First, we have no idea who wrote these stories and where they got their information. No other bible authors tell a story of Jesus's birth, not even Paul, who was the most prolific writer before the gospel accounts came along. There is no historical corroboration, except for the existence of Herod and Quirinius with his census, but they were ten years apart. We can see that Matthew and Luke have two very different stories with different casts of characters. In Matthew, Mary has a very minor role, merely birthing Jesus. In Luke, she takes a significant part in the story with dialogue. There she becomes "blessed."
Naturally, a virgin conception of a male child appears to be an impossibility to us today. In that time, the microscopic mechanics of reproduction were not known. It was believed that the male "planted the seed" that would become a child. The woman's womb was the fertile, or barren, ground in which the seed grew. God was responsible for making the woman fertile or barren. If she was barren, she was in disgrace. Ultimately, the child belonged to the father, not the mother. Supposedly, the Holy Spirit was Jesus's father.
That a child should be concieved by a male God with a human mother was not a surprising thing in the first century. We can recall our school literature classes where we learned about ancient mythology and abundance of male gods who impregnated beautiful young women and had "special" children. Zeus alone was notorious. Here are some links to peruse:
Son of God
Demigod
List of demigods
Zeus's offspring
To read a fuller critique of Jesus and his life as recorded in the bible, I recommend The Christ by John E. Remsberg, found here.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
The Nativity part 6- the miraculous conception
Well. I'm sure we all know how babies get started inside their mother's womb, but just in case, I'll refresh your memory. First there is a human woman of childbearing years who has functioning ovaries which release an egg once a month. Then there must be a human male of appropriate age who has functioning testicles which can release enough sperm to fertilize an ocean of eggs, should they become available. Then the male and female must have sexual relations so that at least one sperm can make its way to the one egg that has been released from the woman's ovary and is only available to be fertilized during a short window of time, perhaps a few days. Then the woman becomes pregnant.
The obvious question is "How was Jesus concieved?" Matthew only tells us Mary was found with child by the Holy Spirit. Luke, however, tells us that the Holy Spirit will "overshadow" Mary. What does that mean? Did the Holy Spirit have sex with her? We are told in both books that Mary was a virgin when she concieved Jesus, and that she had not had sex with a man. I guess the Holy Spirit doesn't count.
Seriously, there are only three options here: 1. One of Mary's eggs was caused to spontaneously reproduce without sperm from the Holy Spirit. 2. The Holy Spirit had sperm. 3. The elementary cluster of cells that would become Jesus just miraculously poofed into existence, with the help of the Holy Spirit, but without Mary's egg. Let's look at each option.
1. If one of Mary's eggs spontaneously reproduced without any human sperm, Jesus would have been Mary's clone and a female. Most males have a Y chromosome which they get from their sperm donor father. It seems that this is out of the question.
2. If the Holy Spirit had sperm, how was it delivered? Does the Holy Spirit have other male apparatus? Sperm have genetic information provided by the human parent. The Holy Spirit is not human, does he have genes? Did the Holy Spirit provide Jesus's Y chromosome? (Assuming Jesus was a typical male.) Would Jesus have been fully human if part of his DNA came from the Holy Spirit who is not human? What genes for eye color, hair color, and height did the Holy Spirit contribute to Jesus? This option is confusing and disturbing on many levels.
3. If the cells that would become Jesus just miraculously appeared in Mary's womb, Jesus would not have been her child at all. She would just have been a surrogate mother. Since there would have been no human egg or sperm, Jesus would not have been a human related to anyone on earth, but some kind of brand new person with unique genetics. Or maybe he wasn't human and didn't need all that microscopic stuff inside to determine his physical makeup. Maybe he was a kind of illusion performed by God.
Oh, wait! He was God. The God of the universe put himself inside a woman's womb for nine months, then acted like a regular human for another thirty years or so, and just let the rest of the world carry on by itself. Maybe that's why there were so many demons around by the time Jesus was grown. When the cat's away, the mice will play.
