracle. This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who has been enlightened, of one who hears the word of God and sees a vision from the Almighty -- one who enters a trance without losing consciousness: "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, how lovely your dwelling places, O Israel. They are spread out before me like a valley of palms, like a garden on the river bank. They are like aloes planted by Jehovah or cedars beside the waters. Water will brim in their buckets; their descendants will enjoy plenty of water. Their king will be greater than Agag and their kingdom will be exalted. Their god brought them out of Egypt, for them his strength is like a wild bull. He will devour all the nations that oppose them, breaking their bones and piercing them with his arrows. He crouch down to sleep like a lion, but as with a great lion, who will dare rouse him? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"
Balak became furious with Balaam. He angrily hit his fists together and rebuked him, "I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you bless them -- three times! Leave at once and go home. I promised you, 'I will reward you handsomely,' but Jehovah has prevented you from receiving any reward.”
Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I tell the emissaries you sent, 'Should Balaam give me all the gold and silver in his palace, I am nevertheless powerless to contradict the will of Jehovah.' I told you that I could only repeat what Jehovah tells me. I will be returning now to my own people, but before I do, let me warn you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future."
He proclaimed an oracle. This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who has been enlightened, of one who hears the word of God, receives knowledge from the Most High, and sees a vision from the Almighty -- one who enters a trance without losing consciousness: "I see him, but not here and now. I observe him, but from a distance. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. He will kosh he heads of the Moabites and crush the skulls of the Shethites. Israel will be triumphant, while Edom will be conquered and occupied. Seir will be in the hands of its enemies; it will be ruled by an heir of Jacob, who will destroy what remains of the city.”
Balaam looked to the Amalekites and said, "Amalek was the first among nations, but its fate is complete destruction."
Balaam looked to the Kenites and said, "Your homeland seems secure, a nest set upon the cliffs. But your land will be laid waste, when the Assyrians carry you away as captives.”
Balaam concluded his prophecies by saying, "Who indeed can survive when God has willed otherwise? Ships from the Mediterranean islands will come to conquer the Assyrians and the Hebrews -- but in the end, they, too, will be totally destroyed."
Balaam then left and returned home, while Balak went on his way.
Notes
1. An oracle is a communication from a divine or spiritual source, usually a god or some specific spirit being. It is usually of a prophetic, hortative, or instructive nature, but is often vague, ambiguous, and requiring interpretation. The person delivering the message, or the agency by which spiritual communion is attained is also called an oracle. Except for Moses, Balaam is the only biblical character who has thus far received oracles. Back in the good old days, Jehovah would just show up for dinner or something and tell Abraham what was on his mind. But like the Greek gods (and all the ancient deities, it seems), as time passes they withdraw further and further from human society. Once they walked among men, then they could be approached in their temples by worshipers, and, finally, only priests or prophets could communicate with them, mostly through dreams and visions and omens. They would become the sole conduits to the divine, summoning the god through special rituals or achieving communion through psychic, shamanistic techniques. Balaam, one of these, is what we would call a mystic or a medium.
2. Apparently Balaam is unable to contact Jehovah unless sacrifices are made. He has Balak do it in a big way, seven altars with seven young bulls and seven rams for each altar, each of the three times he endeavors to try to get a curse out of Jehovah. All in all, 42 animals are sacrificed -- but for nothing, as far as Balak was concerned. Apparently when Balak traveled with Balaam, he brought along with them a good-sized flock of animals to be used as sacrifices. One supposes that the altars were simply piles of rocks, easily constructed. Were they consecrated in some way, and, if not, would they have been acceptable to the finicky Jehovah?
3. The oracles are conveyed in poetry, but in order to make the meaning more precise, they are rendered here in prose. A characteristic of Hebrew poetry is reiteration. Something is said in one way, then the same thing is said in another way, using synonymous words. These redundancies have generally been preserved, but occasionally edited out when they militate against clear meaning.
4. Balaam's prophecies have been inserted by the authors as rather bald propaganda, a confirmation of Israel's glorious destiny from an non-Israelite source. If Moses were really the author of Numbers, though, how would he come to hear of Balaam's oracles and know them word for word. Did someone write them down? Were the Moabites of the time literate? (If so, they would have had to use hieroglyphics or cuneiform, the only existent forms of writing at the time.)
5. Almost all biblical prophecies fall into one of three categories: they are obscure, allowing numerous interpretations and inviting a forced conformity to historical fact; they refer to events that had already occurred before the writing of the Old Testament (in the 6th or 5th Centuries BC); they predict events that simply never happened. The defeat of the Moabites would occur. Shethite is an unknown reference, but must have been a people living with the Moabites or, possibly, another name for the Moabites. The Edomites (Seir is their capital) would avoid the destruction oft prophesied for them. The Amalekites, whom Israel was always fighting, would eventually be destroyed, but not for six or seven hundred years. (Agag is the general name for an Amalekite king.) The Kenites, who were part of the Midianites, or synonymous with them, would be conquered by the Assyrians, but, then, so was most of the Middle East. Assyria would come to a slow end, eventually being annexed by the Medians and Persians, but remaining a national entity. (Assyrians, primarily Christians, still exist as a distinct, if recently endangered ethnic group in modern Iraq.) The ships from the Mediterranean islands (the text says Kittim, Cyprus, but probably refers to a broader area) would have nothing to do with the Assyrians' downfall, even assuming the prophecy looks ahead to the Asian conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th Century BC. or those of Rome. Attempts have been made to give these prophecies broader meaning, but it’s a real stretch.
Balaam said to Balak, "On this place I want you to build me 7 altars and prepare as sacrifices, 7 young bulls and 7 rams." Balak did as he was instructed, and he and Balaam sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. Afterwards, Balaam told him, "Stay here with the burnt offerings. I am going to see if Jehovah will come to me. If he does, I will tell you what he reveals to me." And so he went off alone and climbed to the top of a barren hill.
Jehovah appeared and Balaam told him, "I have built 7 altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar."
Jehovah conveyed to Balaam a message for King Balak and ordered him, "Go back to Balak and give him my message." And so Balaam returned to Balak and found him standing beside the offerings along with the Moabite court.
This is the oracle that Balaam proclaimed: "Balak brought me here from Aram. The King of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains, urging me, 'Come, curse Jacob for me, denounce the house of Israel.' How can I curse those whom Jehovah has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom Jehovah has not denounced? From the tops of craggy mountains I see them. From the hills I view them. Here is a people apart, distinct from the other nations of the world. Who can count the descendants of Jacob, numerous as specks of dust? And who can number those in the dust cloud that is Israel's people? Let me die the death of the righteous man. Let my end be like his."
Balak voiced his objection to Balaam. "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead all you do is bless them!
"Must I not be careful to speak only the words that Jehovah puts in my mouth?" responded Balaam.
King Balak told him, "Come with me to a different location where you can see another part of the nation of Israel -- not all of them, but at least you can curse them for me from there." And so he took him to the plateau of Zophim on Mount Pisgah, where he build 7 altars and sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam told King Balak, "Remain with your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet with Jehovah." Jehovah met with Balaam and imparted to him his message and told him, "Return to Balak and give him my message."
Balaam went back to Balak, who was standing with his court by the burnt offerings. "What did Jehovah say?" Balak asked.
Balaam pronounced this oracle: "Pay attention and listen to me, Balak. Hear me, son of Zippor. God is not a human that he would lie. Or a mortal that he would change his mind. If he has made a promise, will he not fulfill it? If he has spoken, will he not keep his word? Listen, I have received a command to bless. The blessing has been made, and I cannot revoke it. He has foreseen no bad fortune for Jacob, no troubles in store for Israel. Jehovah, their god, is among them and is acclaimed as their leader. He brought them out of Egypt, and his strength is like that of a wild bull. There are no evil omens against Jacob, no curse upon Israel. Indeed it can be now said of Jacob, of the people of Israel, 'Behold what their god has done for them!' These people attack and pounce like the lion that refuses to rest until it has devoured its prey and drunk its blood."
Balak said to Balaam, "Well then, neither curse nor bless them at all."
But Balaam responded, "Didn't I tell you I must do whatever Jehovah says."
Balak then said to Balaam, "Come now, I'll take you to another location. Perhaps it may please Jehovah to curse them from there." Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks the desert wastelands.
Balaam told him, "Build for me 7 altars and prepare 7 young bulls and 7 rams." Balak did as he was bid and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
When he realized that Jehovah was resolved only to bless Israel, Balaam did not look for any omens, as he had done before. Rather, he gazed out over the expanse of desert where he saw the people of Israel encamped tribe by tribe.
