(Book of Numbers 33:50 - 34:29)
When they were camped on the plains of Moab by the River Jordan, across from Jericho, Jehovah told Moses to tell the Israelites, "When you cross the River Jordan, drive out all the people living there. Destroy their carved idols and brazen images. Demolish their temples and shrines. Take possession of the land and settle on it, for I have given it to you to be your property. You must distribute the land to the clans by lot, proportionally: that is, a larger group will receive a larger parcel of land, a smaller group, a smaller parcel. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. In this way the land will be divided up among the ancestral tribes. But if you fail to drive out the native inhabitants of the land, they will be a thorn in your side and give you trouble wherever you may live in the land. Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them."
Jehovah told Moses to give these commands to the Israelites, "When you enter Canaan, the land that is your inheritance shall have these boundaries:
"Your southern border will include the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. The boundary line will begin in the east at the Dead Sea. It will extend south to Scorpion Pass in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kardesh Barnea, from which it will go to Hazar Addar and then to Azmon. From there it will turn toward the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.
"For your western border you will have the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; that's your western boundary.
"Your northern border will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and run east to Mount Hor, then to Lebo Hamath, on to Zedad and Ziphron, and then to Hazar Enan. That will be the northern boundary.
"The eastern border will begin at Hazar Enan and run south to Shepham and then to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there it will run along the eastern edge of the Sea of Galilee and down the River Jordan, ending at the Dead Sea.
"These are the boundaries that encompass your country!"
Moses told the Israelites, "This is the legacy of land that will be divided by lot. Jehovah has commanded that you divide it among the remain 9 1/2 tribes. The ancestral clans of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh have already claimed their inheritance; these 2 1/2 tribes have received grants of land east of the River Jordan across from Jericho, toward the rising sun."
Jehovah instructed Moses, "Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men who should supervise the division of the land grants. And you should appoint a leader from each tribe to assist in this task. The names of the men are as follows:
Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah
Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon
Elidad son of Kislon from the tribe of Benjamin
Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan
Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh
Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim
Elizaphan son of Parnak, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun
Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe o Issachar
Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher
Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”
These are the men that Jehovah assigned to oversee the division of the Israelite inheritance in the land of Canaan.
Notes
1. It is Jehovah's plan that the Israelites totally displace the present inhabitants of the Promised Land, the Canaanites, so that they may never be a problem to his people. The Israelites are not to live in harmony with them, they are not to conquer and rule them, but are to expel or exterminate the Canaanites. Considering the vast size of the territory involved and the number of people living there, it would be virtually impossible to empty the land and evict its population. Where would the people go? Could they all be driven into the desert or into the sea? Indeed, Jehovah's plan and the promise of an easy conquest of Canaan is totally unrealistic. Yet, he is setting the boundaries of a land that his people have not yet begun to conquer.
2. Pointedly, Jehovah orders his people to destroy the idols and altars of the Canaanites the Israelites are going to make war against. The Canaanites not only have no right to live in their own ancestral lands, but have no right to worship the gods of their choosing. Jehovah has constantly been at war with his rival gods. There has never been a suggestion that these gods do not exist, only that Jehovah takes primacy over them. Jehovah has made enemies with all the other gods and his Chosen People are used by him as tools to show up and punish them.
3. The borders of traditional Israel are roughly from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Jordan, from the Sea of Galilee to a line drawn from the lower end of the Dead Sea. It includes the Left Bank, but not the Negev, which is part of modern Israel.
Showing posts with label Eleazar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eleazar. Show all posts
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Division of the Spoils
(Book of Numbers 31:25 - 31:54)
Jehovah told Moses, "You, Eleazar the priest, and the clan leaders from each tribe are to take an inventory of all the livestock and human captives so that you can divided them equally between the soldiers who took part in the war and the rest of the community. From the share of the plunder given to the fighting men you should set aside as tribute to Jehovah one out of every 500 of the human captives, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats. The tribute from their share should be given to Eleazar the priest as an offering to Jehovah. From the half share that is granted to the people of Israel, set aside one out of every 50 of the human captives, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other livestock. These should be turned over to the Levites who are in charge of maintaining Jehovah's Tabernacle."
Moses and Eleazar the priest did as they were instructed by Jehovah.
The spoils remaining from that plundered by the soldiers consisted of: 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 virgins.
The half-share given to the soldiers that took part in the war was 337,500 sheep, with 675 allotted to Jehovah, 36,000 cattle, with 72 allotted to Jehovah, 30,500 donkeys, with 61 allotted to Jehovah, and 16,000 virgins, with 32 allotted to Jehovah.
