DOCSLIB.ORG

BOOK of NUMBERS T!Rambritigr: PRINTED by JOHN CLAY, M.A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

THE C4MBRIDGE BIBLE FOR S(JHOOLS AND COLLEGES GENERAL EDITOR FOR THE Ou:i,_ TESTAMENT :­ A. F. KIRKPATRICK1 D.D. THE BOOK OF NUMBERS t!rambritigr: PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A. AT 'l'HE UNlVERSlTY PRESS, PREFACE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE present General Editor for the Old Testament in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges desires to say that, in accordance with the policy of his predecessor the Bishop of Worcester, he does not hold himself responsible for the particular interpreta­ tions adopted or for the opinions expressed by the editors of the several Books, nor has he endeavoured to bring them into agreement with one another. It is inevitable that there should be differences of opinion in regard to many questions of criticism and interpretation, and it seems best that these differences should find free expression in different volumes. He has endeavoured to secure, as far as possible, that the general scope and character of the series should be observed, and that views which have a reasonable clai~ to consideration should not be ignored, but he has felt it best that the final responsibility should, in general, rest with the individual contributors. A F. KIRKPATRICK. CAMBRIDGE. S6 CONTENTS PAGES I. INTRODUCTION I. The Book of Numbers ... ix, X II. Analysis .. xi-xiv III. The Levites xiv-xviii IV. The Historical Value of the Book of Numbers xix-xxii V. The Religious Value of the Book of Numbers xxii-xxvi VI. The Book of Numbers in the New Testament xxvii II. TEXT AND NOTES ... 1-I<)O III. INDEX 19r-196 MAPS: Egypt and Sinai At end Gilead and Moab .~.• " ABBREVIATIONS Aq. The Greek translation by Aquila. A.V. The Authorised Version. Cf. Compare. D The Deuteronomic document. DB. Dictionary if the Bible. E The Elohistic document. Enc. Bib!. Encyclopaedia Biblica. E.VV. The English Versions, i.e. Authorised ·and Revised. Heb. The Hebrew text. H. G. Historical Geography if the Holy Land. id. idem, 'the same,' referring to the book last mentionP.<I. Numbers C.B.S. ERRATUM The title of the book referred to'on p. ix, line 6, is An Introduction to the Pentateuch, by the Rev. A. T. Chapman, M.A., published in The Cambridge Bi/Jle for Schools and Colleges. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the six writings which modern students have grouped together under the name of 'the Hexateuch'.(see Chapman, Introduction to the Hexateuck, p. 6). The Greek title cip10p.ol, of which 'Numbers' is a translation, was given to the book on account of the numberings of the Israelites recorded in it. The Hebrew title is Bammidhbiir ('In the wilderness'), taken from the words bemidhbar Sinai ('in the wilderness of Sinai') in i. 1. The book of Exodus leaves the Israelites at Sinai, and Leviticus is entirely composed of ritual and other regulations ascribed to Moses at Sinai. Numbers opens with further regulations at Sinai, and then carries forward the history of the journeys to the point when the steppes of Moab opposite Jericho were reached; in the midst of this history it contains another group of regulations: it relates some events which occurred during the stax of the Israelites in Moab, and ends with yet another group of regulations. The composition of the book is of the same nature as that of Exodus. Two early writings, known as J and E, at first existed separately, but were afterwards fused into the composite work JE; and this was at a later time combined with priestly material P. (On these symbols, the justification for their use, and an account of the distinctive characteristics of the several writings, see Chapman, lntrod.) The priestly material is to a large X INTRODUCTION extent collected in the three groups of regulations mentioned above, which are assigned by the compiler respectively to the stay at Siuai (i.-x. 28), the stay at Kadesh (xv.-xix.), and the stay in Moab (xxv. 6-xxxi., xxxiii. 