Nevertheless, the divine spirit came upon him and it delivered an oracle. This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who has been enlightened, of one who hears the word of God and sees a vision from the Almighty -- one who enters a trance without losing consciousness: "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, how lovely your dwelling places, O Israel. They are spread out before me like a valley of palms, like a garden on the river bank. They are like aloes planted by Jehovah or cedars beside the waters. Water will brim in their buckets; their descendants will enjoy plenty of water. Their king will be greater than Agag and their kingdom will be exalted. Their god brought them out of Egypt, for them his strength is like a wild bull. He will devour all the nations that oppose them, breaking their bones and piercing them with his arrows. He crouch down to sleep like a lion, but as with a great lion, who will dare rouse him? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"
Balak became furious with Balaam. He angrily hit his fists together and rebuked him, "I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you bless them -- three times! Leave at once and go home. I promised you, 'I will reward you handsomely,' but Jehovah has prevented you from receiving any reward.”
Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I tell the emissaries you sent, 'Should Balaam give me all the gold and silver in his palace, I am nevertheless powerless to contradict the will of Jehovah.' I told you that I could only repeat what Jehovah tells me. I will be returning now to my own people, but before I do, let me warn you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future."
He proclaimed an oracle. This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who has been enlightened, of one who hears the word of God, receives knowledge from the Most High, and sees a vision from the Almighty -- one who enters a trance without losing consciousness: "I see him, but not here and now. I observe him, but from a distance. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. He will kosh he heads of the Moabites and crush the skulls of the Shethites. Israel will be triumphant, while Edom will be conquered and occupied. Seir will be in the hands of its enemies; it will be ruled by an heir of Jacob, who will destroy what remains of the city.”
Balaam looked to the Amalekites and said, "Amalek was the first among nations, but its fate is complete destruction."
Balaam looked to the Kenites and said, "Your homeland seems secure, a nest set upon the cliffs. But your land will be laid waste, when the Assyrians carry you away as captives.”
Balaam concluded his prophecies by saying, "Who indeed can survive when God has willed otherwise? Ships from the Mediterranean islands will come to conquer the Assyrians and the Hebrews -- but in the end, they, too, will be totally destroyed."
Balaam then left and returned home, while Balak went on his way.
Notes
1. An oracle is a communication from a divine or spiritual source, usually a god or some specific spirit being. It is usually of a prophetic, hortative, or instructive nature, but is often vague, ambiguous, and requiring interpretation. The person delivering the message, or the agency by which spiritual communion is attained is also called an oracle. Except for Moses, Balaam is the only biblical character who has thus far received oracles. Back in the good old days, Jehovah would just show up for dinner or something and tell Abraham what was on his mind. But like the Greek gods (and all the ancient deities, it seems), as time passes they withdraw further and further from human society. Once they walked among men, then they could be approached in their temples by worshipers, and, finally, only priests or prophets could communicate with them, mostly through dreams and visions and omens. They would become the sole conduits to the divine, summoning the god through special rituals or achieving communion through psychic, shamanistic techniques. Balaam, one of these, is what we would call a mystic or a medium.
2. Apparently Balaam is unable to contact Jehovah unless sacrifices are made. He has Balak do it in a big way, seven altars with seven young bulls and seven rams for each altar, each of the three times he endeavors to try to get a curse out of Jehovah. All in all, 42 animals are sacrificed -- but for nothing, as far as Balak was concerned. Apparently when Balak traveled with Balaam, he brought along with them a good-sized flock of animals to be used as sacrifices. One supposes that the altars were simply piles of rocks, easily constructed. Were they consecrated in some way, and, if not, would they have been acceptable to the finicky Jehovah?
3. The oracles are conveyed in poetry, but in order to make the meaning more precise, they are rendered here in prose. A characteristic of Hebrew poetry is reiteration. Something is said in one way, then the same thing is said in another way, using synonymous words. These redundancies have generally been preserved, but occasionally edited out when they militate against clear meaning.
4. Balaam's prophecies have been inserted by the authors as rather bald propaganda, a confirmation of Israel's glorious destiny from an non-Israelite source. If Moses were really the author of Numbers, though, how would he come to hear of Balaam's oracles and know them word for word. Did someone write them down? Were the Moabites of the time literate? (If so, they would have had to use hieroglyphics or cuneiform, the only existent forms of writing at the time.)
5. Almost all biblical prophecies fall into one of three categories: they are obscure, allowing numerous interpretations and inviting a forced conformity to historical fact; they refer to events that had already occurred before the writing of the Old Testament (in the 6th or 5th Centuries BC); they predict events that simply never happened. The defeat of the Moabites would occur. Shethite is an unknown reference, but must have been a people living with the Moabites or, possibly, another name for the Moabites. The Edomites (Seir is their capital) would avoid the destruction oft prophesied for them. The Amalekites, whom Israel was always fighting, would eventually be destroyed, but not for six or seven hundred years. (Agag is the general name for an Amalekite king.) The Kenites, who were part of the Midianites, or synonymous with them, would be conquered by the Assyrians, but, then, so was most of the Middle East. Assyria would come to a slow end, eventually being annexed by the Medians and Persians, but remaining a national entity. (Assyrians, primarily Christians, still exist as a distinct, if recently endangered ethnic group in modern Iraq.) The ships from the Mediterranean islands (the text says Kittim, Cyprus, but probably refers to a broader area) would have nothing to do with the Assyrians' downfall, even assuming the prophecy looks ahead to the Asian conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th Century BC. or those of Rome. Attempts have been made to give these prophecies broader meaning, but it’s a real stretch.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Balaam and His Talking Donkey
(Book of Numbers 22:21 - 22:41)
When Balaam rose the following morning, he saddled his donkey and departed with the Moabite delegation. Angry with him because he was going, Jehovah sent one of his agents to stand in the road and block Balaam's way. As Balaam rode on, accompanied by two servants, his donkey saw a Jehovan extraterrestrial standing in the middle of the road, brandishing a drawn sword. The donkey strayed off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to guide it back onto the road. The extraterrestrial being then appeared in a vineyard on a narrow path hemmed in by walls on both sides. When the donkey saw him, it moved close to the wall, with the result that Balaam's foot was crushed against it. So Balaam beat the donkey again. The extraterrestrial then appeared appeared farther down the road in a place too narrow for the donkey to pass on either side. When the donkey saw Jehovah’s man again, it crouched down under its rider. Balaam lost his temper and beat the donkey with his staff.
Jehovah enabled the donkey to speak, and so it asked Balaam, "What have I done that you should beat me three times?"
"Because you've made me look like an ass!” he retorted. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you right now."
The donkey declared, "Am I not your donkey, the one you have ridden from the time I became yours until this very day? Have I ever been in the habit of treating you like this before?”
"Well, no,” Balaam admitted.
Jehovah then allowed Balaam to see his man standing in the road with a drawn sword. Balaam bowed his head and prostrated himself. The extraterrestrial spoke to Balaam, "Why have you struck your donkey three times? I have come to block your way because your trip is contrary to Jehovah's will. The donkey saw me and turned away from me three times. If it had not done so, I certainly would have killed you by this time -- killed you, but spared the donkey."
Balaam apologized to the extraterrestrial, "Indeed I have sinned. I didn't realize you were on the road to block my way. If you disapprove of my journey, I'll return home right now."
The Jehovan extraterrestrial replied, "No, you may go along with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say." And so Balaam resumed his journey with the delegation from Balak.
When King Balak heard that he was approaching, he rushed to greet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River, the frontier of his territory. Balak quizzed Balaam. "Didn't I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn't you come at once? Am I not ready to reward you handsomely?"
"Well, I've come to you now -- but keep in mind I do not have leave to say whatever I wish. I can speak only the words that Jehovah puts in my mouth," Balaam replied.
Balaam accompanied Balak as they went to Kiriath-Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent some of the beef and mutton to Balaam and the Moabite elders who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam to Bamath-Baal, where he could espy the outskirts of the Israelite encampment.
Notes
1. Jehovah gives Balaam at least a qualified approval to journey to Moab with Balak's delegation, but then sends an agent to stop him on the way. What can account for this fickleness on Jehovah’s part? The agent seems to have every intention of killing Balaam, yet we were given the impression that Balaam and Jehovah were on good terms and regularly communicating.
2. The donkey, by avoiding the extraterrestrial on the road ahead, saves Balaam's life. Balaam beats the donkey thinking it is merely disobedient and not aware that the donkey is acting in his best interests. How is Balaam to know what's going on? Is he supposed to read the donkey's mind, since, at this point, the donkey cannot talk? Yet, Balaam seems to be guilty of some great sin by beating his donkey even though it seemed justified to him. Is Jehovah, who is always lusting for those animal sacrifices, a closet animal rights advocate? Does he really care about the well being of the donkey? --- And, we may ask, what is the point of this story anyway?