The obvious question is "How was Jesus concieved?" Matthew only tells us Mary was found with child by the Holy Spirit. Luke, however, tells us that the Holy Spirit will "overshadow" Mary. What does that mean? Did the Holy Spirit have sex with her? We are told in both books that Mary was a virgin when she concieved Jesus, and that she had not had sex with a man. I guess the Holy Spirit doesn't count.
Seriously, there are only three options here: 1. One of Mary's eggs was caused to spontaneously reproduce without sperm from the Holy Spirit. 2. The Holy Spirit had sperm. 3. The elementary cluster of cells that would become Jesus just miraculously poofed into existence, with the help of the Holy Spirit, but without Mary's egg. Let's look at each option.
1. If one of Mary's eggs spontaneously reproduced without any human sperm, Jesus would have been Mary's clone and a female. Most males have a Y chromosome which they get from their sperm donor father. It seems that this is out of the question.
2. If the Holy Spirit had sperm, how was it delivered? Does the Holy Spirit have other male apparatus? Sperm have genetic information provided by the human parent. The Holy Spirit is not human, does he have genes? Did the Holy Spirit provide Jesus's Y chromosome? (Assuming Jesus was a typical male.) Would Jesus have been fully human if part of his DNA came from the Holy Spirit who is not human? What genes for eye color, hair color, and height did the Holy Spirit contribute to Jesus? This option is confusing and disturbing on many levels.
3. If the cells that would become Jesus just miraculously appeared in Mary's womb, Jesus would not have been her child at all. She would just have been a surrogate mother. Since there would have been no human egg or sperm, Jesus would not have been a human related to anyone on earth, but some kind of brand new person with unique genetics. Or maybe he wasn't human and didn't need all that microscopic stuff inside to determine his physical makeup. Maybe he was a kind of illusion performed by God.
Oh, wait! He was God. The God of the universe put himself inside a woman's womb for nine months, then acted like a regular human for another thirty years or so, and just let the rest of the world carry on by itself. Maybe that's why there were so many demons around by the time Jesus was grown. When the cat's away, the mice will play.
The Nativity part 5- summary of Luke's story with comments.
Luke:
First we have two very similar stories. The angel Gabriel visits Zachariah; says,"do not be afraid;" tells him he will have a son; tells him what to name his son; tells him his son will be great; Zachariah questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives him a sign- muteness, no one else saw the angel, his wife says Yahewh has done this for her. (Technically, it was her husband.)
Then, the angel Gabriel visits Mary; he says," do not be afraid;" tells her she will have a son, tells her what to name her son, tells her that her son will be great, Mary questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives her a sign- Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy, no one else saw the angel, Mary declares herself to be the lord's servant. Mary saying she was a servant may have been deliberate. A woman could have both a master and a husband, if she was a slave. The child would belong to the master, no matter who had fathered it. So, we have one very old barren woman, and one very young unwed woman, both pregnant. It must be a miracle, right? Unless someone lied, stretched the truth, or made up the stories.
Next, Mary goes to the hill country of Judea all the way from Nazareth, to visit Elizabeth, at least a several days journey on foot. Alone? Not likely. To put it bluntly, she might not have remained a virgin if she travelled alone. When she gets to Elizabeth's house, Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when Mary greeted her. Is it unusual for a six month old fetus to be very active inside his mother? No. Nevertheless, this was seen as a sign that what was predicted was true. Then Mary breaks out in song/poetry, praising God. Mary stays for three months, presumably till the birth of John. Baby John is born and circumcised on the eighth day. Then Zachariah beaks out in song/poetry praising God.
Now, supposedly Mary had returned home to Nazareth and we have what feels like another story, starting in chapter two. It takes place during the census of Quirinius, which was 6 C.E. Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census because he belonged to the line of David, which the Romans would not have cared about. Plus, the Census takers travelled to where the people were, not the other way around. The story does not say at what point in Mary's pregnancy they were supposed to have travelled, but it would be incredible to think of a woman making an eighty mile trip on foot or the back of a donkey, at nine months pregnant. Only a man would think such a thing was reasonable. Anyway, the baby was born, and placed in a manger,because there was no room in the inn. Some christian scholars think "inn" should say " upper room." I think it doesn't really matter, if the likelihood that it actually happened is slim.