Moses turned over Jehovah's share to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah had instructed him.
Half of the plunder belonged to the Israelite people, and so Moses separated it from the share belonging to the soldiers. It consisted of 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 virgins. From this half-share given to the Israelite people, Moses gave to the Levites responsible for the maintenance of the Tabernacle one out of every 50 of the animals and human captives, in accordance with the commands given to him by Jehovah.
The generals and captains came to Moses and reported, "We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went into battle under our command -- and not one of them is missing! Therefore, we are bringing as an offering to Jehovah all the articles of gold we took as booty, armlets and bracelets, signet rings and earrings, necklaces and pendants -- in order that we may make atonement with Jehovah."
Moses and Eleazar received from the military commanders all manner of jewelry and crafted articles of gold. The gold offered to Jehovah by the generals and captains amounted to 16,750 shekels worth (after every soldier had taken his share of the booty). Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the articles of gold from the generals and captains and displayed them in the Tabernacle before Jehovah's altar as a memorial.
Notes
1. The amount of livestock plundered by the Israelites seems considerable, as well as the number of captive virgins. How wonderful that it was all recorded so precisely and deemed important enough to pass down hundred and hundreds of years so that the chroniclers of the Bible could include it in their narrative, which, on the other hand, gives no description at all about the military engagements that must have been a part of the Israelite-Midianite War. Surprisingly, there is no account of the number of Midianites killed in battle or the captive women and boys who were liquidated. All in all, though, it was the total destruction of a society, a complete genocide, save that Midianite DNA would be passed down through the children of the captive and soon-to-be-no-longer virgins. Ancient man had no concept of genetics, and it was a commonly held belief that a child was derived from the father alone. While this is contrary to even superficial observation -- children take after their mothers as much as their fathers -- this belief supported the view that the extermination of a tribe or nation could be accomplished merely by killing all its male members. It never seemed to dawn upon conquerors that when they were raping and having children by the women of the people they had conquered they were continuing the blood line of their enemy, even if the mixed offspring that resulted from such liaisons would be accepted and reared as a member of the father's ethnic group.
2. The fate of the captive virgins is not mentioned. Would they all become slaves or maybe concubines, even wives? Those given as tribute to the misogynistic Jehovah, were they to become servants to the priests or did a grimmer fate await them -- human sacrifices?
3. The Israelites were enriched exceedingly by their war with the Midianites. Since they were basically nomadic herdsman wandering in areas that were mostly deserts, the Israelites could have had little opportunity to increase their wealth. They were engaged in no manufacture and little trade. Their society and its mentor, Jehovah, did nothing to encourage the pursuit of knowledge, the acquisition of new crafts, even constructive relationships with their neighbors, so really the only way they could acquire wealth was to steal it from the people they would kill or conquer.
4. The army commanders gratefully donate to Jehovah all the gold they have looted, since during the war they have suffered no fatalities. Really! Their untrained army of tribal recruits killed every last Midianite and yet loss not one of their number? You would have thought that even one of Jethro's now aged daughters could have managed to dispatch at least one Israelite!
5. The gold, 16,750 shekels, amounted to 420 pounds, and since it was all in crafted articles, pieces of jewelry and so forth it would have greater value than just its weight in gold. It is not entirely clear, but it seems that the common soldiers kept their share of the loot, while the officers denoted their share of gold artifacts to Jehovah.
Jehovah told Moses, "You, Eleazar the priest, and the clan leaders from each tribe are to take an inventory of all the livestock and human captives so that you can divided them equally between the soldiers who took part in the war and the rest of the community. From the share of the plunder given to the fighting men you should set aside as tribute to Jehovah one out of every 500 of the human captives, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats. The tribute from their share should be given to Eleazar the priest as an offering to Jehovah. From the half share that is granted to the people of Israel, set aside one out of every 50 of the human captives, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other livestock. These should be turned over to the Levites who are in charge of maintaining Jehovah's Tabernacle."
Moses and Eleazar the priest did as they were instructed by Jehovah.
The spoils remaining from that plundered by the soldiers consisted of: 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 virgins.
The half-share given to the soldiers that took part in the war was 337,500 sheep, with 675 allotted to Jehovah, 36,000 cattle, with 72 allotted to Jehovah, 30,500 donkeys, with 61 allotted to Jehovah, and 16,000 virgins, with 32 allotted to Jehovah.
Moses turned over Jehovah's share to Eleazar the priest, as Jehovah had instructed him.