3. The extraterrestrial is visible to the donkey, but apparently not visible to Balaam. Several explanations for this suggest themselves: 1. Balaam does not see the extraterrestrial because he is not paying attention to the road ahead. 2. Balaam is very near-sighted. 3. The extraterrestrial is composed of a different kind of matter which is not always visible or visible only under certain conditions. 4. The extraterrestrial can control minds and make humans and animals see him or not see him according to his will. 5. The extraterrestrial possesses some technical device that allows him to become invisible at will. -- or 6. The whole thing is a fairy tale.
4. Balaam's donkey proves himself a worthy forerunner of filmdom's Francis the Talking Mule and TV's famous Mr. Ed. It speaks! Jehovah empowers the donkey to speak human language. How? A donkey, even if it were possessed by a more intelligent spirit accustomed to speech, simply does not possess the physical equipment to vocalize much more than "hee-haw." How does Jehovah manage it? To paraphrase a line from Inherit the Wind (play and film that presented a fictionalized account of the 1920's Scopes "Monkey Trial"), "If God wishes a donkey to speak, it speaks." A believer may be satisfied with that, but a logical mind searches for some mechanism by which this miracle could be accomplished. Does Jehovah throw his voice, or does he make Balaam only think that he is hearing the donkey speak?
5. The donkey complains to Balaam about his unjustified beating, but doesn't really enlighten him as to the reason for its behavior. It does dispute with Balaam and wins the argument. Donkeys are pretty smart, but does Balaam’s donkey manifest human intelligence as well as human vocalization? Balaam, who is used to communicating with the divine and dabbling in mystical practices, expresses no surprise whatsoever that his donkey has started talking to him. He does not ask how it has suddenly been endowed with human speech, but threatens to kill his faithful old donkey for its disobedience and for making him look stupid. (This does seem pretty stupid. If you own a miraculous novelty like a talking donkey, you don’t kill it, you make money exhibiting it.) Balaam doesn’t seem to tell anyone that his donkey talks -- this, it seems, not being something prophets customarily brag about.
6. The delegation from Balak that Balaam is traveling with apparently do not see what's going on with Balaam, nor do Balaam's two servants. They seem to be witness to neither the erratic behavior of the donkey, the appearance of the extraterrestrial, or the phenomenon of the donkey talking. Where the heck are they? None seem to be keeping very close tabs on their traveling companion. Nor does Balaam tell them about his experience.
7. The reader learns a great deal about Balaam's character from the donkey incident. He seems to be hugely incurious. He lacks sympathy and understanding, is a harsh, uncaring, and unappreciative master, has a temper and harbors murderous impulses -- all in all, not a great guy. Jehovah seems to have truck with him, but this is not surprising, since their characters are very similar.
When Balaam rose the following morning, he saddled his donkey and departed with the Moabite delegation. Angry with him because he was going, Jehovah sent one of his agents to stand in the road and block Balaam's way. As Balaam rode on, accompanied by two servants, his donkey saw a Jehovan extraterrestrial standing in the middle of the road, brandishing a drawn sword. The donkey strayed off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to guide it back onto the road. The extraterrestrial being then appeared in a vineyard on a narrow path hemmed in by walls on both sides. When the donkey saw him, it moved close to the wall, with the result that Balaam's foot was crushed against it. So Balaam beat the donkey again. The extraterrestrial then appeared appeared farther down the road in a place too narrow for the donkey to pass on either side. When the donkey saw Jehovah’s man again, it crouched down under its rider. Balaam lost his temper and beat the donkey with his staff.
Jehovah enabled the donkey to speak, and so it asked Balaam, "What have I done that you should beat me three times?"
"Because you've made me look like an ass!” he retorted. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you right now."
The donkey declared, "Am I not your donkey, the one you have ridden from the time I became yours until this very day? Have I ever been in the habit of treating you like this before?”
"Well, no,” Balaam admitted.
Jehovah then allowed Balaam to see his man standing in the road with a drawn sword. Balaam bowed his head and prostrated himself. The extraterrestrial spoke to Balaam, "Why have you struck your donkey three times? I have come to block your way because your trip is contrary to Jehovah's will. The donkey saw me and turned away from me three times. If it had not done so, I certainly would have killed you by this time -- killed you, but spared the donkey."
Balaam apologized to the extraterrestrial, "Indeed I have sinned. I didn't realize you were on the road to block my way. If you disapprove of my journey, I'll return home right now."
The Jehovan extraterrestrial replied, "No, you may go along with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say." And so Balaam resumed his journey with the delegation from Balak.
When King Balak heard that he was approaching, he rushed to greet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River, the frontier of his territory. Balak quizzed Balaam. "Didn't I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn't you come at once? Am I not ready to reward you handsomely?"
"Well, I've come to you now -- but keep in mind I do not have leave to say whatever I wish. I can speak only the words that Jehovah puts in my mouth," Balaam replied.
Balaam accompanied Balak as they went to Kiriath-Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent some of the beef and mutton to Balaam and the Moabite elders who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam to Bamath-Baal, where he could espy the outskirts of the Israelite encampment.
Notes
1. Jehovah gives Balaam at least a qualified approval to journey to Moab with Balak's delegation, but then sends an agent to stop him on the way. What can account for this fickleness on Jehovah’s part? The agent seems to have every intention of killing Balaam, yet we were given the impression that Balaam and Jehovah were on good terms and regularly communicating.
2. The donkey, by avoiding the extraterrestrial on the road ahead, saves Balaam's life. Balaam beats the donkey thinking it is merely disobedient and not aware that the donkey is acting in his best interests. How is Balaam to know what's going on? Is he supposed to read the donkey's mind, since, at this point, the donkey cannot talk? Yet, Balaam seems to be guilty of some great sin by beating his donkey even though it seemed justified to him. Is Jehovah, who is always lusting for those animal sacrifices, a closet animal rights advocate? Does he really care about the well being of the donkey? --- And, we may ask, what is the point of this story anyway?
3. The extraterrestrial is visible to the donkey, but apparently not visible to Balaam. Several explanations for this suggest themselves: 1. Balaam does not see the extraterrestrial because he is not paying attention to the road ahead. 2. Balaam is very near-sighted. 3. The extraterrestrial is composed of a different kind of matter which is not always visible or visible only under certain conditions. 4. The extraterrestrial can control minds and make humans and animals see him or not see him according to his will. 5. The extraterrestrial possesses some technical device that allows him to become invisible at will. -- or 6. The whole thing is a fairy tale.
4. Balaam's donkey proves himself a worthy forerunner of filmdom's Francis the Talking Mule and TV's famous Mr. Ed. It speaks! Jehovah empowers the donkey to speak human language. How? A donkey, even if it were possessed by a more intelligent spirit accustomed to speech, simply does not possess the physical equipment to vocalize much more than "hee-haw." How does Jehovah manage it? To paraphrase a line from Inherit the Wind (play and film that presented a fictionalized account of the 1920's Scopes "Monkey Trial"), "If God wishes a donkey to speak, it speaks." A believer may be satisfied with that, but a logical mind searches for some mechanism by which this miracle could be accomplished. Does Jehovah throw his voice, or does he make Balaam only think that he is hearing the donkey speak?
5. The donkey complains to Balaam about his unjustified beating, but doesn't really enlighten him as to the reason for its behavior. It does dispute with Balaam and wins the argument. Donkeys are pretty smart, but does Balaam’s donkey manifest human intelligence as well as human vocalization? Balaam, who is used to communicating with the divine and dabbling in mystical practices, expresses no surprise whatsoever that his donkey has started talking to him. He does not ask how it has suddenly been endowed with human speech, but threatens to kill his faithful old donkey for its disobedience and for making him look stupid. (This does seem pretty stupid. If you own a miraculous novelty like a talking donkey, you don’t kill it, you make money exhibiting it.) Balaam doesn’t seem to tell anyone that his donkey talks -- this, it seems, not being something prophets customarily brag about.
6. The delegation from Balak that Balaam is traveling with apparently do not see what's going on with Balaam, nor do Balaam's two servants. They seem to be witness to neither the erratic behavior of the donkey, the appearance of the extraterrestrial, or the phenomenon of the donkey talking. Where the heck are they? None seem to be keeping very close tabs on their traveling companion. Nor does Balaam tell them about his experience.
7. The reader learns a great deal about Balaam's character from the donkey incident. He seems to be hugely incurious. He lacks sympathy and understanding, is a harsh, uncaring, and unappreciative master, has a temper and harbors murderous impulses -- all in all, not a great guy. Jehovah seems to have truck with him, but this is not surprising, since their characters are very similar.
King Balak of Moab Sends Emissaries to Balaam
(Book of Numbers 22:1 - 22:20)
The Israelites journeyed on and came to camp on the plains of Moab on the eastern bank of the River Jordan across from the city of Jericho. Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, was aware of how the Israelites had dealt with the Amorites. Indeed the people of Moab were alarmed when they realized how vast were the numbers of the Israelites. The Moabites warned the elders of Midian about them, "This horde will devour everything it in its path, as cattle devours the grass of the field."