Then we have shepherds in the fields at night which tells us it probably wasn't winter. They saw angels who told them about Jesus and praised God. The shepherds left the sheep that were in their care to go find Jesus who they were told was the christ. After they found the baby, they went back to their sheep. On the eighth day Jesus was circumcised, after the fortieth day he was taken to the temple to be presented as a first born son. Then his parents had encounters with Simeon and Anna, who seemed to have expected him.
In this story we have no Magi, no star, no Massacre of the innocents, and no trip to Egypt.
Edited.
First we have two very similar stories. The angel Gabriel visits Zachariah; says,"do not be afraid;" tells him he will have a son; tells him what to name his son; tells him his son will be great; Zachariah questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives him a sign- muteness, no one else saw the angel, his wife says Yahewh has done this for her. (Technically, it was her husband.)
Then, the angel Gabriel visits Mary; he says," do not be afraid;" tells her she will have a son, tells her what to name her son, tells her that her son will be great, Mary questions this on physical grounds, the angel gives her a sign- Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy, no one else saw the angel, Mary declares herself to be the lord's servant. Mary saying she was a servant may have been deliberate. A woman could have both a master and a husband, if she was a slave. The child would belong to the master, no matter who had fathered it. So, we have one very old barren woman, and one very young unwed woman, both pregnant. It must be a miracle, right? Unless someone lied, stretched the truth, or made up the stories.
Next, Mary goes to the hill country of Judea all the way from Nazareth, to visit Elizabeth, at least a several days journey on foot. Alone? Not likely. To put it bluntly, she might not have remained a virgin if she travelled alone. When she gets to Elizabeth's house, Elizabeth's baby leapt in her womb when Mary greeted her. Is it unusual for a six month old fetus to be very active inside his mother? No. Nevertheless, this was seen as a sign that what was predicted was true. Then Mary breaks out in song/poetry, praising God. Mary stays for three months, presumably till the birth of John. Baby John is born and circumcised on the eighth day. Then Zachariah beaks out in song/poetry praising God.
Now, supposedly Mary had returned home to Nazareth and we have what feels like another story, starting in chapter two. It takes place during the census of Quirinius, which was 6 C.E. Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the census because he belonged to the line of David, which the Romans would not have cared about. Plus, the Census takers travelled to where the people were, not the other way around. The story does not say at what point in Mary's pregnancy they were supposed to have travelled, but it would be incredible to think of a woman making an eighty mile trip on foot or the back of a donkey, at nine months pregnant. Only a man would think such a thing was reasonable. Anyway, the baby was born, and placed in a manger,because there was no room in the inn. Some christian scholars think "inn" should say " upper room." I think it doesn't really matter, if the likelihood that it actually happened is slim.
Then we have shepherds in the fields at night which tells us it probably wasn't winter. They saw angels who told them about Jesus and praised God. The shepherds left the sheep that were in their care to go find Jesus who they were told was the christ. After they found the baby, they went back to their sheep. On the eighth day Jesus was circumcised, after the fortieth day he was taken to the temple to be presented as a first born son. Then his parents had encounters with Simeon and Anna, who seemed to have expected him.
In this story we have no Magi, no star, no Massacre of the innocents, and no trip to Egypt.
Edited.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The Nativity part 4- summary of Matthew with comments.
Matthew:
Joseph discovers his fiancée is pregnant with someone else's child and decides to break off the engagement without a fuss. Then he has a dream (he would be the only one who would know the actual content of his dreams. No witnesses.)of an angel telling him the father of the baby is the Holy Spirit and he should marry Mary anyway. The angel supposedly told him to name the baby Jesus. Joseph married Mary, but they didn't sleep together till after the baby was born. (We are told this to assure us the child was not Joseph's, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. )
Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod. During that time, some magi from the east went to Herod and asked him where they could find the king of the Jews. They saw his star* and wanted to worship him. (These are Zoroastrians, not Yahweh worshippers, yet they are taken seriously by Jews?) Herod was troubled by this question and asked the religious leaders where the christ was supposed to be born. They said Bethlehem. Herod told the magi and asked them to report back if they found him. Luckily, the star was going in that direction, so they followed it to the house where Jesus and his mother were. They worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They went home, instead of reporting back to Herod, because they had been warned in a dream.
