| Chapter 12 | |
| Summary: | This chapter lists the kings and kingdoms that the Israelites slaughtered and whose land they took east of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River to Mount Hermon, and all the plains to the east:
The following are the names of the kings which Joshua and the Israelites slaughtered on the west of the Jordan River, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon toward Mount Halak, going toward Seir. Joshua divided these lands amongst the Israelites by their tribes. These lands included the mountainsides, valleys, plains, wilderness, and south country where lived the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites.
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| Notes: | 1.) The kingdom of Geder (meaning "stone wall") is mysteriously only referenced twice in the bible - both in this chapter and in 1 Chronicles 27:28. It is unknown where this place may have existed, with some scholars believing that it may in fact be an error, or perhaps the misspelling of a similar city. (Reference: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2222) 2.) Another mysterious unknown city referenced by the bible in a handful of passages: Numbers 14:45, Numbers 21:3 (where it is named), and in Judges 1:17 (where the city is also referenced by its Canaanite name of Zephath). However, the city's name and destruction as it is referenced in Numbers: Chapter 21 happened under Moses's leadership, not Joshua's as this chapter implies. 3.) While there is no prior account of the city of Arad being conquered by Joshua, there is a reference to a King Arad in Numbers: Chapter 21. However, the destruction of King Arad's cities occurred under Moses's leadership, not under Joshua's as this chapter seems to imply. 4.) No prior account of the conquering of this city is referenced. 5.) Yet another mysterious unknown city referenced only a handful of times throughout the bible. It may or may not be the cities and places referenced in Joshua 15:34, 15:53, 16:8, 17:8. 6.) Yet another mysterious unknown city. It's not clear if there may be any relation to the city Gath-Hepher referenced in Joshua 19:13. Additionally "Hepher" is also the name of the youngest son of Gilead (Numbers 26:32), the second son of Asher (1 Chronicles 4:6), and a hero of David (1 Chronicles 11:36). 7.) Yet another mysterious unknown city. Although it is referenced several times throughout the bible under various different spellings, it's believed that these may refer to several distinct places, some of which may simply be fortresses or encampments and not actual cities. (Reference: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T371) 8.) Yet another mysterious unknown city. It's possible that this may not refer to a city in its own right, but perhaps is meant to serve as a qualifier to the preceeding city of Aphek to distinguish it from other Apheks, however this theory seems unlikely as the final verse totals the conquered kingdoms at 31. (Reference: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T3774) 9.) Yet another unknown city, Taanach appears seven times in the bible, in addition to here in Joshua 12, it is mentioned mostly in lists and can be found in Joshua 17:11, 21:25, Judges 1:27, 1 Kings 4:12, and 1 Chronicles 7:29. It is also referenced in Judges 5:19 as the site of a battle against the Canaanites. 10.) Interesting of note is the role that this city will play much later in the book of Revelation. The Greek translation of Mount Meggido (Har Megiddo, in Hebrew) is Armageddon, referring to the site where it is predicted that the "end times" will occur. 11.) It's assumed that "Kedesh" may be an alternate spelling for "Kadesh-Barnea", the site where the Israelites had stayed for the majority of the thirty-eight years after leaving Mount Sinai. (Reference: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T3577) 12.) Believed to be the modern city of "Kaimon", 12 miles south-west of Nazareth. (Reference: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2100) |
| Thoughts: | This chapter essentially serves as a list of the kingdoms that the Israelites had annihilated. While prefaced with the massacre of the kingdoms of King Sihon and King Og - once again noting that King Og was apparently a remnant from a race of giants - under Moses's leadership, the chapter goes on to list 31 kingdoms conquered by Joshua. Of the 31 kingdoms listed, only about half of the conquests are depicted in the bible. It's possible that in some cases this may be due to ancient cities sometimes having alternate names, and in other cases it may be that the conquest might perhaps have been recorded in a "lost book" of the bible. Even more curious is how little is known about half of these cities that are unaccounted for. |
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2011
JOSHUA: Chapter 12
Monday, January 11, 2010
DEUTERONOMY: Chapter 14
| Chapter 14 | |
| Summary: | Moses' speech continues:"You all are the blessed children of the Lord your God and therefore you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes, for the dead - for you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you all to be a peculiar people to himself, above all nations that are upon the earth. |
| Notes: | 1.) The hare does not chew its cud. 2.) The bat obviously is not a bird, but rather a flying mammal. |
| Thoughts: | Moses begins this chapter echoing a commandment that he first made in Leviticus: Chapter 19 - forbidding the cutting of the skin in regards to funeral customs, adding in that shaving your eyebrows ("mak[ing] any baldness between your eyes") is also a no-no as a funeral custom. Moses explains that because God considers the Israelites are a "holy people" and are better than all the other nations upon the earth that (perhaps) follow these sorts of customs. Simply put, this is a law simply because "inferior" people have these customs, and nothing more(!) To see how arrogant, ridiculous, and nonsensical this "commandment" is, imagine a modern law that bans the wearing of feathers because the Native American wear them, and they're not "God's people" like Americans with European ancestry are, and therefore we have to strive to not be like those "heathens" - Or perhaps laws banning the wearing of wooden shoes because the Dutch do; the eating of rice because the Chinese do; the eating of pasta because the Italians do. It isn't difficult in this context to see how ridiculous, arrogant, and bigoted these types of laws are - the "you're not allowed to do this solely because this other group of people do it" laws, and only serves to reinforce stereotypes and superiority complexes. Next Moses recaps the laws from Leviticus: Chapter 11 concerning which types of animals are considered "clean" enough to eat, and which are "unclean" and may not be eaten. While the argument can be made that there are all sorts of inaccuracies about Moses' classifications of animals (rabbits are not ruminants, bats are mammals not birds, etc.) it may be partially a limitation of the Hebrew language as well as a lack of biological knowledge. However, unlike Leviticus: Chapter 11, Moses does not make an exception for jumping four legged insects being permissible to eat. Moses does add though, that although the Israelites may not eat any animal that has died on its own of natural causes, they may sell it to a foreigner or give it to a stranger in town. Moses also repeats a rather "charming" law from Exodus: Chapter 23 - don't boil a baby goat in its mother's milk. Moses explains to the Israelites that when God picks out his "sanctuary", they will have to bring the tithes from their crops, wine, and the firstborn animals from their flocks and herds to the "sanctuary" and have to feast there "before God". However, Moses allots that if the sanctuary is too far away from where they live, or they are unable to carry the full amount of their tithes, then they may be allowed to sell their tithes and use the money to buy crops, wine, or livestock when they arrive at the sanctuary. Moses reminds them that they'll have to invite the Levites in their communities to come tag along for the feast when they pay their tithes, due to their lack of property ownership and lack of their own crops. Finishing out the chapter on a rare pleasant note (not unlike the tone found in Leviticus: Chapter 19) Moses tells the Israelites that every third year they will have to divide up that years tithes to give to the poor, the orphans, the widowed, and the strangers in town. |
Friday, November 6, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 34
| Chapter 34 | |