50-xxxvi.). But parts of the remainder of the book are also from P, including a detailed itinerary of the Israelites from Egypt to Moab (eh. xxxiii.). One passage only (xxi. 33-35)appears to be incorporated from Deuteronomy. The JE portions will thus be seen to amount to less than a quarter of the whole. And these portions deal exclusively with the journey from Sinai to Kadesh before the forty years wandering to which the people were condemned, and with the journey to Moab after the forty years had elapsed. The history of the forty years themselves is a complete blank. It must not be supposed that either J, E, or P was a simple homogeneous composition. J and E both preserve material of a much earlier date, some parts of which may have existed merely in the form of floating oral tradition, but some must probably have been available in a written form which was incorporated by the narrators. Similarly the compiler of P preserves certain ritual ceremonies, which, though he colours them with his own late language and ideas, must have been handed down from a far past by those whose duty it was to preside over the sanctuaries of Israel, and to perpetuate the ancient ritual customs of the nation. But P not only preserved past traditions but was enriched with supplementary matter by later hands. In this commentary the symbol P is employed to denote all the priestly material, but it must be remembered that, as it stands, it is composed of different strata. Thus the book of Numbers was a gradual growth, containing elements which range from the earliest days of Israel's history down to a period later than Nehemiah. Its long and complicated growth was guided by the Holy Spirit in such a way that the completed result, as it lies before us, could fulfil His purpose of illustrating God's self-revelation and the gradual training and development of the Israelite nation for their appointed work in the world. .ANALYSIS xi CHAPTER II. ANALYSIS. A. i. 1-x. 10 (P). AT SINAI, (i) i.-iv. The census of the tribes, their arrangement in camp and on the march, and the duties of the tribe of Levi. (ii) v.-x. 10. Miscellaneous regulations and other priestly traditions. (a) Exclusion of unclean persons from the camp. v. 1-4, (b) Payments in compensation for wrongs. 5-10. (c) Ordeal of jealousy. 11-31, (d) Nazirites. vi. I-•u. (e) Triple formula of priestly blessing. 1111-27. (f) Offerings of the princes for the tabernacle. vii, (g-) The golden lampstand. viii. 1-4. (k) The Levites:- 5-116. their purification and dedication (vv. 5-1111), the age of service (vv. 23-116). (1) Supplementary Passover. ix. 1-14. (j) Fiery cloud upon the tabernacle. 15-113, {k) Two silver clarions. x. r-ro. B. x. JI-xxii. I (JEP). JOURNEYS BETWEEN SINAI AND MOAB. (i) x. II-xii. 16. Events between Sinai and the Wilderness of Paran. (a) Departure from Sinai; Moses' request to I;Iobab. x. 11-118, 34 (P); 119-33 (J). (b) Prayers connected with the movements of the ark. 35, 36 (J). (c) Murmurers destroyed by fire at Taberah. xi. 1-3 (E). (a') Manna and Quails. 4-10, 13, 18-24•, 31-34 (J). (e) The burden of the people too heavy for Moses. 11, 12, 14, 15 (J). (/) Spirit of ecstasy upon the elders. 16, 17, 141,_30 (E). (g) Journey to Hazeroth. 35 (J). (h) Miriam and Aaron complain of Moses' Cushite wife. xii. 1 {E). {i) Moses vroved uni4ue as a prophet of J1rnovAH, 11-16 (E). xii INTRODUCTION (ii) xiii., xiv. Narrative of the spies. Israel condemned to wander forty years. (a) Spies sent out, who search the land. xiii. 1-17•, 21b (P), 17b-2r•, 22-24 (JE). (b) Report of the spies. 25, 26•, 32 (P), 26b-3 1, 33 (JE). (c) Mutiny of the people. xiv. r (partly), 2, 5-7, ro (P); r (partly), 3, 4, 8, 9 (JE). (d) Moses' intercession averts destruction, but all except Caleb forbidden to enter Canaan. u-24 (JE), [v. 25 redactional.] (e) People condemned to wander forty years. Spies die by a plague. 26-30, 32-39• (P), 31, 39b (JE). (/) Attempted attack on the Negeb, and defeat by the natives. 39b-45 (JE). (iii) xv.-xix. (P, except parts of xvi.). Miscellaneous laws and narratives. (a) Meal-offerings and Libations. xv. 1-16. (b) Contribution of the ' first of 'arisiJtk.' 17-2 r. (c) Propitiatory offerings for inadvertent transgressions. 22-31. {d) Punishment of the man working on the Sabbath. 32--36. (e) Tassels to be worn at the corners of garments. 37-41. (/} Rebellion of Dathan and Abiram. xvi. 1 (partly), 2•, 12-15, 2 5-34 (JE). (g) Self-assertion of Korab and his followers against the tribe of Levi. 1 (partly}, 2h-7, 18-24, ;l5, 41-50 (P). [Self-assertion of Levites, Korah and his followers, against the pn·ests. 1 (partly), 8-rr, r6, 17, 36-40 (P2).] (k) Supet"i □ rity of the tribe of Levi proved by the blossoming of Aaron's staff. xvii. (t) Duties of priests and Levites. xviii. 1-7. 1/) Priests' dues. 8-20. (k) Levites' dues. 2r-24. (/) A further payment to the priests. 25-32. (m) Pm-ification by the ashes of a red cow. xix. (iv) xx.-xxii. 1. Journeys and events at the close of the wanderings until the arrival at Moab. (a) Arrival at the Wilderness of Zin.
Recommended publications
  • The Significance of "Knees"