And so Balak, the Moabite king at that time, sent emissaries to summon one Balaam son of Beor, who was living in Pethor, his native land, near the Euphrates River. The message stated, "Be advised that a vast horde has come here from Egypt. They have spread across the face of the land and are a threat to me. Please come here and put a curse upon these people, for they are more powerful than I am. If you do so, I might then be able to defeat them in battle and drive them out of the country. For I know well that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."
The emissaries, elders of Moab and Midian, departed and carried with them payment for the casting of the malediction. They saw Balaam and gave him Balak's message. He invited them, "Please stay the night here, and I will reply to you in the morning after Jehovah has instructed me." And so the Moabite delegation enjoyed Balaam’s hospitality.
Jehovah came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men visiting you?"
Balaam answered Jehovah, "King Balak son of Zippor of Moab has sent me this message: ‘A vast horde has come out of Egypt and spread across the land. Please come and put a curse upon them for me so that I might be more able to defeat them in battle and drive them out of my land.'"
But Jehovah warned him, "Do not go with these people. You must not curse these people, for they have already been blessed."
And so when Balaam rose the following morning, he told the emissaries, “You should go back to your own country, for Jehovah has refused to let me go with you."
The delegation returned home and reported to Balak, "Balaam refused to come with us."
Balak, though, sent another, larger delegation composed of emissaries even more distinguished than those of the first. They appeared before Balaam and delivered this message to him: "I, Balak son of Zippor, implore you not to let anything stop you from coming to my aid. I will compensate you handsomely and will abide by any conditions you may put upon me. But, please, come and put a curse upon these people!"
But Balaam responded to the emissaries, "If Balak bestowed upon me all the gold and silver in his palace, I would not do more or less than what Jehovah, my god, commands me to do. But spend the night here so that I can learn what more Jehovah may tell me."
That night Jehovah came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come for you, you may as well leave with them, but take care to do only what I tell you to."
Notes
1. The Israelites are described as a vast horde coming out of Egypt. If the numbers claimed by the biblical text were accurate, they would indeed by a vast horde, but it has already been shown that such a population level for the Exodus is preposterous, at best, the numbers grossly inflated. It's odd that the Israelites should be described as coming out of Egypt, for at this point it has been nearly 40 years since they had left there. They had already been knocking about the Sinai and the Negev for decades, at which time they were never seen as much of a military force. Now, the Israelites are regarded with terror, as would the barbarians threatening the later Roman Empire.
2. Pethor, the home of Balaam in Mesopotamia is thought by some to be the Assyrian Pitru, but it is unlikely that Pitru had been established by the time of Moses. Others place Balaam's country as Ammon, to the north of Moab, although it's not all that close to the Euphrates River.
3. Balaam, a non-Israelite, although technically not, if an Ammonite, a non-Hebrew, is a prophet of Jehovah, one who communes with the god, performs divination, and foretells the future. He seems to be primarily esteemed for his success at blessing and cursing; under certain circumstances he will hire himself out to do the latter.
4. We might have assumed that Jehovah spent all his time with his Chosen People, flying above them in his airship, dropping daily supplies of manna, appearing in the Inner Sanctum to pass down laws and commandments and to chat with Moses (chewing him out when necessary), enjoying the aroma of the animal sacrifices dedicated to him, and taking every opportunity to kill both his own people and their enemies. Now we learn he has been moonlighting, visiting this chap Balaam evenings. It is unspecified how Jehovah visits and speaks to Balaam, but their communions seem to be nocturnal. A dream is a strong possibility, for that is how Jehovah communicates with those less close to him than a Moses, but a two-way conversation seems to be involved.
5. In his initial conversation with Balaam, Jehovah asks Balaam who these men are visiting with him. Doesn't the god already know? Is he not only not omniscient, but entirely out of the loop as well?
6. With the Israelites now a powerful force, the aggressors and no longer the underdog, the narrators risk the reader transferring his sympathies to Israel's enemies, whose only fault is their desire to hold on to their own land.
7. The king of Moab seems to be acting in the interests of the Midian people as well as his own. This is probably due to the fact that the weaker Midian was at that time a client state of Moab. Also, it seems to be forgotten that Moses was married to a Midianite woman.
The Israelites journeyed on and came to camp on the plains of Moab on the eastern bank of the River Jordan across from the city of Jericho. Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, was aware of how the Israelites had dealt with the Amorites. Indeed the people of Moab were alarmed when they realized how vast were the numbers of the Israelites. The Moabites warned the elders of Midian about them, "This horde will devour everything it in its path, as cattle devours the grass of the field."
And so Balak, the Moabite king at that time, sent emissaries to summon one Balaam son of Beor, who was living in Pethor, his native land, near the Euphrates River. The message stated, "Be advised that a vast horde has come here from Egypt. They have spread across the face of the land and are a threat to me. Please come here and put a curse upon these people, for they are more powerful than I am. If you do so, I might then be able to defeat them in battle and drive them out of the country. For I know well that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."
The emissaries, elders of Moab and Midian, departed and carried with them payment for the casting of the malediction. They saw Balaam and gave him Balak's message. He invited them, "Please stay the night here, and I will reply to you in the morning after Jehovah has instructed me." And so the Moabite delegation enjoyed Balaam’s hospitality.
Jehovah came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men visiting you?"
Balaam answered Jehovah, "King Balak son of Zippor of Moab has sent me this message: ‘A vast horde has come out of Egypt and spread across the land. Please come and put a curse upon them for me so that I might be more able to defeat them in battle and drive them out of my land.'"
But Jehovah warned him, "Do not go with these people. You must not curse these people, for they have already been blessed."
And so when Balaam rose the following morning, he told the emissaries, “You should go back to your own country, for Jehovah has refused to let me go with you."
The delegation returned home and reported to Balak, "Balaam refused to come with us."
Balak, though, sent another, larger delegation composed of emissaries even more distinguished than those of the first. They appeared before Balaam and delivered this message to him: "I, Balak son of Zippor, implore you not to let anything stop you from coming to my aid. I will compensate you handsomely and will abide by any conditions you may put upon me. But, please, come and put a curse upon these people!"
But Balaam responded to the emissaries, "If Balak bestowed upon me all the gold and silver in his palace, I would not do more or less than what Jehovah, my god, commands me to do. But spend the night here so that I can learn what more Jehovah may tell me."
That night Jehovah came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come for you, you may as well leave with them, but take care to do only what I tell you to."
Notes
1. The Israelites are described as a vast horde coming out of Egypt. If the numbers claimed by the biblical text were accurate, they would indeed by a vast horde, but it has already been shown that such a population level for the Exodus is preposterous, at best, the numbers grossly inflated. It's odd that the Israelites should be described as coming out of Egypt, for at this point it has been nearly 40 years since they had left there. They had already been knocking about the Sinai and the Negev for decades, at which time they were never seen as much of a military force. Now, the Israelites are regarded with terror, as would the barbarians threatening the later Roman Empire.
2. Pethor, the home of Balaam in Mesopotamia is thought by some to be the Assyrian Pitru, but it is unlikely that Pitru had been established by the time of Moses. Others place Balaam's country as Ammon, to the north of Moab, although it's not all that close to the Euphrates River.
3. Balaam, a non-Israelite, although technically not, if an Ammonite, a non-Hebrew, is a prophet of Jehovah, one who communes with the god, performs divination, and foretells the future. He seems to be primarily esteemed for his success at blessing and cursing; under certain circumstances he will hire himself out to do the latter.
4. We might have assumed that Jehovah spent all his time with his Chosen People, flying above them in his airship, dropping daily supplies of manna, appearing in the Inner Sanctum to pass down laws and commandments and to chat with Moses (chewing him out when necessary), enjoying the aroma of the animal sacrifices dedicated to him, and taking every opportunity to kill both his own people and their enemies. Now we learn he has been moonlighting, visiting this chap Balaam evenings. It is unspecified how Jehovah visits and speaks to Balaam, but their communions seem to be nocturnal. A dream is a strong possibility, for that is how Jehovah communicates with those less close to him than a Moses, but a two-way conversation seems to be involved.
5. In his initial conversation with Balaam, Jehovah asks Balaam who these men are visiting with him. Doesn't the god already know? Is he not only not omniscient, but entirely out of the loop as well?
6. With the Israelites now a powerful force, the aggressors and no longer the underdog, the narrators risk the reader transferring his sympathies to Israel's enemies, whose only fault is their desire to hold on to their own land.
7. The king of Moab seems to be acting in the interests of the Midian people as well as his own. This is probably due to the fact that the weaker Midian was at that time a client state of Moab. Also, it seems to be forgotten that Moses was married to a Midianite woman.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Conquest of the Amorites
(Book of Numbers 21:10 - 21:35)
The Israelites moved on to make their camp at Oboth. Next, they left Oboth and traveled to Abarim, the desert that faces the eastern border of Moab. From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley. They left there and next camped on the far side of the Arnon river, in the desert that extends to the border of Amorite territory. (The Arnon is the boundary between Moab and the land of the Amorites.) So it is that the Book of the Wars of Jehovah refers to "the town of Waheb in the region of Suphah, and the ravines of Arnon River that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab."