| Summary: | God speaks to Moses, telling him to speak with the people of Israel concerning setting borders for the "promised land" in Canaan. The southern border will be the wilderness of Zin, along the coast of Edom, and the southern border will also lie among the outmost coast of the Dead Sea. The southern border will continue to the ascent of Akrabbim, pasing on to Zin, going forth from the south to Kadeshbarnea, on to Hazaraddar, and on to Azmon. From Azmon, it will follow the river of Egypt out to the Mediterranean Sea. The western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The northern border will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and head eastward to Mount Hor, then to the entrance of Hamath, and through Zedad and Ziphron, to Hazarenan. The eastern border will begin from Hazarenan and follow south to Shepham, continuing to Riblah on the east side of Ain. The border shall then descend and reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth, following down to the Jordan River, and ending at the Dead Sea. Moses tells the people of Israel that the land within these borders God has specified is what they shall inherit by lot by the nine and a half tribes (the tribes of Gad and Reuben, along with the "half tribe" of Manasseh were allowed to take up land in Gilead outside of the "promised land"). God now tells Moses that in addition to Eleazar, and Joshua (the son of Nun), that he has appointed one leader from each tribe to assist with dividing up the land:
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| Thoughts: | In this chapter God basically sets the borders for the "promised land" and has Moses tell the people of Israel that this portion of land is to be divided up amongst all of the Israelite families. In addition to Eleazar and Joshua, God appoints a representative from each tribe - making an exception for the tribes of Gad and Reuben, along with the "half tribe" of Manasseh who were allowed to take up land in Gilead outside of the "promised land" in Numbers: Chapter 32. God specifies that without these two and a half tribes, there will be representatives from the other nine and a half tribes, however when we look at the list God comes up with, somehow the "half tribe of Manasseh" is listed amongst them - which appears to be either a mathematical or logical error. If we look at the most basic mathematics, we have 12 tribes of Israel; technically the Levites are one of the twelve tribes, but in their absence due to their tabernacle duties, the "half tribes" of Joseph are split by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh so that the total equals twelve. The tribes of Gad and Reuben wanted the lands of Gilead instead of an inheritance in Canaan, so they're taken away from the total, as well as the "half tribe" of Manasseh who helped conquer the lands of Gilead. The logistical problem is whether to count the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh as either a full number or a half number. When we takes the Levites out of the equation, we have to count the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh as full numbers to equal twelve. However, here in Chapter 34 we're mistakenly assuming that each tribe (Ephraim and Manasseh) should be counted as a half number - and without the Levites, we'd have a total of 11 tribes. Taking away 2 and a half tribes (three individual tribes) away from a total of twelve, would leave 9 and a half tribes (ten individual tribes), but we would need thirteen individual tribes to begin with, meaning we would have had to include the Levites - which wouldn't make sense as the Levites were not allowed to be given an inheritance. If we're excluding the tribes of Gad and Reuben from representing themselves because they aren't inheriting land in the "promised land", then we also must exclude the tribes of Levi and Manasseh for the same reasons. Why the "half tribe" of Manasseh shows up in the list seems to simply be a mathematical and logistical error to simply preserve the illusion of there always needing to be "twelve tribes" of Israel. The reader sees 2 and a half tribes are ineligible, and therefore logically thinks that there must be 9 and a half tribes that are eligible, which simply isn't true unless we include the Levites amongst the numbers. |
Thursday, November 5, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 33
| Chapter 33 | |
| Summary: | The journey of the Israelites had been written down and recorded by Moses under commandment from God. These are the events that Moses had recorded:
The land of Canaan is to be "divided by lot" for inheritance among the families of the Israelites. Bigger families are to draw for bigger pieces of land, and smaller families are to draw for smaller pieces of land. God adds however, that if the Israelites don't fully drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, then those Canaanites that remain will be "pricks in your eyes" and "thorns in your sides", and shall vex the people of Israel in the land wherein they dwell. Moreover, it shall come to pass that God will do unto the Israelites what he "thought to do" unto the Canaanites. |
| Notes: | 1.) It is unclear why the name "Ijeabarim" has been changed in the verse that follows to "Iim". It's possible that "Iim" may be another name for "Ijeabarim", or it may be possible that these are two different locales. |
| Thoughts: | This chapter is mainly an outline describing the locations of the various Israeli campsites over the forty year journey from Egypt to Canaan. Apparently God had commanded Moses to keep a written record of their journey, and it is detailed here in Numbers 33. What is interesting about this list, is that we see that the story of the Israelites takes place in the desert of Sinai beginning in Exodus: Chapter 19, and continues throughout the entire book of Leviticus, and up until Numbers: Chapter 11. Over the next nine chapters in the book of Numbers, the Israelites travel to over 22 different locations before God kills Aaron atop Mount Hor, and another 9 locations up to the end of this chapter. While the Israelites were camped in the plains of Moab, God tells Moses that the Israelites are to drive out every last Canaanite out of the "promised land", and that they are to also destroy every last picture, idol, statue, and altars they may have built in the land. God rationalized this by stating that the land has been "given" (actually it would be more accurate to state that God had simply permitted the Israelites to forcibly steal the land away from its inhabitants) to the Israelites. God repeats his declaration that the land of Canaan is to be divided up and drawn by method of a lottery for the families among the various tribes of Israel. Larger pieces of land are to be drawn up for larger families, and smaller pieces of land are to be drawn up for smaller families. God finishes up his earlier threat by stating that if the Israelites fail to fully drive out every last Canaanite, then those remaining Canaanites will be "pricks in [their] eyes" and "thorns in [their] sides" and will vex the Israelites in the land. Moreover, God threatens that he will do to the Israelites what he has thought of doing to the Canaanites...which it's probably safe to assume that it's nothing too pretty. |
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 26
| Chapter 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | After the plague, God spoke to Moses and Eleazar, telling them to take another census of all of the men of Israel from twenty years and older that are able to go to war, along with which tribe and clan that they come from. In the plains of Moab by the Jordan River near Jericho, Moses and Eleazar approached the leaders of Israel and told them to take the census of all men twenty years and older The following table shows the tribes of Israel, their clans, and the number of men twenty years and older fit for war counted in the census:
The land is to be divided "by lot" (a lottery) according to the names of the tribes. According to the draw, the possession thereof is to be divided between the many and the few. The following clans of the Levites counted in the census:Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites. The following familes composed the Levites: Libnites, Hebronites, Mahlites, Mushites, and Korahites. Kohath was the name of Moses' grandfather, and Amram was the name of Moses' father. The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. Jochebed gave birth to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Aaron's children were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (Nadab and Abihu were killed by God when they offered "strange fire" to God). The total number of Levites counted in the census numbered 22,300, counting all males one month and older - as the Levites were not to be counted with the rest of the Israelites as they were not to inherit land. No-one counted in this census had been counted in the previous census taken while in Mount Sinai - as all had since died in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: | 1.) In the clan of Eliab were the familes of Nemu-el, Abiram, and Dathan. Dathan and Abiram were the two leaders who conspired with Korah in Numbers: Chapter 16. It is also mentioned here that Korah's children did not die from God's retribution towards the rebellion. 2.) Hepher's son Zelophedad had no sons. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 3.) Asher also had a daughter named Serah. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts: | This chapter features yet another census that God has Moses and Eleazar take to count the number of men twenty years and older that are fit to go to war. The census also takes note of all the various clans (and several sub-clans) belonging to each tribe of Israel. Although the grand total of 601,730 has gone down slightly since the last census (which totalled 603,500) which took place almost forty years prior, we are told that no-one counted in the first census has survived to be counted in this new census (with the exception of Caleb and Joshua). God then tells Moses that the "promised land" is to be divided up amongst the tribes in proportion to their population - meaning the larger tribes will receive larger portions of land, and the smaller tribes will receive smaller portions of land. However the land itself is to be given away by a lottery system. The chapter then lists all the Levite tribes and clans and totals them up at 22,300 - which basically asserts that the Levite population has remained unchanged over the past 40 years, which is quite a remarkable feat. Also quite a remarkable feat is Moses' family tree, which is glossed over in the chapter. Moses' mother Jochebed is claimed here to be the daughter of Levi, and the aunt of her husband Amram. The Levites however were not to be counted along with the rest of the Israelites, as they are not to inherit land due to their association and employ in the priesthood. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday, August 10, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 7