    The Significance of "Knees"

    THE SIGNIFICANCE OF "KNEES" We are told in the scriptures that Rachael was jealous of her sister Leah because Rachael was barren and Leah was able to bear children. Rachael went to Jacob and said: "Behold my maid Bilhah, go in and lie with her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her." Gen. 30:3 Jacob did have a child with Bilhah, and Rachael adopted Dan as soon as he was born, and he became her son. This act by Rachael concerning her knees was an act of adoption. The ages of Manasseh and Ephraim cannot be exactly determined, but we know that they were born when Joseph was between the age of 30 and 37 (Gen. 41:46-52). We are not told whether they are twins, or, if they are not twins, how many years are between their births. To find out how old they were when Jacob came into Egypt we must take Joseph's age when Jacob arrived, which is 39 and subtract the age of Joseph when they were born (30-37). For our purposes we will take the greater age to make his sons as young as they might have been (39-37=2). Therefore, the youngest that Joseph's sons could have been was 2 years of age when Jacob arrived in Egypt. The oldest possibility would have been 9 years of age. Joseph's two sons were blessed by their grandfather, Jacob (Israel), but it appears that Jacob did not bless Manasseh and Ephraim until he was near death.
  • Japheth and Balaam

    Japheth and Balaam

    Redemption 304: Further Study on Japheth and Balaam biblestudying.net Brian K. McPherson and Scott McPherson Copyright 2012 Melchizedek (Shem), Japheth, and Balaam Summary of Relevant Information from Genesis Regarding Melchizedek and Abraham This exploratory paper assumes the conclusions of section three of our “Priesthood and the Kinsman Redeemer” study which identifies Melchizedek as Noah’s son Shem. Melchizedek was priest of Jerusalem (Salem) and possibly of the region in general. Shem was granted dominion over all the Canaanites by Noah. Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. Melchizedek is clearly presented as a king. And Abraham clearly pays tithes or tribute to this king after a victory in battle. Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.
  • Beshalach (When He Sent)

    Beshalach (When He Sent)

    An Introduction to the Parashat HaShavuah (Weekly Torah Portion) Understanding the Torah From a Thematic Perspective Beshalach (When He Sent) By Tony Robinson Copyright © 2003 (5764) by Tony Robinson, Restoration of Torah Ministries. All rights reserved. —The Family House of Study— Examining the Parashat HaShavuah by Thematic Analysis Welcome to Mishpachah Beit Midrash, the Family House of Study. Each Shabbat1 we gather in our home and study the Scriptures, specifically the Torah.2 It’s a fun time of receiving revelation from the Ruach HaKodesh3. Everyone joins in—adults and children—as we follow the Parashat HaShavuah4 schedule. We devote ourselves to studying the Torah because the Torah is the foundation for all of Scripture. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the Torah will help us more fully understand the rest of the Tanakh5 and the Brit Chadasha.6 Furthermore, as Yeshua stated Himself, the Torah teaches about Him. So we study the Torah in order to be drawn closer to Yeshua, the goal of the Torah. As believers in the Messiah we have discovered the richness of the wisdom of the sages of Israel. These men, who devoted themselves to the study of the Torah, have left us a rich heritage. Part of that heritage is a unique method of learning and interpreting the Scriptures. It’s called thematic analysis. In thematic analysis we search for the underlying theme/topic of each passage of Scripture. By studying Scriptures related by a common theme, line upon line and precept upon precept, the Scriptures open up to us in a unique manner that is clearly inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh.
  • A Yiddish Text from Auschwitz: Critical History and the Anthological Imagination