From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, the well that Jehovah referred to when he told Moses, "Gather your people together and I will bring them water." The Israelites then sang this song:
"Spring up, O well. Sing its praises!
The well that was sunk by princes,
That the nobles of the people dug
Scraped out with the scepter and the staff."
They went from the desert to Matannah, from Matannah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where the Pisgah Mountains overlook desert wasteland.
Israel then dispatched envoys to King Sihon of the Amorites with the request, "We ask your permission to be given safe passage through your land. We will take care not to travel through your tilled fields or vineyards. We won't drink from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."
But King Sihon refused them passage through his land. Instead, he mustered his entire army and marched it into the desert to challenge Israel. When he reached Jahaz, his forces attacked Israel. Israel, however, defeated him in battle and occupied his territory from the Arnon river to the Jabbok River, but only as far as the Ammonite border, which was heavily fortified. Israel captured and settled in all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and its surrounding settlements.
Heshbon was the capital city of King Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had wrested from him all the Moabite territory as far as the Arnon.
The poets wrote of this:
"Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
For a fire issued forth from Heshbon,
And a flame engulfed the city of Sihon.
Conflagration consumed Ar of Moab
And destroyed the lords of the Arnon heights.
Woe be to you, O people of Moab
You are thwarted, O worshipers of Chemosh.
Your sons have been put to flight and your daughters,
Captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
The rule of Heshbon has been overthrown;
Its domain, plundered all the way to Dibon
And set aflame from Nophah to Medeba."
And thus the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. Moses sent out men to scout the Jazer region; they captured all the towns in the area and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Next, the Israelites marched north on the route to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, mobilized his army and was prepared to engage the Israelites in battle at Edrei.
Jehovah told Moses, "Don't be afraid of him, for I am delivering him into your hands along with his army and his lands. Deal with him as you did Sihon, the king of the Amorites who reigned at Heshbon." And so they so they killed King Og and his sons, wiping out his people and then occupying his land.
Notes
1. The Israelites, after moving around from place to place now seem to get serious about finding a place to settle even though they have been denied access to the Promised Land by Jehovah. And/or they want to get back at those peoples who had denied them safe passage through their countries when they asked politely for it. The people who have spent all their time griping about the food, yearning to return to Egypt, challenging Moses, (and being afraid of snakes) suddenly, inexplicably, transform themselves into a formidable fighting force, conquerors, in fact. They are, of course, getting a hand from Jehovah, but his part in the successful battles against against Sihon and Og is not specified. The Israelites seem incapable of building anything themselves, except what is demanded by Jehovah, so they do not claim territory and begin building houses like pioneer immigrants have always done. Instead, they settle in the towns they have taken, presumably living in the homes of the enemies they have killed. This would certainly be a major lifestyle change. One would think this would mean no more living in tents. However, it is not clear whether it is the entire community of Israel that occupies the conquered towns, or only a small contingent.
2. The narrative references, even quotes, another book, The Book of the Wars of Jehovah. Is this some ancient text used by the biblical authors? A book that didn't make it into the Old Testament or was lost? Since Numbers, along with the other 4 Books of Moses, claims to have been written by Moses himself, how could he, and why would he, refer to another book. How and by whom could it have been written that it predates the Books of Moses? It has been suggested that it was, in fact, another book written by Moses and perhaps Joshua. Later, poets are quoted. Of what nationality were these poets and in what language did they write, considering that in the time of Moses Hebrew did not exist and no alphabet had yet been invented. Of course it is well established that the Books of Moses were written, or rather compiled, several hundred years after Moses, but one would have thought that the authors would have avoided the inclusion of any reference that obviously contradicted the fiction they sought to maintain, that Moses was their author.
3. No moral justification is given for the wars the Israelites engage in. Jehovah has never been concerned with such moral issues, but promotes a tribalistic sense of ethics -- any act that benefits your tribe is right and just regardless of the harm it may inflict upon those outside your tribe.
4. Pisgah can refer to the mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea or its primary peak, Mount Nebo. The Arnon River (now Wadi Mujib in Jordan), the boundary between the lands of the Moabites to the south and the Amorites to the north, flows westward through mountainous terrain into the Dead Sea. To the south, the Zered River (Wadi Hasa) also flows west into the Dead Sea and formed the boundary between Edom and Moab. The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, north of Moab and the Amorites. The Jabbok River (the Zarqua) flows into the Jordan. The biblical Amorites, probably distinct from the Mesopotamian people of an earlier period, were a tribe of mountain-dwelling Canaanites often thought to be of great physical stature. The city of Heshbon was northeast of Moab, east of the north bank of the Dead Sea. Jabaz was a few miles to the south. Jazar, well to the north, was on the border of Ammon. Bashan, a kingdom, was in the Golan Heights, far to the north, east of the Sea of Galilee. Its capital, Edrei (Daraa) lies across the border of modern Syria. The Israelites are indeed covering a great deal of distance in their conquests!
5. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and possibly the Ammonites as well. He may have been the same deity as Moloch, or Chemosh and Moloch may have been two aspects of the same god. It may be remembered that the Moabites and Ammonites were supposedly descended from Lot and his daughters.
The Israelites moved on to make their camp at Oboth. Next, they left Oboth and traveled to Abarim, the desert that faces the eastern border of Moab. From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley. They left there and next camped on the far side of the Arnon river, in the desert that extends to the border of Amorite territory. (The Arnon is the boundary between Moab and the land of the Amorites.) So it is that the Book of the Wars of Jehovah refers to "the town of Waheb in the region of Suphah, and the ravines of Arnon River that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab."
From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, the well that Jehovah referred to when he told Moses, "Gather your people together and I will bring them water." The Israelites then sang this song:
"Spring up, O well. Sing its praises!
The well that was sunk by princes,
That the nobles of the people dug
Scraped out with the scepter and the staff."
They went from the desert to Matannah, from Matannah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where the Pisgah Mountains overlook desert wasteland.
Israel then dispatched envoys to King Sihon of the Amorites with the request, "We ask your permission to be given safe passage through your land. We will take care not to travel through your tilled fields or vineyards. We won't drink from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."
But King Sihon refused them passage through his land. Instead, he mustered his entire army and marched it into the desert to challenge Israel. When he reached Jahaz, his forces attacked Israel. Israel, however, defeated him in battle and occupied his territory from the Arnon river to the Jabbok River, but only as far as the Ammonite border, which was heavily fortified. Israel captured and settled in all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and its surrounding settlements.
Heshbon was the capital city of King Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had wrested from him all the Moabite territory as far as the Arnon.
The poets wrote of this:
"Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
For a fire issued forth from Heshbon,
And a flame engulfed the city of Sihon.
Conflagration consumed Ar of Moab
And destroyed the lords of the Arnon heights.
Woe be to you, O people of Moab
You are thwarted, O worshipers of Chemosh.
Your sons have been put to flight and your daughters,
Captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
The rule of Heshbon has been overthrown;
Its domain, plundered all the way to Dibon
And set aflame from Nophah to Medeba."
And thus the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. Moses sent out men to scout the Jazer region; they captured all the towns in the area and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Next, the Israelites marched north on the route to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, mobilized his army and was prepared to engage the Israelites in battle at Edrei.
Jehovah told Moses, "Don't be afraid of him, for I am delivering him into your hands along with his army and his lands. Deal with him as you did Sihon, the king of the Amorites who reigned at Heshbon." And so they so they killed King Og and his sons, wiping out his people and then occupying his land.
Notes
1. The Israelites, after moving around from place to place now seem to get serious about finding a place to settle even though they have been denied access to the Promised Land by Jehovah. And/or they want to get back at those peoples who had denied them safe passage through their countries when they asked politely for it. The people who have spent all their time griping about the food, yearning to return to Egypt, challenging Moses, (and being afraid of snakes) suddenly, inexplicably, transform themselves into a formidable fighting force, conquerors, in fact. They are, of course, getting a hand from Jehovah, but his part in the successful battles against against Sihon and Og is not specified. The Israelites seem incapable of building anything themselves, except what is demanded by Jehovah, so they do not claim territory and begin building houses like pioneer immigrants have always done. Instead, they settle in the towns they have taken, presumably living in the homes of the enemies they have killed. This would certainly be a major lifestyle change. One would think this would mean no more living in tents. However, it is not clear whether it is the entire community of Israel that occupies the conquered towns, or only a small contingent.