| Chapter 7 | |
| Summary: | Moses finally had fully set up the tabernacle and anointed and sanctified it, as well as the altar and all of the utensils contained within the tabernacle. The leaders of the tribes of Israel - who helped Moses with the census - brought their offerings to the tabernacle. They brought six covered wagons drawn by twelve oxen - each tribe supplied one ox, and every pair of tribes contributed a wagon; and they brought them before the tabernacle. God told Moses to accept these gifts from the tribe leaders, use them in service for the tabernacle, and to give them to the Levites for whatever needs they have. Moses took the wagons and gave them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites, four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites, but gave none to the Kohathites - as their duties required them to carry their loads upon their shoulders. The leaders also brought dedication gifts for the altar on the day it was anointed, placing them before the altar. God told Moses to have the leaders give their offering on separate days for the dedication of the altar. Each of the twelve days, each leader brought:
For the animal sacrifices, 12 bulls, 12 rams, and 12 yearling lambs were brought for "burnt offerings"; 12 male goats were brought for "sin offerings"; and 24 young bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling lambs were brought for "peace offerings". This totaled 252 slaughtered animals(!) When Moses went into the tabernacle, he heard the voice of God speaking to him from the "mercy place", over the ark of the covenant, between the two cherubims. |
| Thoughts: | This rather tedious chapter in the book of Numbers basically sees Moses anointing the altar in the tabernacle, and all twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel (Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali) bringing gifts of silver, gold, grain, incense, and plenty of animals to sacrifice for twelve consecutive days. Before they give these gifts, the tribes also give six covered wagons, each being drawn by a pair of oxen, to the tabernacle. God tells Moses to give them to the Levites to aid them in transporting the tabernacle, and while he gives two wagons to the Gershonites and four wagons to the Merarites, the Koathites get the shaft - as they are mandated to physically carry their loads on their shoulders. In this chapter, the name of each tribe is mentioned, as is the name of the leader, the leader's father (all of the same information provided in the census detailed in Numbers: Chapter 1), and for each tribe, the exact same list of items that each leader brought is written out verbatim twelve times - making it quite a headache to read. All in all, a grand total of 2,400 shekels of silver (about 36 pounds) and 120 shekels of gold (about 3 pounds) are given to the tabernacle, and 252 animals are sacrificed over the twelve days. It would seem that the priests probably ate pretty well over these twelve days, seeing as only Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar (and possibly Moses) along with their wives, children, and slaves would be allowed to eat the animal meat and the grains contained in the silver bowls and platters. The chapter closes out with Moses heading back into the tabernacle to speak to God, and he hears God's voice speaking to him from the "mercy place" above the ark of the covenant. |
Monday, August 3, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 4
| Chapter 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | God spoke with Moses and Aaron, telling them to take a census of the males thirty to fifty years of age, in the Kohath clan of the tribe of Levi, that are able to work in the tabernacle. When the Israeli camp is traveling, Aaron and his sons shall remove the veil from the tabernacle and cover the ark of the covenant with it. Upon the veil, they shall cover it with badger's skins, shall spread over it a blue cloth, and put the carrying poles into the rings of the ark. A blue cloth shall be spread upon the table on which the bread is displayed, and the dishes, spoons, bowls, cups, and the bread shall be placed upon it. A scarlet cloth is then to cover the table, and badger's skin upon the cloth, while the carrying poles are affixed to the table. Next the lampstand, lamps, sconces, trays, and the reservoir of olive oil shall be covered with a blue cloth. These objects are to be covered again with badger's skins, and the bundle to be placed upon a carrying frame. They must then spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with badger's skins, and insert the carrying poles into the altar. The remaining utensils are to be wrapped in blue cloth, covered in badger's skin, and placed on a carrying frame. The ashes are to be removed from the altar, and a purple cloth it to spread upon the altar. All of the altar's utensils - the censers, fleshhooks, shovels, basins, and containers - are to be placed upon the purple cloth and covered in badger's skin, and the carrying poles are to be placed into the altar. When Aaron and his sons have finished packing up the tabernacle, the clan of Kohath shall carry the items to wherever the camp is traveling to - but they are not to touch any of the "holy items", "lest they die" (they will be put to death). The moving of the items will be the duty of the Kohathites. Aaron's son Eleazar will be responsible for the oil for the lamps, the incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, and is to supervise all of the tabernacle and everything it contains. God then tells Aaron and Moses not to cut off the families of the Kohathites from amongst the Levites. In order to prevent God from having to kill the Kohathites for entering the tabernacle, Aaron and his sons will have to go in with them and point out which items the Kohathites need to carry. The Kohathites are not to touch any of the items directly - they are to only use the carrying poles - "lest they die" (God will kill them for touching anything directly). God then tells Moses to take census of the Gershonites, aged thirty to fifty who are eligible for working in the tabernacle. The Gershonites are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tabernacle itself with its covering, the badger skin roofing, the entrance curtain, the drapes covering the courtyard fencing, the courtyard entrance curtain, the altar, the ropes, and all the instruments of their service. The Gershonites are to be appointed to their tasks by Aaron and his sons, but will be directly supervised by Aaron's son Ithamar. God then tells Moses to take census of the Merarites, aged thirty to fifty who are eligible for working in the tabernacle. The Merarites are to carry the frames, bars, posts, cords, of both the tabernacle and the courtyard fencing, along with all of the tools necessary for their use and repair. Each man shall be assigned to his task by name, and shall also be supervised by Ithamar. Moses and Aaron, along with the leaders of the tribes, took a census of the Kohathites of all of the men thirty to sixty, who were eligible for work in the tabernacle arriving at a total of 2,750. The same was done for the Gershonites, who totaled 2,630; and for the tribe of Merari, who totalled 3,200. The grand total of Levites eligible for working in the tabernacle was 8,580. | ||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts: | This chapter basically expands upon the previous chapter's division of responsibilities for the Levite tribe of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. Among the men of the tribes aged thirty to fifty, they are assigned to the lucky job of hauling the tabernacle through the desert as the people of Israel move about through the desert towards the "promised land". The Kohathites have the most dangerous job of moving the ark of the covenant, along with many of the "sacred holy objects" in the tabernacle. Ordinarily, this shouldn't be too dangerous, but when God adds the threat of death for anyone aside from Aaron and his sons entering the tabernacle or merely touching