    A Yiddish Text from Auschwitz: Critical History and the Anthological Imagination

    11 PROJECT M1 USE A Yiddish Text from Auschwitz: Critical History and the Anthological Imagination David Suchoff Prooftexts, Volume 19, Number 1, January 1999, pp. 59-69 (Article) Published by Indiana University Press DOI: 10.1353/ptx.1999.0001 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ptx/summary/v019/19.1.suchoff.html Access Provided by Brandeis University Libraries at 10/18/12 4: 13PM GMT DAVID SUCHOFF A Yiddish Text from Auschwitz: Critical History and the Anthological Imagination Introduction The following text, written at Auschwitz on 3 January 1945, introduces an anthology of writingscomposed by Jewish prisoners within Auschwitz itself. That anthology was lost, while this remnant remains. Avraham Levite's piece, pre­ sented here in a new translation, offers itself as a plea fromthe "other planet" that was Auschwitz to postwar generations, calling upon them to appreciate a fully Jewish and critical historical voice that was forged within its bounds. The introduction presciently voices its author's certainty that Jewish life at Auschwitz and the Holocaust as a whole would be distorted in representations of the event, submerged by a world eager to ease its conscience, cry and feel better, and thus to deny or minimize the facts of Jewish suffering. The price of world recognition, Levite reasons from history, would be the diminution of the powerful voice of Yiddish life. This concern with the difference between history and memory gives Levite's text an uncannily contemporary ring, as it presciently calls upon its readers to beware of the lures of an "objective" history.
  • Expansions on the Book of Deuteronomy

    Expansions on the Book of Deuteronomy

    Expansions on the Book of Deuteronomy Introduction This document comes after the conclusion of another in the same “expansion” format, that is to say, Expansions on the Book of Romans. As noted in the Introduction there as well as in other texts from the Old and New Testaments, the word “expansion” suggests an expanding or fleshing out of the book at hand. It involves taking a certain liberty but at the same time not overstepping its bounds. So how are these bounds to be defined without devolving into fancifulness? It comes down to putting Deuteronomy at the service of lectio divina. That means a slow, deliberate and open-ended reading of the text quite alien to how we read nowadays with the goal of gaining information and then moving on to the next subject as quickly as possible. Lectio expressly has the text at the service of prayer, of disposing the reader to enter God’s presence. And this presence will act as a guide in expanding the text as well as not to overstep its bounds and devolve into personal interpretation. Such is the goal of this document as well as others relative to sacred scripture as posted on this home page. It can’t be stressed enough that without the intent of fostering God’s presence in our lives this and the other “expansion” texts are simply useless. Instead of going through Deuteronomy line by line as with Romans and some other biblical texts already online, the current document deals with each chapter, elaborating not especially on each verse but by taking a more general approach.
  • Parshat Matot/Masei

    Parshat Matot/Masei

    Parshat Matot/Masei A free excerpt from the Kehot Publication Society's Chumash Bemidbar/Book of Numbers with commentary based on the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, produced by Chabad of California. The full volume is available for purchase at www.kehot.com. For personal use only. All rights reserved. The right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form, requires permission in writing from Chabad of California, Inc. THE TORAH - CHUMASH BEMIDBAR WITH AN INTERPOLATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY BASED ON THE WORKS OF THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE Copyright © 2006-2009 by Chabad of California THE TORAHSecond,- revisedCHUMASH printingB 2009EMIDBAR WITH AN INTERPOLATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARYA BprojectASED ON of THE WORKS OF ChabadTHE LUBAVITCH of CaliforniaREBBE 741 Gayley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024 310-208-7511Copyright / Fax © 310-208-58112004 by ChabadPublished of California, by Inc. Kehot Publication Society 770 Eastern Parkway,Published Brooklyn, by New York 11213 Kehot718-774-4000 Publication / Fax 718-774-2718 Society 770 Eastern Parkway,[email protected] Brooklyn, New York 11213 718-774-4000 / Fax 718-774-2718 Order Department: 291 KingstonOrder Avenue, Department: Brooklyn, New York 11213 291 Kingston718-778-0226 Avenue / /Brooklyn, Fax 718-778-4148 New York 11213 718-778-0226www.kehot.com / Fax 718-778-4148 www.kehotonline.com All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book All rightsor portions reserved, thereof, including in any the form, right without to reproduce permission, this book or portionsin writing, thereof, from in anyChabad form, of without California, permission, Inc. in writing, from Chabad of California, Inc. The Kehot logo is a trademark ofThe Merkos Kehot L’Inyonei logo is a Chinuch,trademark Inc.
  • Chapter Three MASSAH and MERIBAH