2. The narrative references, even quotes, another book, The Book of the Wars of Jehovah. Is this some ancient text used by the biblical authors? A book that didn't make it into the Old Testament or was lost? Since Numbers, along with the other 4 Books of Moses, claims to have been written by Moses himself, how could he, and why would he, refer to another book. How and by whom could it have been written that it predates the Books of Moses? It has been suggested that it was, in fact, another book written by Moses and perhaps Joshua. Later, poets are quoted. Of what nationality were these poets and in what language did they write, considering that in the time of Moses Hebrew did not exist and no alphabet had yet been invented. Of course it is well established that the Books of Moses were written, or rather compiled, several hundred years after Moses, but one would have thought that the authors would have avoided the inclusion of any reference that obviously contradicted the fiction they sought to maintain, that Moses was their author.
3. No moral justification is given for the wars the Israelites engage in. Jehovah has never been concerned with such moral issues, but promotes a tribalistic sense of ethics -- any act that benefits your tribe is right and just regardless of the harm it may inflict upon those outside your tribe.
4. Pisgah can refer to the mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea or its primary peak, Mount Nebo. The Arnon River (now Wadi Mujib in Jordan), the boundary between the lands of the Moabites to the south and the Amorites to the north, flows westward through mountainous terrain into the Dead Sea. To the south, the Zered River (Wadi Hasa) also flows west into the Dead Sea and formed the boundary between Edom and Moab. The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, north of Moab and the Amorites. The Jabbok River (the Zarqua) flows into the Jordan. The biblical Amorites, probably distinct from the Mesopotamian people of an earlier period, were a tribe of mountain-dwelling Canaanites often thought to be of great physical stature. The city of Heshbon was northeast of Moab, east of the north bank of the Dead Sea. Jabaz was a few miles to the south. Jazar, well to the north, was on the border of Ammon. Bashan, a kingdom, was in the Golan Heights, far to the north, east of the Sea of Galilee. Its capital, Edrei (Daraa) lies across the border of modern Syria. The Israelites are indeed covering a great deal of distance in their conquests!
5. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and possibly the Ammonites as well. He may have been the same deity as Moloch, or Chemosh and Moloch may have been two aspects of the same god. It may be remembered that the Moabites and Ammonites were supposedly descended from Lot and his daughters.
Jehovah Punishes the People With Snakes
(Book of Numbers 21:4 - 21:9)
The Israelites, skirting the border of Edom, traveled from Mount Hor by a route toward the Red Sea. But, growing impatient along the way, the people complained to Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the desert. There's no food here or water, and we hate this horrible food!”
Jehovah sent venomous serpents among the people. Many Israelites were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him, "We know we have sinned by speaking against you and Jehovah, but please pray to Jehovah so he will take the snakes away from us."
Moses thus prayed for the people, and Jehovah made this reply to Moses: "Make an image of a snake and attach it to a pole. Anyone who is bitten may look at it and he will survive." And so Moses crafted a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten by a snake, he could look at it and he would survive.
Notes
1. The Israelites begin their grumbling again, making the same case, no water, no decent food (still eating manna?), why did you ever lead us out of Egypt. They are world-class whiners and seem to be continually undergoing all but fatal attacks of buyer's remorse. Their frustration, though, is understandable, for they are trapped in a situation where they have no options. They have practically no control over their own destiny, and any attempts they may make to exert their own will incur divine wrath. And they are now traveling away from their Promised Land.
2. Again Jehovah punishes his people for griping, for any complaint against him or against Moses, he regards as an act of betrayal punishable by death. This time he sends poisonous snakes to plague his people. As usual, Moses must intercede to save his people from Jehovah's murderous impulses.
3. Although he responds favorably to Mose' appeal, Jehovah doesn't remove the snakes. Instead, he devises a solution that can only strike a modern as comically absurd, primitive witch-doctor stuff. Make a bronze image of a snake, attach it to a pole, and anyone who is bitten by a poisonous snake will be cured if he just looks at the image -- very simple: no potions, no prayers, no spells. Of course the Israelites, with some small degree of ingenuity, could have devised their own, better solution -- simply kill the snakes.
4. The bronze snake (called the Nehustan -- in Hebrew serpent is nehash and bronze, nehoshet) was apparently saved and, in later times, worshiped. Ironic that Jehovah, who forbade the adoration of images, would command the making of something very much like an idol.
5. The poisonous snakes referred to were probably not cobras or horned vipers, but more likely the Israeli saw-scaled viper, which is red in color, inhabits rocky desert areas, attacks with a quick, leaping strike, and inflicts a painful bite that causes death in hours. And there is the possibility that some extinct or extraterrestrial species might have been referred to, even something that might pass for a dragon.
The Israelites, skirting the border of Edom, traveled from Mount Hor by a route toward the Red Sea. But, growing impatient along the way, the people complained to Moses, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the desert. There's no food here or water, and we hate this horrible food!”
Jehovah sent venomous serpents among the people. Many Israelites were bitten and died. The people came to Moses and pleaded with him, "We know we have sinned by speaking against you and Jehovah, but please pray to Jehovah so he will take the snakes away from us."
Moses thus prayed for the people, and Jehovah made this reply to Moses: "Make an image of a snake and attach it to a pole. Anyone who is bitten may look at it and he will survive." And so Moses crafted a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten by a snake, he could look at it and he would survive.
Notes
1. The Israelites begin their grumbling again, making the same case, no water, no decent food (still eating manna?), why did you ever lead us out of Egypt. They are world-class whiners and seem to be continually undergoing all but fatal attacks of buyer's remorse. Their frustration, though, is understandable, for they are trapped in a situation where they have no options. They have practically no control over their own destiny, and any attempts they may make to exert their own will incur divine wrath. And they are now traveling away from their Promised Land.
2. Again Jehovah punishes his people for griping, for any complaint against him or against Moses, he regards as an act of betrayal punishable by death. This time he sends poisonous snakes to plague his people. As usual, Moses must intercede to save his people from Jehovah's murderous impulses.
3. Although he responds favorably to Mose' appeal, Jehovah doesn't remove the snakes. Instead, he devises a solution that can only strike a modern as comically absurd, primitive witch-doctor stuff. Make a bronze image of a snake, attach it to a pole, and anyone who is bitten by a poisonous snake will be cured if he just looks at the image -- very simple: no potions, no prayers, no spells. Of course the Israelites, with some small degree of ingenuity, could have devised their own, better solution -- simply kill the snakes.
4. The bronze snake (called the Nehustan -- in Hebrew serpent is nehash and bronze, nehoshet) was apparently saved and, in later times, worshiped. Ironic that Jehovah, who forbade the adoration of images, would command the making of something very much like an idol.
5. The poisonous snakes referred to were probably not cobras or horned vipers, but more likely the Israeli saw-scaled viper, which is red in color, inhabits rocky desert areas, attacks with a quick, leaping strike, and inflicts a painful bite that causes death in hours. And there is the possibility that some extinct or extraterrestrial species might have been referred to, even something that might pass for a dragon.
Victory Over the Canaanites of Arad
(Book of Numbers 21:1 - 21:3)
When the Canaanite king of Arad, in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on a caravan route, he attacked them and succeeded in carrying off some spoils. Subsequently the Israelites made this vow to Jehovah, "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will destroy all their towns in your name." Jehovah heard their plea and gave Israel victory in battle over the Canaanites. The Israelites destroyed their towns as an offering to Jehovah, and so the place was named Hormah [meaning destruction].
Notes
1. The Israelites, who have no confidence that they can excel in battle without a little divine help, call upon Jehovah to give them an edge with the Canaanites of Arad who have attacked them. If victorious, they promise to destroy all their towns as a dedication to Jehovah. Considering how much Jehovah loves death and destruction, this was no doubt an attractive offer to him. It is interesting how most offerings to Jehovah involve destruction, slaughtering, killing, burning. Most ancient peoples and, later, Christians and Muslims would make constructive dedications to their gods -- temples and shrines, mosques and cathedrals. These seem to be less common among the early Israelites, who, after all, have had little capacity to build anything, except for the Tabernacle, which is merely a fancy, mobile tent.
2. Denied entry into the Promised Land, the wandering Israelites enter a period in which they make war upon any people they happen to encounter. Their indiscriminate warfare meets with Jehovah's approval and he lends them continuing aid.
3. Arad in the northern Negev was located about 20 miles west of the Dead Sea ( 5 miles west of modern Arad and just south of the border of the modern West Bank). A very ancient Canaanite settlement, it dates back to 4000 BC, but was abandoned about 2650 BC. It was still deserted during the period of the Exodus and not reoccupied until the 11th Century BC. Its inclusion in the narrative is, therefore, indisputably anachronistic. The location of Hormah (or Zephath) is unknown.
When the Canaanite king of Arad, in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on a caravan route, he attacked them and succeeded in carrying off some spoils. Subsequently the Israelites made this vow to Jehovah, "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will destroy all their towns in your name." Jehovah heard their plea and gave Israel victory in battle over the Canaanites. The Israelites destroyed their towns as an offering to Jehovah, and so the place was named Hormah [meaning destruction].