any of these objects by any means aside from the carrying poles, what was once a simple moving job now carries deadly risks. Because God seems not to be interested in intentions, the lives of children or mentally incompetent people are in grave danger if perhaps they unwittingly might brush up against any of these items. Even though only men of the ages of thirty to fifty are eligible to do these jobs, the possibility of a child or mentally incompetent adult family member straying into the area could end the lives of innocent people despite their ignorance. Basically Aaron and his sons have to pack up the items themselves - with virtually everything having to be covered in first a blue cloth (except for a scarlet cloth is to be used to cover the table, and a purple cloth for covering the altar) and then some badger's skin - and then accompany and supervise the Kohathites in moving the items to ensure their safety against God's death threats. Aaron's son Eleazar is the head supervisor of the Kohathites responsibilities. Next up, the Gershonites are assigned to packing up and moving the drapery, the tabernacle itself, the altar, and some ropes; while the Merarites are assigned to carry the frames, posts, cords, and courtyard fencing. Both groups are to be supervised by Aaron's other son, Ithamar. The final tallies of numbers are somewhat interesting when we take into context the amount of men eligible - aged thirty to fifty - versus the grand total of males aged one month or older from the previous chapter. Below is a table illustrating the grand total of males from Numbers: Chapter 3, versus the number eligible males age 30 to 50 listed in this chapter:
Once again, as with Moses' previous census counts, the abundance of round numbers puts the accuracy of these census counts into question as well. | ||||||||||||||||
Saturday, August 1, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapters 2 & 3
| Chapter 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | God gives further instructions to Moses and Aaron about how to organize the tribes of Israel. Every tribe will have their own tent area with the flag of their tribal ensign to denote them, and all encircling the tabernacle. The locations of the tribes campsites were as follows:
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| Thoughts: | A rather tedious chapter to read, this chapter basically arranges the tribes of Israel in their positions in camp, as well as their marching order when traveling. Obviously by the arrangement of the troops we can discern that the Israelis were most likely traveling primarily towards the east as the heaviest amount of troops are flanked there, and they are first in the marching order. As God had apparently decimated the Egyptian army, little threat appears to be coming from the west so the thinnest of the herd is stationed there. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | At the time of God speaking to Moses, the ancestry of Aaron and Moses were as follows: The names of Aaron's sons were Nadab (the eldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. All were anointed as priests and consecrated to minister at the tabernacle. Nadab and Abihu however "died before God"* when they offered "strange fire" before God in the wilderness of Sinai, neither had any children. Eleazar and Ithamar were left to minister under their father Aaron. God then tells Moses to bring the tribe of Levi out to Aaron so that they may minister under him. The Levites are to follow Aaron's instructions and to perform the services of the tabernacle on behalf of the people of Israel. They are to be in charge of all the furnishings and maintainance in the tabernacle. Only Aaron and his sons however may carry out the duties of the priesthood, anyone else will shall be put to death. God explains that he has taken claim over the Levites in substitution of taking the lives of all of the firstborn sons among the people of Israel, and therefore the Levites will "belong to" God. God continues to explain that since the day he killed all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, all of the firstborn males - both man and animal - belong to God. God continues speaking to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, telling him now to take a census of all of the male Levites aged a month old or older, noting their clans and their leaders. As Moses did this, God assigned each clan a specific responsibility to care for the tabernacle:
Anyone who was not a Levite but came into the tabernacle shall be put to death. The number of Levites one month and older counted in the census was 22,000*. God then tells Moses to take a census of all the firstborn males, one month and older, amongst the entire population of the people of Israel, and to register each name. God says that he will claim the Levites instead of the firstborn, and will take the Levites'cattle instead of the firstborn among the cattle belonging to the children of Israel. Moses did as God commanded, and in his census counted 22,273 firstborn males one month or older amongst the people of Israel. God tells Moses that he is now claiming the Levites instead of the firstborn counted in Moses' census, as well as the cattle belonging to the Levites instead of the people of Israel's cattle. However, God says further that the people of Israel will have to make up the difference of the "273 extra men" by having the people Israel pay five shekels (a shekel being worth twenty gerahs) for each of the 273 "extra men". The resulting money is to be given to Aaron and his sons. Moses took the "redemption money" for the 273 men that were "over" the population of the Levites - 1,365 shekels - and gave it to Aaron and his sons as God commanded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: | 1.) God intentionally killed both Nadab and Abihu by immolation for using the wrong fire to light incense in Leviticus Chapter 10. 2.) Using the figures given, the total number would actually be 22,300 (or 22,304 - if Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar were to be counted) not simply 22,000. 3.) Again, the math here appears faulty as the number of Levites given as 22,000 does not correspond with the actual count of 22,300 by adding up the numbers given for the individual tribes of Levi - which would be 22,304 if we counted Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The count of the Levites would actually be 27 (or 31) more than the amount of firstborn males - not 273 less. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts: | The chapter begins by listing the names of Aarons sons and once again glossing over with misleading phrasing, the violent deaths of Nadab and Abihu - whom God barbequed for not using the right fire to light incense. Again, the problem here is in the wording which seems to appear as if Nadab and Abihu died under mysterious circumstances, when in Leviticus Chapter 10 we see that it is clearly God's wrath at his instructions not being followed precisely which lead him to immolate both Nadab and Abihu - and threatened the surviving members of Aarons family not to grieve over their deaths. I commented upon this questionable wording at greater lengths in my thoughts about Leviticus: Chapter 16. It is also mentioned that neither Nadab or Abihu had any children, which left only their father and two brothers (Eleazar and Ithamar) to carry on the priesthood. God now shows favoritism towards the tribe of Levi within his broader favoritism towards the people of Israel. He tells Moses that the Levites are to be given special tasks to care for the tabernacle and has Moses take a census of all of the tribes of Levi. He then divides them up by their tribes and places their campsites to the west, north, and south of the tabernacle giving each group a special task to care for a particular section of the tabernacle. God makes it clear that only a Levite is to attend to the tabernacle and that anyone else will be put to death. Again, God doles out death threats for the "wrong group of people" touching his church in a tent. Regardless of whether one's intent is noble, if you're not of the right bloodline God commands that you be put to death for going near his tent. If one were to assume that the events depicted in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers truly occured, it would be a reasonable suspicion to think that perhaps the reason for this extreme punishment for the "crime" of the wrong people coming near the tabernacle, would more likely be apt that the Levites might simply have something to hide. Much like I alluded to in my thoughts about Exodus: Chapter 19 it's not unreasonable to suspect that perhaps Moses and Aaron were hoaxing the Israelis with "the man behind the curtain" routine - especially when we factor in how greatly the Levites - and moreover the families of Moses and Aaron - benefit from "mandatory sacrifices" of livestock, food, wine, and money from the rest of the people of Israel. Back to the chapter, God explains that the Levites "belong to him" and that he is taking them in exchange for the lives of the firstborn sons of Israel - whom he claims to own by default ever since he decided to slay all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt in Exodus: Chapter 12. God now has Moses take a census of all the males one month and older, among the Levites and to note the names of the their clans and the leaders of those clans. Each clan would be camped on a different side of the tabernacle and given a specific responsibility in caring for the tabernacle. God places the 7,500 Gershonites on the west side of the tabernacle, entrusting them with taking care of the drapes, screens, and ropes; places the 8,600 Kohathites on the south side of the tabernacle, entrusting them with the care of the ark, the table, lamps, altars, utensils, and the veil; and places the 6,200 Merarites on the North side of the tabernacle, entrusting them with the care of the tabernacle's frames and posts. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar take to camping at the east side of the tabernacle. Furthering our suspicion of the "man behind the curtain" theory, among the Levites, only Aaron's family is allowed to perform any priestly duties - the punishment of course, is death. If we do the math here, we have 7,500 + 8,600 + 6,200 which equals 22,300. However, God and/or Moses rounds this down to the nearest thousand and comes up with a figure of 22,000. Why this is important will soon be apparent. God now has Moses take a census of all of the firstborn males one month and older, amongst all of the people of Israel and comes up with a result of 22,273. Because God is exchanging his claim upon the 22,273 firstborn Israelis with the entire tribe of Levi, he want this exchange to be "fair and balanced" - however, instead of using the actual calculation of the amount of the Levites - 22,300 (7,500 + 8,600 + 6,200) - he uses the amount rounded down to the nearest thousand, 22,000, and makes the people of Israel pay a tax of five shekels for the "273 men" over the 22,000 estimate - which of course, goes into the pockets of Aaron and his sons(!) Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar pocket a cool 1,365 shekels due to God's and/or Moses' bad math! The all powerful supreme being of the universe can supposedly create the earth and all the life upon it in seven days, commit mass genocide by means of a world wide flood, but he just can't handle simple fourth grade arithmatic - either that or our "benevolent" deity Yahweh likes to cheat people out of their money on faulty premises. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friday, July 31, 2009
NUMBERS: Chapter 1
| Chapter 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: | God speaks to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month*, in the second year after leaving their slavery in Egypt. He tells Moses, that along with his brother Aaron, he is to take a census of all of the men twenty years old and up who are fit to go to war, and to make note of their tribes and families, as well as the leaders of each tribe. The following table shows the tribes of Israel, their leaders, and the number of men twenty years and older fit for war counted in the census:
God, however, exempts the Levites from the military draft and tells Moses that their numbers are not to be counted in the census. God explains to Moses that the Levites are appointed to work in the tabernacle, everything it contains, and to care for its transportation. The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle, and wherever it is moved, the Levites are to tear it down and set it back up again. Anyone else touching the tabernacle is to be put to death. Every tribe of Israel is to have its own camp, but the Levite camp surrounding the tabernacle shall serve as a barrier separating the tabernacle - and God's wrath - from the people of Israel. The people of Israel did as God had commanded to Moses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: | 1.) Approximately April 15th by our modern calendar. 2.) This total number of eligible men is exactly the same number as taken in a previous census, as stated in Exodus: Chapter 38, which took place prior to the building of the tabernacle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thoughts: | The first chapter of the book of Numbers takes place approximately two years after the Exodus from Egypt in the middle of April. God tells Moses that him and Aaron are to take a census of all the tribes of Israel to prepare for a military draft of all men over the age of twenty. The first strange thing we notice is that the Levites are curiously absent from the list, yet the tribe of Joseph is split into two (by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh) in order to preserve the number of tribes to twelve. Much like the number seven (which is peppered throughout the book of Leviticus), the number twelve also holds mystical significance throughout the bible (most notably as the number of apostles that Jesus takes). A common theory as to the significance of the number twelve (as well as the superstition as to why the number thirteen is considered unlucky) is that it correlates to how people began to count. It is thought that man initially counted on his fingers (totaling ten digits) and then adding their two feet thereby "running out of numbers". Also, many biblical myths also seem to be borrow heavily from astrology, which separated the astrological signs into twelve signs - which also contributed to our modern calendar. Regardless of what the truth may be, the number twelve tends to be mystically revered much in the same way as the number seven. The chapter continues on to list the twelve tribes, their leaders (as well as the names of their fathers), and conveniently round numbers. It begs the question as to what real purpose the census has if its accuracy isn't a concern and that it's simply an estimate. Surely we're not meant to believe that twelve tribes of people somehow managed to have completely round and even numbers of draftable men? However, even more puzzling is the grand total of men listed - 603,550. If that number sounds familiar, it's because it's the exact same number we were given in Exodus: Chapter 38 when a census was taken prior to the building of the tabernacle. This earlier census was taken to impose a tax upon the men of Israel in order to raise money to build the tabernacle. It is believed by biblical scholars that the tabernacle was built about a year prior to the events here in the first chapter of Numbers, so it should be expected that a census taken the following year would report a similar number, but there are many problems as to why this number shouldn't be exactly the same. It doesn't make sense that the earlier census figures would only include men twenty years of age and up that were fit to serve in the military when the sole purpose of that census was simply to raise money - I'm sure that the money of disabled, crippled, or old men would probably have been collected for the tabernacle construction. Even if the prior census was only counting the number of military fit men, what would be the purpose of having another census a year later unless there were either many nineteen year olds running around or many deaths of military age men? Did Moses accidentally throw out the results of last year's census? Honestly, it seems far more plausible that this number was just thrown into "Exodus: Chapter 38" either after it was arrived upon here (to show some sort of connection) or it is simply a made up number that has some other sort of significance. I could find this more acceptable if we were just given a vague number like we were given in Exodus: Chapter 12 of "over 600,000 men", but when we're making a point to just throw random numbers around for each of the "twelve tribes" in order to reach the specific "grand total" number of 603,550, the accuracy and credibility of the bible comes into serious question - if you weren't already tipped off by 900+ year old people running around and talking snakes. Absent from our list of tribes of course is the Levites - Aaron and Moses' tribe - who are apparently exempt from military duty as they'll be too busy moving the tabernacle around and slaughtering animals to be bothered with helping to invade other civilizations - and apparently in our earlier census, also couldn't be bothered to help pay for the building of the tabernacle either. God obviously favors the Levites and entrusts them with caring for and moving the tabernacle as the camp moves along in the desert towards the "promised land". He tells Moses that only the Levites are to move and care for the tabernacle, and that anybody else who comes near it is to be put to death. If there was ever a good reason for stoning someone to death, I fail to see how touching or helping to move a "church in a tent" would qualify. To further the point of his favoritism, God explains that the Levites will also have to camp outside and around the tabernacle - effectively forming a barrier of sorts to protect the rest of the common folk from "God's wrath". This is basically God saying that the Levites are protecting the people from God having to come down and slaughter them all. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monday, July 20, 2009
LEVITICUS: Chapter 27
| Chapter 27 | |
| Summary: | God speaks to Moses about putting prices upon vows to God for the people of Israel. When a person makes a vow to God, the following amounts of money are to be paid:
If it's an animal being sacrificed to God, then the deal may not be altered once it is given. A person may not attempt to alter or change the deal, substituting a better or worse animal, otherwise both animals will belong to God, and both must be slaughtered. If a person tries to sacrifice an "unclean" animal - one unfit for animal sacrifice - then the person shall present it to the priest, the priest will place a monetary value on the animal, and the person will have to pay that amount instead. If a person wants to redeem an animal that is fit for sacrifice, he will have to pay the full value of the animal (set by the priest) and add "a fifth part" (20% interest) to the value. When a person wishes to sanctify their house to God, the priest shall place an estimate upon the house. If the person wishes to redeem their house, they will have to add "the fifth part" of the money (20% interest) to the value determined by the priest. If a man donates part of his field to God, then the estimate shall be according to the amount of seed needed to sow the land. A piece of land that requires an homer (approximately ten bushels) of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. If it is donated in the "Year of Jubilee", then the full estimate will stand, but if he donates his field after the "Year of Jubilee" then the priest shall pay the person in accordance to the number of years remaining until the next "Year of Jubilee". If the man wishes to redeem his field, he shall add the "fifth part" (20% interest) to the estimate and the field will belong to him again. If he does not redeem his field, or if he has sold it to another man, he will no longer be able to redeem it. When the "Year of Jubilee" arrives, it will belong to God and shall be given to the priests. If a man donates a field that he's bought, but is not part of his family's possession the priest shall estimate its worth in relation to the "Year of Jubilee", and the man shall immediately pay that estimation to God. In the "Year of Jubilee" the field shall return to its original owner. All monetary estimations are to be made using the shekel of the sanctuary - worth twenty gerahs. Firstborn oxen and sheep are not to be "sanctified", as they already "belong to God". The firstborn of an "unclean" animal - that is not fit for animal sacrifice - shall be redeemed based upon the priests estimation adding the fifth part (20% interest) to the estimate. If it is not redeemed it can be sold by the priest to someone else for the amount of the estimate. However, anything devoted to God - whether it is a person, animal, or land - shall not be sold or redeemed for they are considered "holy" to God. No one sentenced to death by God may buy their way out of their punishment - they must be put to death. A tithe (a tenth) of the land, whether it is the seed of the land or fruit of the tree, belongs to God. If a man wants to redeem this tithe, he shall add a fifth part (20% interest) to the value of the crop. God also claims a tithe of all herds, flocks, and livestock, and a person is not to search for animals that are good or bad, nor can he change the deal or redeem these animals. These are the commandments that God gave to Moses upon Mount Sinai. |
| Thoughts: | This final chapter of Leviticus starts off troubling as God places a monetary value upon the people of Israel according to their sex and age. Men 20-60 years of age are worth the most at 50 shekels, but women of the same age group are less important and therefore priced at 30 shekels. Boys aged 5-20 years are worth 20 shekels, while girls are only worth half that. Old men of 60 or older are worth 15 shekels, and old women are worth 10 shekels - the same price as girls 5-20. Babies aren't really worth too much coming in around 5 shekels for boys 1 month to 5 years old, and 3 shekels for girls. Fetuses and infants under a month old aren't worth anything apparently. It's unclear how often these "taxes" are to be paid to the church, or they're simply a one time fee - but it seems that at the very least these fines are to be paid at least every time a person ages into the next "tax bracket". Peeking ahead to Numbers Chapter 1, we find that there's 603,550 men from the ages of 20 to 60 counted in the census. If we assume that 50 shekels might be even as little as one U.S. Dollar, the tabernacle would collect over half a million dollars just on the men alone(!) Assuming that there's just as many women, that would push the church's coffers up just short of a million bucks - and that's not adding the elderly, the children, and toddlers(!) It's probably safer to assume that 50 shekels was probably worth more to the bronze age Hebrews than one lousy U.S. dollar in 2009 AD, but even at a conservative estimate, that's a LOT of money lining the church's pockets - and would appear to be a "mandatory" fee by God unless you wished to suffer the wrath of breaking any of his "laws". Next God moves on to animal sacrifices and states that the deal isn't to be altered. If you have to bring an ox to be sacrificed, you can't haggle to bring in another ox of lesser value or else God's going to take them both and make you slaughter both animals. If a person tries to sacrifice an "unclean" animal, then the priest can place a value on the animal, and the person can pay that monetary value instead - as "unclean" animals are not fit for sacrificing to God. God's rather picky about which animal's blood is fit to paint the altar in the tabernacle with. If somebody changes their minds about sacrificing an animal, they can pay the priest the full value - plus twenty percent interest tacked on - instead of slaughtering the animal. God now lays out his plans for people donating land and houses to the church. Priests will estimate the value of a house, and if the person wants to redeem it he'll have to pay the full value plus twenty percent interest if he wants it back. If somebody donates land to the church, a priest will have to form an estimated value based upon how many crops the land can yield. If it's donated in the "Year of Jubilee", the full value of 50 shekels per each ten bushels of yield will stand, otherwise the value will be less depending on on how many years are left until the next "Year of Jubilee". If a man wants to buy the land back from the priests, he'll have to pay the full price plus twenty per cent interest before the next "Year of Jubilee" - unless he sells it to someone else. If he doesn't redeem it before the next "Year of Jubilee", then it will permanently belong to the church. If a man donates a field that he's bought, but isn't part of his family's land, then the priest will determine its worth again by the years until the next "Year of Jubilee", but upon the next "Year of Jubilee" the land will go back to the original owner. Firstborn oxen and sheep cannot be "sanctified", as God has already laid claim on their ownership. If someone donates an "unclean" animal and wants to redeem it, he'll have to pay the full estimated price plus twenty percent interest. Otherwise the priest can sell the animal to another person for just the estimated amount. Nothing that has been deemed a mandatory sacrifice to God can be redeemed - this includes anyone sentenced to death by God's laws. You can't buy your way out of a capital punishment by paying 60 shekels (50 shekels + 20% interest). By default God lays a claim on a tenth of everybody's crops, but these can be redeemed (bought back) by paying the full price plus twenty percent interest. God also claims a tenth of everyone's livestock, but unlike crops, these cannot be "bought back" from God - you've got to sacrifice them. Once again, much like my thoughts on Leviticus Chapter 23 it seems quite suspect how much being a priest seems to be financially beneficial. Basically, priests get free food from a variety of grain and animal sacrifices, they reap over 30 million shekels simply from the male population aged 20-60 years old, and a tenth of everyone's crops and livestock by default. When we tally up a lot of suspicious factors, like that no one is allowed to climb up Mount Sinai while Moses is chatting away with God, the massive amount of food and financial benefits the priests acquire, and that for some reason only members of Aaron's family get to be priests in the first place, it raises the question that if there's any truth behind the events portrayed in the bible, that it's not unreasonable to perhaps suspect that Moses and Aaron might have been making a lot of these rules themselves for their own benefit. It's certainly a more logical conclusion than attributing these "rules" and commandments to a supernatural being who really doesn't benefit in any real sense by collecting 50 shekels of silver per every male citizen between 20 and 60 years of age. |
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
LEVITICUS: Chapter 23
| Chapter 23 | |
| Summary: | God speaks to Moses, with laws for the people of Israel concerning his "holy feasts". God begins by restating the sabbath again - that six days of work are to be done, and that the seventh is a day of rest in which no work is to be done. He follows this up with listing some "holy feasts" that are to be observed each year.