    Chapter Three MASSAH and MERIBAH

    Chapter Three MASSAH AND MERIBAH In this chapter I increase the specificity further by analysing the legends of the waters that flow from a mountain or are associ­ ated with the names Massah and Meribah (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). For comparative purposes, the traditions of Beer (Num 21:16-18) and Marah (Exod 15:23-26) are discussed first, even though they properly belong with the thirst stories of chapter one. Beer The simplest account of the miraculous production of water in the wilderness in the days of the desert wanderings of Israel is Num 21:16-18: 16And thence [they traveled] to Beer [Well]; that is the well where Yahweh said to Moses: "Gather the people, and I will give them water."1 17Then the chil­ dren of Israel sang this song: "Rise, well, ,,Z they sanl to it. 18"0 well which the princes dug, which the leaders of the people 4 hewed with scepter [and] staff."5 What can we make of this fragment? It is often described as archaic,6 but such a dating largely reflects past scholarship's predisposition to regard short poems as the original form of Israelite tradition; the somewhat murky contents perhaps contri­ bute to this evaluation. The lack of relative pronoun in 18a and of conjunction in 18c are insufficient grounds for assigning the poem an early date, especially since its present form seems gar­ bled. In fact, the fragment is undatable, but its relation to the Massah-Meribah tradition is clear. Yahweh commands Moses to gather the people, and he himself will provide water.
  • Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr

    Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr

    Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness." This is, of course, appropriate since the Israelites spent most of the time covered in the narrative of Numbers in the wilderness. The English title "Numbers" is a translation of the Greek title Arithmoi. The Septuagint translators chose this title because of the two censuses of the Israelites that Moses recorded at the beginning (chs. 1—4) and toward the end (ch. 26) of the book. These "numberings" of the people took place at the beginning and end of the wilderness wanderings and frame the contents of Numbers. DATE AND WRITER Moses wrote Numbers (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:2; Matt. 8:4; 19:7; Luke 24:44; John 1:45; et al.). He apparently wrote it late in his life, across the Jordan from the Promised Land, on the Plains of Moab.1 Moses evidently died close to 1406 B.C., since the Exodus happened about 1446 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1), the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years (Num. 32:13), and he died shortly before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 34:5). There are also a few passages that appear to have been added after Moses' time: 12:3; 21:14-15; and 32:34-42. However, it is impossible to say how much later. 1See the commentaries for fuller discussions of these subjects, e.g., Gordon J.
  • Manasseh: Reflections on Tribe, Territory and Text

    Manasseh: Reflections on Tribe, Territory and Text

    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Vanderbilt Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive MANASSEH: REFLECTIONS ON TRIBE, TERRITORY AND TEXT By Ellen Renee Lerner Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Religion August, 2014 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Douglas A. Knight Professor Jack M. Sasson Professor Annalisa Azzoni Professor Herbert Marbury Professor Tom D. Dillehay Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Renee Lerner All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people I would like to thank for their role in helping me complete this project. First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the members of my dissertation committee: Professor Douglas A. Knight, Professor Jack M. Sasson, Professor Annalisa Azzoni, Professor Herbert Marbury, and Professor Tom Dillehay. It has been a true privilege to work with them and I hope to one day emulate their erudition and the kind, generous manner in which they support their students. I would especially like to thank Douglas Knight for his mentorship, encouragement and humor throughout this dissertation and my time at Vanderbilt, and Annalisa Azzoni for her incredible, fabulous kindness and for being a sounding board for so many things. I have been lucky to have had a number of smart, thoughtful colleagues in Vanderbilt’s greater Graduate Dept. of Religion but I must give an extra special thanks to Linzie Treadway and Daniel Fisher -- two people whose friendship and wit means more to me than they know.
  • Exodus 202 1 Edition Dr