Notes
1. The Israelites, who have no confidence that they can excel in battle without a little divine help, call upon Jehovah to give them an edge with the Canaanites of Arad who have attacked them. If victorious, they promise to destroy all their towns as a dedication to Jehovah. Considering how much Jehovah loves death and destruction, this was no doubt an attractive offer to him. It is interesting how most offerings to Jehovah involve destruction, slaughtering, killing, burning. Most ancient peoples and, later, Christians and Muslims would make constructive dedications to their gods -- temples and shrines, mosques and cathedrals. These seem to be less common among the early Israelites, who, after all, have had little capacity to build anything, except for the Tabernacle, which is merely a fancy, mobile tent.
2. Denied entry into the Promised Land, the wandering Israelites enter a period in which they make war upon any people they happen to encounter. Their indiscriminate warfare meets with Jehovah's approval and he lends them continuing aid.
3. Arad in the northern Negev was located about 20 miles west of the Dead Sea ( 5 miles west of modern Arad and just south of the border of the modern West Bank). A very ancient Canaanite settlement, it dates back to 4000 BC, but was abandoned about 2650 BC. It was still deserted during the period of the Exodus and not reoccupied until the 11th Century BC. Its inclusion in the narrative is, therefore, indisputably anachronistic. The location of Hormah (or Zephath) is unknown.
Death of Aaron
(Book of Numbers 20:22 - 20:29)
The whole community of Israel departed from Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. There, on the border of Edom, Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, "The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you disobeyed my orders at the waters Meribah. You must now escort Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. There you will strip Aaron of his priestly vestments and put them on his son, Eleazar, for Aaron will die there and join his ancestors."
Moses did as Jehovah commanded. They ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the entire community. Moses removed Aaron's priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar descended the mountain. When the Israelite people learned that Aaron had died, they mourned him for 30 days.
Notes
1. Almost 40 years after the Exodus, Aaron is apparently now well passed it, and Jehovah recognizes it is time that he be succeeded by his son Eleazar. However, there is no retirement in store for Aaron. He is simply and unceremoniously informed by Jehovah that he must die and, moreover, he must climb a mountain before he can do it. He is not allowed just to expire in his tent, lying in bed (or whatever they used for a bed), with his family and friends around him -- no last rites or anything. Jehovah does not allow him what we would view as a gracious death. It's no wonder that the old man packs it up after climbing the mountain. Does he die of a coronary or from exhaustion?
2. The changing of the guard, Eleazar taking the role of high priest from his father Aaron, apparently must occur on the top of a mountain, just as Moses received the Ten Commandments on the top of a mountain. Since the gods come down from the heavens, humans must attempt to meet them halfway and commune with them on high ground, so it seems. Or perhaps the ceremony simply needed to occur away from the camp and the people.
3. Moses and Aaron are forbidden from entering the Promised Land because of their disobedience to Jehovah at Meribah. What disobedience? They did exactly as Jehovah ordered them. It was the people who were griping because they didn't have enough water to drink. Is there some deleted part of the narrative we're not privy to? And did Jehovah forget about the earlier rebellions and his former declaration about denying the rebellious people (save Joshua and Caleb) access to the Promised Land? It seems that the thread of the narrative has been disrupted. Did a new biblical scribe just come on duty?
4. It is not recorded that Aaron was buried, but we assume that he was. He did merit 30 days of mourning, but the mourning period seems to be the people's idea and not, like practically everything else, something mandated by Jehovah, who doesn't give the impression of having much regard for his first high priest. (The Books of Moses seem to be compiled from one source that was pro-Moses and another that was pro-Aaron.)
5. The Mount Hor mentioned here is traditionally identified as Jebel Nari Harun (meaning, in Arabic, Mountain of the Prophet Aaron). It rises more than 6000 feet above the level of the Dead Sea and is located in Jordan. A supposed tomb of Aaron is located there, but this identification is not without controversy. Another, more likely theory places it southwest of the Dead Sea in the Valley of Zin.
The whole community of Israel departed from Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. There, on the border of Edom, Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, "The time has come for Aaron to join his ancestors. He will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel, because the two of you disobeyed my orders at the waters Meribah. You must now escort Aaron and his son Eleazar up Mount Hor. There you will strip Aaron of his priestly vestments and put them on his son, Eleazar, for Aaron will die there and join his ancestors."
Moses did as Jehovah commanded. They ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the entire community. Moses removed Aaron's priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar descended the mountain. When the Israelite people learned that Aaron had died, they mourned him for 30 days.
Notes
1. Almost 40 years after the Exodus, Aaron is apparently now well passed it, and Jehovah recognizes it is time that he be succeeded by his son Eleazar. However, there is no retirement in store for Aaron. He is simply and unceremoniously informed by Jehovah that he must die and, moreover, he must climb a mountain before he can do it. He is not allowed just to expire in his tent, lying in bed (or whatever they used for a bed), with his family and friends around him -- no last rites or anything. Jehovah does not allow him what we would view as a gracious death. It's no wonder that the old man packs it up after climbing the mountain. Does he die of a coronary or from exhaustion?
2. The changing of the guard, Eleazar taking the role of high priest from his father Aaron, apparently must occur on the top of a mountain, just as Moses received the Ten Commandments on the top of a mountain. Since the gods come down from the heavens, humans must attempt to meet them halfway and commune with them on high ground, so it seems. Or perhaps the ceremony simply needed to occur away from the camp and the people.
3. Moses and Aaron are forbidden from entering the Promised Land because of their disobedience to Jehovah at Meribah. What disobedience? They did exactly as Jehovah ordered them. It was the people who were griping because they didn't have enough water to drink. Is there some deleted part of the narrative we're not privy to? And did Jehovah forget about the earlier rebellions and his former declaration about denying the rebellious people (save Joshua and Caleb) access to the Promised Land? It seems that the thread of the narrative has been disrupted. Did a new biblical scribe just come on duty?
4. It is not recorded that Aaron was buried, but we assume that he was. He did merit 30 days of mourning, but the mourning period seems to be the people's idea and not, like practically everything else, something mandated by Jehovah, who doesn't give the impression of having much regard for his first high priest. (The Books of Moses seem to be compiled from one source that was pro-Moses and another that was pro-Aaron.)
5. The Mount Hor mentioned here is traditionally identified as Jebel Nari Harun (meaning, in Arabic, Mountain of the Prophet Aaron). It rises more than 6000 feet above the level of the Dead Sea and is located in Jordan. A supposed tomb of Aaron is located there, but this identification is not without controversy. Another, more likely theory places it southwest of the Dead Sea in the Valley of Zin.
Passage Through Edom Denied
(Book of Numbers 20:14 - 20:21)
Moses sent envoys from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: "Greetings from your brothers, the people of Israel. You must know the hardships we have suffered, how our ancestors settled in Egypt and resided there for a considerable period of time, and how we and our ancestors were mistreated by the Egyptians. We appealed to our god Jehovah, and he sent an agent who brought us out of Egypt. Now, we are encamped at Kadesh, just on the frontier of your country. Please grant us passage through your land. We will be careful not travel through any tilled field or vineyard or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory."
But the king of Edom responded, "You are not granted passage -- and if you enter our country you will be met with armed resistance!”
The Israelites assured him, "We will stay upon the highway, and if we or our livestock drink your water, we will compensate you for it. We just want to pass through your country on foot; we ask for nothing more.”
The king of Edom warned the Israelites, "You shall not pass through our land!" He then called out his army and threatened them with a large and imposing force. Since Edom refused them access through their country, Israel was compelled to turn away.
Notes
1. The refusal of the Edomites is probably understandable. Even though it seems inhospitable -- and hospitality was a cardinal virtue in ancient times -- it was no doubt prudent for them to forbid another people from entering their country. Historically, bad things happen when a country does not police its borders, brings in, or allows a foreign people to trespass upon their territory, even when seems benign, as it does here. One may ask whether it was realistic that the Israelites would not eat or drink anything during their passage through Edom, which would have taken, one suspects, weeks. The Israelites were, after all, a notoriously rebellious bunch. Could Moses really guarantee their behavior?
2. Interesting that in the message to the Edomite king Moses says that Jehovah sent an agent (most translations say “angel”) to free them from the Egyptians. Didn't Jehovah do the job personally? And the liberation of the Israelites, wasn’t that kind of a big deal? What about all those plagues that devastated Egypt -- no reference to them.
3. The Israelites/Hebrews were to have a millennium-long feud with the Edomites who, if not always enemies, were never allies. The prophet Obadiah would make prophecies against Edom, warning of divine punishment and foretelling its doom, but none of the prophecies ever came to pass. (Perhaps that is why Obadiah is regarded as a minor prophet.)