Half of the plunder belonged to the Israelite people, and so Moses separated it from the share belonging to the soldiers. It consisted of 337,500 sheep and goats, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 virgins. From this half-share given to the Israelite people, Moses gave to the Levites responsible for the maintenance of the Tabernacle one out of every 50 of the animals and human captives, in accordance with the commands given to him by Jehovah.
The generals and captains came to Moses and reported, "We, your servants, have accounted for all the men who went into battle under our command -- and not one of them is missing! Therefore, we are bringing as an offering to Jehovah all the articles of gold we took as booty, armlets and bracelets, signet rings and earrings, necklaces and pendants -- in order that we may make atonement with Jehovah."
Moses and Eleazar received from the military commanders all manner of jewelry and crafted articles of gold. The gold offered to Jehovah by the generals and captains amounted to 16,750 shekels worth (after every soldier had taken his share of the booty). Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the articles of gold from the generals and captains and displayed them in the Tabernacle before Jehovah's altar as a memorial.
Notes
1. The amount of livestock plundered by the Israelites seems considerable, as well as the number of captive virgins. How wonderful that it was all recorded so precisely and deemed important enough to pass down hundred and hundreds of years so that the chroniclers of the Bible could include it in their narrative, which, on the other hand, gives no description at all about the military engagements that must have been a part of the Israelite-Midianite War. Surprisingly, there is no account of the number of Midianites killed in battle or the captive women and boys who were liquidated. All in all, though, it was the total destruction of a society, a complete genocide, save that Midianite DNA would be passed down through the children of the captive and soon-to-be-no-longer virgins. Ancient man had no concept of genetics, and it was a commonly held belief that a child was derived from the father alone. While this is contrary to even superficial observation -- children take after their mothers as much as their fathers -- this belief supported the view that the extermination of a tribe or nation could be accomplished merely by killing all its male members. It never seemed to dawn upon conquerors that when they were raping and having children by the women of the people they had conquered they were continuing the blood line of their enemy, even if the mixed offspring that resulted from such liaisons would be accepted and reared as a member of the father's ethnic group.
2. The fate of the captive virgins is not mentioned. Would they all become slaves or maybe concubines, even wives? Those given as tribute to the misogynistic Jehovah, were they to become servants to the priests or did a grimmer fate await them -- human sacrifices?
3. The Israelites were enriched exceedingly by their war with the Midianites. Since they were basically nomadic herdsman wandering in areas that were mostly deserts, the Israelites could have had little opportunity to increase their wealth. They were engaged in no manufacture and little trade. Their society and its mentor, Jehovah, did nothing to encourage the pursuit of knowledge, the acquisition of new crafts, even constructive relationships with their neighbors, so really the only way they could acquire wealth was to steal it from the people they would kill or conquer.
4. The army commanders gratefully donate to Jehovah all the gold they have looted, since during the war they have suffered no fatalities. Really! Their untrained army of tribal recruits killed every last Midianite and yet loss not one of their number? You would have thought that even one of Jethro's now aged daughters could have managed to dispatch at least one Israelite!
5. The gold, 16,750 shekels, amounted to 420 pounds, and since it was all in crafted articles, pieces of jewelry and so forth it would have greater value than just its weight in gold. It is not entirely clear, but it seems that the common soldiers kept their share of the loot, while the officers denoted their share of gold artifacts to Jehovah.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Joshua Chosen as Moses' Successor
(Book of Numbers 27:12 - 27:23)
Jehovah told Moses, "Go climb one of the Abarim mountains east of the Jordan River and gaze out upon the land I am giving to the children of Israel. After you have done so, you will join your ancestors, as your brother Aaron did -- for both of you defied my will at the waters in the desert of Zin. When the people of Israel revolted, you did not convince them to respect my power." (This occurred at the oasis of Meribah at Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)
Moses replied, "O Jehovah, the god who breathes life into all creatures, pick someone who can take charge of the congregation, lead the flock out to pasture and bring them back, so that the people of Jehovah may not be sheep without a shepherd."
Jehovah responded, “Choose Joshua son of Nun. He has the proper spirit in him. Lay your hand upon him. Have him stand before Eleazar and the entire community, and in their presence give Joshua your endorsement as the next leader of the people. Delegate some of your authority to him so the people will be used to obeying him. He may consult Eleazar the priest, who will seek divinations before the altar using the Urim. On Joshua’s orders the flock of Israel will go out and on his orders it will come in, he with the Israelites, the entire community.”
Moses did as Jehovah commanded him. He chose Joshua and presented him to Eleazar the priest and the entire congregation. Moses laid both his hands upon Joshua and formally endorsed him, according to the instructions he received from Jehovah.