    Exodus 202 1 Edition Dr

    Notes on Exodus 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE The Hebrew title of this book (we'elleh shemot) originated from the ancient practice of naming a Bible book after its first word or words. "Now these are the names of" is the translation of the first two Hebrew words. "The Hebrew title of the Book of Exodus, therefore, was to remind us that Exodus is the sequel to Genesis and that one of its purposes is to continue the history of God's people as well as elaborate further on the great themes so nobly introduced in Genesis."1 Exodus cannot stand alone, in the sense that the book would not make much sense without Genesis. The very first word of the book, translated "now," is a conjunction that means "and." The English title "Exodus" is a transliteration of the Greek word exodus, from the Septuagint translation, meaning "exit," "way out," or "departure." The Septuagint translators gave the book this title because of the major event in it, namely, the Israelites' departure from Egypt. "The exodus is the most significant historical and theological event of the Old Testament …"2 DATE AND WRITER Moses, who lived from about 1525 to 1405 B.C., wrote Exodus (17:14; 24:4; 34:4, 27-29). He could have written it, under the inspiration of the 1Ronald Youngblood, Exodus, pp. 9-10. 2Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, p. 57. Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L. Constable www.soniclight.com 2 Dr. Constable's Notes on Exodus 2021 Edition Holy Spirit, any time after the events recorded (after about 1444 B.C.).
  • The Road to Jericho

    The Road to Jericho

    Although the story is made up by Jesus, the road “from Jerusalem to Jericho” is real. Known as The Bloody Way, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho had a long history of being a perilous journey. © 2021 Living 10:31 Hanna Brinker The Road to Jericho April 15, 2021 “Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.” (Luke 10:30) Although the story is made up by Jesus, the road “from Jerusalem to Jericho” is real and would have been understood immediately by his listeners. Known as The Bloody Way, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho had a long history of being a perilous journey famous for attacks by thieves and robbers. The road is about 20 miles long, and was steep, descending about 3000 feet from the Mount of Olives to sea level. It ran through a rocky area with plenty of caves, large boulders and other hiding places that provided robbers a place to lay in wait for defenseless travelers. Although Jesus leaves the man undescribed, the listeners, being Jewish, would naturally assume that he was a Jew. The lawyer, remember, has just asked Jesus ‘who is my neighbor’ – believing that the answer is a ‘fellow Jew.’ Jesus implies that the man who was beaten and robbed is a ‘neighbor’ even in the restricted sense of ‘fellow Jew.’ Since the man is stripped, he is unidentifiable. In Jesus’ day, a person was identified by the way they dressed and the way they spoke – their accent or dialect.
  • Traditions About Miriam in the Qumran Scrolls

    Traditions About Miriam in the Qumran Scrolls

    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department Classics and Religious Studies 2003 Traditions about Miriam in the Qumran Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub Part of the Classics Commons Crawford, Sidnie White, "Traditions about Miriam in the Qumran Scrolls" (2003). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. 97. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/97 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classics and Religious Studies at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Published in STUDIES IN JEWISH CIVILIZATION, VOLUME 14: WOMEN AND JUDAISM, ed. Leonard J. Greenspoon, Ronald A. Simkins, & Jean Axelrad Cahan (Omaha: Creighton University Press, 2003), pp. 33-44. Traditions about Miriam in the Qumran Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford The literature of Second Temple Judaism (late sixth century BCE to 70 CE) contains many compositions that focus on characters and events known from the biblical texts. The characters or events in these new compositions are developed in various ways: filling in gaps in the biblical account, offering explanations for difficult passages, or simply adding details to the lives of biblical personages to make them fuller and more interesting characters. For example, the work known as Joseph andAseneth focuses on the biblical character Aseneth, the Egyptian wife of Joseph, mentioned only briefly in Gen 41:45, 50.' This work attempts to explain, among other things, how Joseph, the righteous son of Jacob, contracted an exogamous marriage with the daughter of an Egyptian priest.