Moses sent envoys from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: "Greetings from your brothers, the people of Israel. You must know the hardships we have suffered, how our ancestors settled in Egypt and resided there for a considerable period of time, and how we and our ancestors were mistreated by the Egyptians. We appealed to our god Jehovah, and he sent an agent who brought us out of Egypt. Now, we are encamped at Kadesh, just on the frontier of your country. Please grant us passage through your land. We will be careful not travel through any tilled field or vineyard or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory."
But the king of Edom responded, "You are not granted passage -- and if you enter our country you will be met with armed resistance!”
The Israelites assured him, "We will stay upon the highway, and if we or our livestock drink your water, we will compensate you for it. We just want to pass through your country on foot; we ask for nothing more.”
The king of Edom warned the Israelites, "You shall not pass through our land!" He then called out his army and threatened them with a large and imposing force. Since Edom refused them access through their country, Israel was compelled to turn away.
Notes
1. The refusal of the Edomites is probably understandable. Even though it seems inhospitable -- and hospitality was a cardinal virtue in ancient times -- it was no doubt prudent for them to forbid another people from entering their country. Historically, bad things happen when a country does not police its borders, brings in, or allows a foreign people to trespass upon their territory, even when seems benign, as it does here. One may ask whether it was realistic that the Israelites would not eat or drink anything during their passage through Edom, which would have taken, one suspects, weeks. The Israelites were, after all, a notoriously rebellious bunch. Could Moses really guarantee their behavior?
2. Interesting that in the message to the Edomite king Moses says that Jehovah sent an agent (most translations say “angel”) to free them from the Egyptians. Didn't Jehovah do the job personally? And the liberation of the Israelites, wasn’t that kind of a big deal? What about all those plagues that devastated Egypt -- no reference to them.
3. The Israelites/Hebrews were to have a millennium-long feud with the Edomites who, if not always enemies, were never allies. The prophet Obadiah would make prophecies against Edom, warning of divine punishment and foretelling its doom, but none of the prophecies ever came to pass. (Perhaps that is why Obadiah is regarded as a minor prophet.)
Moses Brings Forth Water From a Rock
(Book of Numbers 20:1 - 20:13)
It was during the first month of the year that the entire congregation of Israel reached the desert of Zin, where they encamped at Kadesh. It was here that Miriam died and was buried.
There was, however, insufficient drinking water there, so the people united in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They disputed with Moses, "Would that we had been killed by Jehovah along with our brothers. Why have you brought the congregation of Israel into this desert to perish along with our livestock? Why did you bring us out of Egypt only to lead us to this horrible place? This is no place to plant crops, or to grow figs, or grapevines, or pomegranates -- there's not even water to drink!"
Moses and Aaron left the assembly and went to the entrance of the Inner Sanctum, where they prostrated themselves. The glorious presence of Jehovah appeared before them. Jehovah spoke to Moses. "You and your brother Aaron must assemble the entire congregation. In full view of all the people take Aaron's staff and with it call out to that rock over there. The rock will then gush forth with its water, and it will be enough to satisfy the needs of the entire community of Israel and its livestock."
Moses took the staff from the Inner Sanctum and with it did as Jehovah had commanded. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock and addressed them, "Listen, you rebels, do we have to draw water out of this rock for you?” Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with the staff. Water poured forth profusely from it. The congregation and the livestock were then able to drink their fill.
But Jehovah berated Moses and Aaron, "Because your faith in me has not been sufficient to make the Israelites respect my divine power, you will not bring this community into the land I have promised them."
Since this is where the Israelites quarreled with Jehovah and where Jehovah manifested his divine power before them, this place became known as the Waters of Meribah [meaning quarreling].
Notes
1. Miriam, Moses' sister and, arguably, a prophetess, seems to merit only the briefest of obits. (It's almost, "she kicked the bucket and they dug a hole for her.") She probably tarnished her legacy by her earlier opposition to her brother's leadership.
2. The month of Miriam’s death is given, but not the year. (The first month, Nisan is a spring month.) It is not explicit how long after Korah's rebellion this occurred, but it is generally thought to be the 40th year after the Exodus. In other words, there is a huge unstated gap in the narrative. (We’ve missed a couple episodes of the Exodus mini-series!)
3. That Jehovah is angry at Moses and Aaron for not having enough faith in his powers, for asking his help when the people are restive and dying of thirst is indicative both of his sour temper and his lack of capacity for any sympathetic understanding of the humans he claims to god of. It's more or less part of their arrangement that Moses comes to him when he and his people are in trouble and he performs some sort of miracle to save them. Neither Jehovah nor the Israelites, though, exhibit any graciousness or gratitude. Jehovah's promise that this generation of Israelites will never see the Promised Land is being fulfilled -- they are dying off.
4. Aaron's staff has several times exhibited magical properties, but the how and why of it is never revealed. In this case, why is the staff necessary, since it is Jehovah who is the author of the miracles? Is it just for show? Magic, for whatever reason, often seems to be performed through a staff, a wand, or a cane. Could this tradition be derived from some real, powerful, rod-like device employed by earth-visiting members of an advanced alien civilization?
5. Ancient historians, when they speak at all of Moses, refer to his saving the people he led out of Egypt by finding water in the desert. It makes sense that Jehovah would show him where the springs and water holes were located.
6. Folk historians find satisfaction in furnishing reasons why landmarks and geographical sites have the names they do, even dreaming up fables to explain the names. Seldom are these explanations demonstrably factual. It is unlikely that most places in the Bible are named for the reason claimed -- but some might be.
It was during the first month of the year that the entire congregation of Israel reached the desert of Zin, where they encamped at Kadesh. It was here that Miriam died and was buried.
There was, however, insufficient drinking water there, so the people united in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They disputed with Moses, "Would that we had been killed by Jehovah along with our brothers. Why have you brought the congregation of Israel into this desert to perish along with our livestock? Why did you bring us out of Egypt only to lead us to this horrible place? This is no place to plant crops, or to grow figs, or grapevines, or pomegranates -- there's not even water to drink!"
Moses and Aaron left the assembly and went to the entrance of the Inner Sanctum, where they prostrated themselves. The glorious presence of Jehovah appeared before them. Jehovah spoke to Moses. "You and your brother Aaron must assemble the entire congregation. In full view of all the people take Aaron's staff and with it call out to that rock over there. The rock will then gush forth with its water, and it will be enough to satisfy the needs of the entire community of Israel and its livestock."
Moses took the staff from the Inner Sanctum and with it did as Jehovah had commanded. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock and addressed them, "Listen, you rebels, do we have to draw water out of this rock for you?” Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with the staff. Water poured forth profusely from it. The congregation and the livestock were then able to drink their fill.
But Jehovah berated Moses and Aaron, "Because your faith in me has not been sufficient to make the Israelites respect my divine power, you will not bring this community into the land I have promised them."
Since this is where the Israelites quarreled with Jehovah and where Jehovah manifested his divine power before them, this place became known as the Waters of Meribah [meaning quarreling].
Notes
1. Miriam, Moses' sister and, arguably, a prophetess, seems to merit only the briefest of obits. (It's almost, "she kicked the bucket and they dug a hole for her.") She probably tarnished her legacy by her earlier opposition to her brother's leadership.
2. The month of Miriam’s death is given, but not the year. (The first month, Nisan is a spring month.) It is not explicit how long after Korah's rebellion this occurred, but it is generally thought to be the 40th year after the Exodus. In other words, there is a huge unstated gap in the narrative. (We’ve missed a couple episodes of the Exodus mini-series!)
3. That Jehovah is angry at Moses and Aaron for not having enough faith in his powers, for asking his help when the people are restive and dying of thirst is indicative both of his sour temper and his lack of capacity for any sympathetic understanding of the humans he claims to god of. It's more or less part of their arrangement that Moses comes to him when he and his people are in trouble and he performs some sort of miracle to save them. Neither Jehovah nor the Israelites, though, exhibit any graciousness or gratitude. Jehovah's promise that this generation of Israelites will never see the Promised Land is being fulfilled -- they are dying off.
4. Aaron's staff has several times exhibited magical properties, but the how and why of it is never revealed. In this case, why is the staff necessary, since it is Jehovah who is the author of the miracles? Is it just for show? Magic, for whatever reason, often seems to be performed through a staff, a wand, or a cane. Could this tradition be derived from some real, powerful, rod-like device employed by earth-visiting members of an advanced alien civilization?
5. Ancient historians, when they speak at all of Moses, refer to his saving the people he led out of Egypt by finding water in the desert. It makes sense that Jehovah would show him where the springs and water holes were located.
6. Folk historians find satisfaction in furnishing reasons why landmarks and geographical sites have the names they do, even dreaming up fables to explain the names. Seldom are these explanations demonstrably factual. It is unlikely that most places in the Bible are named for the reason claimed -- but some might be.
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