(Book of Numbers 31:1 - 31:24)
Jehovah told Moses, "For the sake of the Israelites you must take revenge upon the Midianites. After that, you may join your ancestors."
Moses ordered his people, "Recruit a troop of men and arm them so that they can execute Jehovah's vengeance upon the Midianites. Send into battle 1000 fighting men from each of the tribes of Israel."
And so the clans supplied 12,000 fighting men, 1000 from each of the tribes of Israel. Moses sent them into battle, the 1000 from each tribe, along with Phinehas son the Eleazar the priest, who took with him several sacred articles from the Sanctum as well as trumpets to sound the attack. As Jehovah had commanded Moses, they waged war against the Midianites and killed them to a man. Among the dead were the five kings of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. Also fallen by the sword was Balaam son of Beor. The army of Israel then captured all the Midianite women and children and seized as plunder the Midianite herds and flocks as well as all their valuables. Every town where the Midianites lived, all their camps and settlements were burned to the ground. The Israelite army gathered together their spoils and all they had plundered, including captives and livestock, and transported them back to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the entire congregation of Israel that was encamped on the plains of Moab across the River Jordan from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the tribal leaders went to greet them outside of camp.
Moses, though, was angry with the generals and captains who returned from battle. "Why have you let all the women live?" he questioned. "These are the very women who, at the urging of Balaam, made the Israelites betray Jehovah at Peor and caused the plague that raged against the people of Jehovah. Kill all the boys and all the women who have had sex with a man. You may spare the young girls who are still virgins. You can keep them for yourselves!
"Anyone who has killed someone or who has touched a dead body must remain outside of camp for 7 days. On the 3rd and 7th days you must purify yourselves and your captives. Purify every garment and every article of leather, goat hair, or wood."
Eleazar the priest told the soldiers who had gone into battle, "The law that Jehovah has given Moses demands that metals, gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, anything that will not burn, must be passed through the fire in order to be ritually pure, although to be completely purified they must also be cleansed by water. What cannot withstand fire must pass through the cleansing water. On the 7th day you must wash your clothes, and then you will be ritually pure once again. After that, may you reenter camp."
Notes
1. The war against the Midianites seems less in the Israelite interests than a means of avenging Jehovah and mollifying his wounded pride. No quarter was given, and the war was all but genocidal. All the men are killed and later all the captive boys were exterminated. The women are also killed and the virgins are given over to the men, presumably to use as they wished, probably to be raped and abused as sex slaves -- the custom, as you know, in ancient times. Captives of war ceased to be human beings; they were merely property. Most slaves at this time had been captives of war.
2. As a result of his conduct as the leader of Israelites in the Midianite war Moses can proudly add to his resume the title of war criminal, although, to be fair, in ancient times the concept scarcely existed. We would not expect the early Israelites to embrace the principles of honorable combat espoused by the later Romans. Still, Moses exhibits greater brutality than even the ruthless Assyrians generally exercised. "Love your enemy, forgive your enemy" are precepts of Christianity that have not yet supplanted the Old Testament exhortation to "hate your enemy and destroy him utterly without mercy or compassion and with no consideration for justice or humanity."
3. The requirement for ritual purity comes into play after the war when the returning soldiers more or less go into quarantine for a week. (It's as if they've come back from a trip to moon.) One imagines, though, that the purification ceremony allowed the soldiers to ease their transition back into what we would call civilian life and to feel justified in the brutal acts they have just committed.
4. Moses seems to have few qualms about completely exterminating his wife's tribe. Is his wife, Sephora, a Midianite, still alive and, if so, what is her view of this war? Sephora does not seem to be a factor during the Exodus, except, at one point, when she, a "foreigner" becomes a reason for the people to rebel against Moses. The authors certainly give her short shrift. Miriam, Moses' sister, seems to be the only woman who had political influence -- and that is presented in a negative light.
Showing posts with label Phinehas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phinehas. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Corruption of the Israelites
(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.
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.
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