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month *, when the people are done harvesting the fruit of the land, the people must keep God's feast for seven days - on the first and eighth days, there shall be an observed sabbath. On the first day the people are to take boughs of fruit trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and the people shall rejoice before God for seven days. This seven day annual event is a permanent statute to be followed forever through future generations in the seventh month (meaning September, in our modern calendar). All of the people who are native Israelis are to live in "booths" (tents, or simple shelters) for these seven days. God claims that this will serve as a reminder to the people of Israel of how God brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and made them live in "booths". And so Moses announced these festivals - God's feasts - to the people of Israel. |
| Notes: | 1.) Approximately late March in our current calendar. 2.) Another example of the mystical significance of the number 7 in the bible. 3.) Approximately mid-September in our current calendar. 4.) Approximately September 30th in our current calendar. |
| Thoughts: | God now gives Moses a list of mandatory "festivals" for the people of Israel to "celebrate" - and if you guessed correctly, God's definition of "celebrate" in this sense calls for yet even more animal sacrificing. Before God begins his list, he makes sure to restate yet again that the normal sabbaths are to be upheld weekly, and that absolutely no work is to be done on the seventh day - it is a day of rest. He then begins to list his annual "festivals", beginning with restating the celebration of Passover, which he outlined in Exodus: Chapter 12. He follows this up with restating the "Festival of Unleavened Bread", celebrated the day after Passover, in which the people have to eat bread made without yeast for the following seven days. The first and last days in this festival are sabbaths in which no work is to be done. Next up is the "Festival of First Fruits" in which the people of Israel, after reaching the "promised land" must bring the first of the crops from their fruit trees and bring them to the tabernacle. The priests will wave the fruit in the air, thereby symbolically "giving them to God" as a gift. However, your first fruit crop is not enough, you must also bring God a yearling lamb for a "burnt offering", a tenth of a bushel of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil, and three pints of wine(!) Setting all of this stuff on fire on the altar is a "sweet savor" to God. The people of Israel are not to eat any of their crops (apparently of any kind) until they've offered up this sacrifice to God. This is a permanent law to be followed by the people forever, and wherever they may reside. Fifty days later the real fun begins with the "Festival of Pentecost". Not only will you have to bring a sample of your newly harvested grains and crops for God, you'll have to tack on two loaves of bread - made from fine flour and made with yeast, a total of ten sacrificial animals (including seven lambs, two rams, and a bull) for ten "burnt offerings", and another three pints of wine for God to wash everything down with. This sacrifice of ten animals, samples of your finest crops, two loaves of bread, and three pints of wine seems a bit suspect for God's appetite - but we're not done yet. In addition to all this food that God wants, he also wants you tack on a goat and two more lambs for mandatory "sin offerings" and "peace offerings". Not surprisingly the priests get to keep all these foods for themselves, making one wonder if at least these parts (if not all) of the book of Leviticus were written by some greedy priests. Obviously, I don't believe the bible is the work of a supernatural being, and as it is obviously placing a lot of power and perks into the pockets of priests, it is reasonable to suspect that people seeking to govern a tribe of people - as priests - certainly have a strong motive to command these "permanent" festivals of massive amounts of animal meats, bread, crops, and wine going into the coffers of the priests working in the tabernacle. Even if we can get past the lack of evidence supporting the assertion that a magical diety wrote or inspired the bible and assume that it is a plausible assertation, what is to say that priests might not have tacked on some of their own additions to these "laws" to benefit themselves? Continuing on with the "Festival of Pentecost", God tacks on that this "feast" (for the priest) will also be observed as another sabbath day - where no work is to be done. This is yet another permanent law to followed by all future generations. God also tacks on one of his "good laws" from Leviticus: Chapter 19 about leaving behind some of your crops for the poor and for those traveling through. Next up is God's "Festival of Trumpets" in which the people are to observe a memorial day of sabbath - by means of blowing trumpets - in the middle of September. Again, no one is to do any work on this day, and they have to make another "sacrifice by fire". Nine days later (in the evening and until the following evening), the next "festival" is the "Day of Atonement" calling for yet another "sacrifice by fire". Again, this is a sabbath, so no working for the people of Israel. This is backed by the threat of excommunication if someone doesn't atone themselves with a sacrifice, and the threat of death if they're caught working on this day. It is another permanent law. Finally, five days after the "Day of Atonement", we have the "Festival of Tabernacles" where God makes the people of Israel live in tents for the next week - to remind them of their Exodus in the desert (which currently we're still reading about in the book of Leviticus - we have yet to reach the "promised land"). The first day and the eighth(?) day are again sabbath days, and during each of the seven days (as well as the mysterious eighth day) yet more sacrifices by fire are to be made. All of these festivals are to be observed in addition to the regular sabbaths and animal sacrifices made either by freewill or by God's insistence for "sinning". God interjects another rule about the first day of the "Festival of Tabernacles", that the people are to gather the boughs of their fruit trees, palm tree branches, boughs of thick trees, and willows, and rejoice before God for the following seven days. Again, this is another permanent law to be followed for all future generations. |
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
LEVITICUS: Chapters 11 & 12
| Chapter 11 | |
| Summary: | God now tells Aaron and Moses that the people of Israel may eat any animal that has cloven hooves and chews its cud, and gives them a list of animals that may not be eaten:
As for fish, God proclaims that anything with fins and scales, whether coming from rivers or the sea, are fine to eat, but that anything else in the water is an abomination. You mustn't eat the meat or touch the carcass of any water creature without fins and scales, they are abominations. As for birds that God doesn't want eaten (as they are abominations too):
God also considers a person defiled who has touched the carcass of any animal with semi-parted hooves, or any animal that does not chew the cud. Any animal that walks on paws is forbidden as food, and will also defile anyone (until the evening) who touches their dead bodies. Again, the person must also wash their clothes immediately as they are considered unclean. Also forbidden and unclean are small animals which creep along the ground:
If an unclean animal carcass comes into contact with a pottery bowl, anything in the bowl is defiled and the bowl itself must be smashed. If the water used to cleanse a defiled and unclean item touches any food or drink, all of it is considered defiled, unclean, and contaminated. If the carcass of an unclean animal touches any clay oven, it is defiled and must be smashed. However, if the carcass of an unclean animal falls into a spring or cistern where there is water, the water is not considered to be defiled - but anyone who pulls out the carcass is defiled. If the unclean carcass touches grain that is to be sowed in the field, it is not contaminated; but if the seeds are wet and the unclean carcass falls upon it, then the seed has been defiled. If any animal which is permitted to be eaten dies (presumably by natural cause or disease) anyone who touches the carcass will also be unclean until the evening. Anyone eating the meat of such an animal, or carrying away its carcass must wash their clothes and is considered defiled and unclean until the evening. Every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth is an abomination and must not be eaten. Animals that crawl their bellies, creep along an all four, or has many feet shall not be eaten, as they are abominations. Any person who touches such an abomination will become an abomination themselves, and will be considered defiled and unclean. God reminds the people of Israel that it was he who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and therefore they must remain "holy", as God himself is "holy"; therefore they are not to defile themselves by touching any of these animals that creep along the earth. God says that these are his distinctions between the clean and the unclean, and the beasts that may or may not be eaten. |
| Notes: | 1.) Neither the coney (rock badger) or the hare are ruminants ("cud chewing animals"), they don't have a fore-stomach to produce cud. 2.) The bat is misclassified here as a bird, when it is instead a mammal. |
| Thoughts: | God begins listing off animals that are not allowed to be eaten. Bothersome is the fact that he misclassifies both the coney (or rock badger) and the hare as ruminants (those animals which have fore-stomachs and produce cud) as his reasoning for being prohibited for food. Both animals would be prohibited for food by God's other stipulations (the both for not having cloven hooves), but very strangely, the supposed creator of these animals clearly classifies these animals as ruminants when neither of them are. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a ruminant is defined as: 1 adj. (1): chewing the cudAlthough the "rock badger" and the hare are both herbivores, they do not have the complex stomach systems that produce cud and it seems very suspicious that the apparent creator of the universe would be somehow unaware of this, specifically labeling both animals as ruminants when they very clearly are not. It seems far more likely that primitive bronze age men who actually wrote the bible probably mistakenly assumed that both the rock badger and the hare were ruminants due to their herbivore diets. God not only continues to list the animals that he doesn't want people eating, but goes one step further labeling such animals as abominations. Anyone who touches the carcasses of any said abominations is to be considered contaminated and unclean until the evening. Why everything resets itself at the evening is unclear and a bit puzzling, but this is apparently God's law. Also, unclean people who either touch or eat the carcasses of animals that are considered abominations to God have to wash their clothes immediately. Why one must wash their clothes for eating an "unclean" animal is a bit puzzling unless perhaps they're a sloppy eater. God however does say it's perfectly okay to eat locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets if you're really hungry for them - as jumping insects are okay - but that any other insects with wings and/or four feet(?!) are abominations as well. Seafood that has fins and/or scales are okay, but everything else that lives in the water are abominations as well. God also lists a rather extensive list of birds that are also considered abominations as well; humorously amongst his list of birds is the bat, which is probably misclassified simply due to the Hebrew language classifying any winged flying animal as a "bird". If the carcass of an animal falls into your plates, bowls, dishes, or ovens, God says you'll have to destroy those items, but if it falls onto your rug, any wooden item, clothes, or even a sack you can toss the defiled item into the wash overnight to decontaminate and save the item. However, dead carcasses of animals considered to be abominations won't pollute your water supply or your grains, but might contaminate your grain seeds if they happen to be wet. Also fishing the dead carcass out of the spring will still contaminate you. God finishes off his list with all the creepy crawlies such as reptiles and multi-legged creatures, declaring them to be abominations too. |
| Chapter 12 | |
| Summary: | God gives Moses some more laws for the people of Israel, this time concerning childbirth. Whenever a baby boy is born, the mother shall be considered "ceremonially defiled" for seven days, and under the same "restrictions" as she would be during her monthly periods. On the eighth day, her son must be circumcised. For the following thirty three days she shall not touch anything "sacred", nor enter the tabernacle, until she is no longer "ceremonially impure". When a baby girl is born, the mother's "ceremonial impurity" will last two weeks (instead of one as in the case of a baby boy). For the next sixty six days she will not be allowed to touch anything sacred, nor enter the tabernacle, until she is no longer "ceremonially impure". After the mother's thirty three or sixty six days of "purification" she must bring a yearling lamb as a "burnt offering", and a young pigeon or turtledove as a "sin offering". She must take them to the door of the tabernacle where the priest will slaughter them before God in atonement for her "sin" of childbirth, then she will be "ceremonially clean" again. If she is too poor to afford a lamb, the mother must bring either two turtledoves or two young pigeons for her "burnt offering" and "sin offering" instead. The priest will make atonement for her with these animal sacrifices so that she may be "ceremonially pure" again. |
| Thoughts: | God packs a large dose of misogyny into a rather short chapter in the book of Leviticus. In this chapter God deems child birth as being sinful and unclean and lays down the law about how to punish new mothers. Mothers giving birth to a male child are considered to be "unclean" for seven days and must be "purified" for the next thirty three days. During these forty days, she's not allowed to touch anything "sacred" nor is she allowed in the tabernacle. God furthers his sexism by doubling the mother's punishment for giving birth to a female child - hence the mother is considered "unclean" for fourteen days and that she must be purified for the next sixty six days. During these eighty days, she's not allowed to touch anything "sacred" nor is she allowed in the tabernacle. After her forty or eighty day punishment, she is then to take some animals to the tabernacle for some good old animal sacrificing to atone for the sin of giving birth to a child. Preferably God wants a bird (either a young pigeon or turtledove) and a lamb, but if the offending mother is too poor to buy a lamb, then two birds will do. It's hard for me to fathom how anyone can justify the blatant misogyny and sexism laid out here in this chapter, how simply giving birth is considered sinful by any means, why giving birth to a female is more sinful than having a son, and why fathers are notably absent from punishment as they are the cause behind the mother's "sin". There just simply is no way to chalk this up to anything but rampant sexism by either God, or more aptly the human authors of the bible. There is absolutely nothing "sinful" or bad about a woman giving birth, and moreover there isn't anything "worse" about having a daughter as opposed to having a son. Being concerned about a new mother touching something considered "sacred" or entering a tabernacle before her forty or eighty days are up is asinine - period. There simply is no way to justify the sexism laid out here in the bible by any means. |
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