Notes
1. It cannot be unexpected that Joshua has been selected as Moses' successor to shepherd the flock that is the people of Israel. Jehovah seems to be doing Moses a favor by allowing him to see the Promised Land before he dies. Jehovah still harbors hard feelings from Moses' conduct at the oasis of Meribah and insists upon punishing him for it as he did his brother Aaron. Moses has been a most faithful servant to Jehovah, but his god has treated him like a stooge or a dog to be kicked whenever he barks out of turn. Jehovah seems to have no words for his faithful servant, no praise, no expressions of gratitude or affection, no assurances about what may happen to him after he dies or what may happen to his people after he's gone, just a curt "you're gonna die."
2. The Urim and Thimmim, referenced in Exodus in the description of the priest's raiment, were probably amulets of some sort that may have been cast like dice to determine by divination Jehovah's will. Little is known for certain about them and there are many opinions as to what they were and how they were employed. Apparently they were to be consulted when Jehovah didn't have the time or inclination to visit the Inner Sanctum personally and sit on the Judgment Seat. The instructions, though, probably signal that Jehovah will not be speaking directly to Joshua as he had Moses, or at least not as often.
3. Although often the mention of laying on of hands is meant figuratively, here it seems to be literal. Moses is bid by Jehovah to lay his hand upon Joshua, a symbolic gesture of selection and endorsement. Moses does, in fact, lay both his hands upon Joshua. We may deduce from this that Joshua is not only Jehovah’s choice, but Moses’ choice as well. Moses had been Joshua’s mentor and he probably felt toward him as if he were his son. (No mention is made of Moses’ sons.) It is thus established that the civil and military leader of Israel will, for the present, not be an inherited position like the priesthood.
Jehovah told Moses, "Go climb one of the Abarim mountains east of the Jordan River and gaze out upon the land I am giving to the children of Israel. After you have done so, you will join your ancestors, as your brother Aaron did -- for both of you defied my will at the waters in the desert of Zin. When the people of Israel revolted, you did not convince them to respect my power." (This occurred at the oasis of Meribah at Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)
Moses replied, "O Jehovah, the god who breathes life into all creatures, pick someone who can take charge of the congregation, lead the flock out to pasture and bring them back, so that the people of Jehovah may not be sheep without a shepherd."
Jehovah responded, “Choose Joshua son of Nun. He has the proper spirit in him. Lay your hand upon him. Have him stand before Eleazar and the entire community, and in their presence give Joshua your endorsement as the next leader of the people. Delegate some of your authority to him so the people will be used to obeying him. He may consult Eleazar the priest, who will seek divinations before the altar using the Urim. On Joshua’s orders the flock of Israel will go out and on his orders it will come in, he with the Israelites, the entire community.”
Moses did as Jehovah commanded him. He chose Joshua and presented him to Eleazar the priest and the entire congregation. Moses laid both his hands upon Joshua and formally endorsed him, according to the instructions he received from Jehovah.
Notes
1. It cannot be unexpected that Joshua has been selected as Moses' successor to shepherd the flock that is the people of Israel. Jehovah seems to be doing Moses a favor by allowing him to see the Promised Land before he dies. Jehovah still harbors hard feelings from Moses' conduct at the oasis of Meribah and insists upon punishing him for it as he did his brother Aaron. Moses has been a most faithful servant to Jehovah, but his god has treated him like a stooge or a dog to be kicked whenever he barks out of turn. Jehovah seems to have no words for his faithful servant, no praise, no expressions of gratitude or affection, no assurances about what may happen to him after he dies or what may happen to his people after he's gone, just a curt "you're gonna die."
2. The Urim and Thimmim, referenced in Exodus in the description of the priest's raiment, were probably amulets of some sort that may have been cast like dice to determine by divination Jehovah's will. Little is known for certain about them and there are many opinions as to what they were and how they were employed. Apparently they were to be consulted when Jehovah didn't have the time or inclination to visit the Inner Sanctum personally and sit on the Judgment Seat. The instructions, though, probably signal that Jehovah will not be speaking directly to Joshua as he had Moses, or at least not as often.
3. Although often the mention of laying on of hands is meant figuratively, here it seems to be literal. Moses is bid by Jehovah to lay his hand upon Joshua, a symbolic gesture of selection and endorsement. Moses does, in fact, lay both his hands upon Joshua. We may deduce from this that Joshua is not only Jehovah’s choice, but Moses’ choice as well. Moses had been Joshua’s mentor and he probably felt toward him as if he were his son. (No mention is made of Moses’ sons.) It is thus established that the civil and military leader of Israel will, for the present, not be an inherited position like the priesthood.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
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.
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