Joseph has another dream of an angel, telling him to go to Egypt, because Herod was going to try to find and kill Jesus. Herod gave orders for all the baby boys, in and around Bethlehem to be killed. (There is no historical record of this.) After Herod died, Joseph had another dream telling him to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel. When they got there and heard Herod's son was ruling in Judea, where they had come from, they were afraid. Another dream told him to go live in Nazareth of Galilee. (Those dreams were very helpful.)
What do we not find in this story:
-Zachariah, Elizabeth and the birth of John
-Mary being visited by Gabriel
-Mary visiting Elizabeth
-Mary speaking/ singing
-Mary and Joseph being previous residents of Nazareth
-A census and Quirinius as governor (He replaced Herod's son)
-A manger
-Shepherds with Angels
-The circumcision of Jesus and the presentation of him at at the temple
-Simeon and Anna
-Anything supported by the contemporary history of that time, except place names, Herod, and his son.
*The people of that time made a habit of studying the stars and keeping records of unusual things in the sky. There is no historical record of such a star appearing in the time frame required. Plus, stars are so far away, no one could tell if one was directly over a particular house, and they don't stop, start, and move freely.
Edited.
Joseph discovers his fiancée is pregnant with someone else's child and decides to break off the engagement without a fuss. Then he has a dream (he would be the only one who would know the actual content of his dreams. No witnesses.)of an angel telling him the father of the baby is the Holy Spirit and he should marry Mary anyway. The angel supposedly told him to name the baby Jesus. Joseph married Mary, but they didn't sleep together till after the baby was born. (We are told this to assure us the child was not Joseph's, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. )
Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod. During that time, some magi from the east went to Herod and asked him where they could find the king of the Jews. They saw his star* and wanted to worship him. (These are Zoroastrians, not Yahweh worshippers, yet they are taken seriously by Jews?) Herod was troubled by this question and asked the religious leaders where the christ was supposed to be born. They said Bethlehem. Herod told the magi and asked them to report back if they found him. Luckily, the star was going in that direction, so they followed it to the house where Jesus and his mother were. They worshipped Jesus and gave him gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They went home, instead of reporting back to Herod, because they had been warned in a dream.
Joseph has another dream of an angel, telling him to go to Egypt, because Herod was going to try to find and kill Jesus. Herod gave orders for all the baby boys, in and around Bethlehem to be killed. (There is no historical record of this.) After Herod died, Joseph had another dream telling him to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel. When they got there and heard Herod's son was ruling in Judea, where they had come from, they were afraid. Another dream told him to go live in Nazareth of Galilee. (Those dreams were very helpful.)
What do we not find in this story:
-Zachariah, Elizabeth and the birth of John
-Mary being visited by Gabriel
-Mary visiting Elizabeth
-Mary speaking/ singing
-Mary and Joseph being previous residents of Nazareth
-A census and Quirinius as governor (He replaced Herod's son)
-A manger
-Shepherds with Angels
-The circumcision of Jesus and the presentation of him at at the temple
-Simeon and Anna
-Anything supported by the contemporary history of that time, except place names, Herod, and his son.
*The people of that time made a habit of studying the stars and keeping records of unusual things in the sky. There is no historical record of such a star appearing in the time frame required. Plus, stars are so far away, no one could tell if one was directly over a particular house, and they don't stop, start, and move freely.
Edited.
The Nativity part 3- the main characters
In order of appearance:
Matthew-
*Joseph- son of Jacob, the 39th generation descendant of Abraham through David, a righteous man, saw an angel in his dreams.
*Mary- virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.
*Jesus-Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit, 40th generation from Abraham though not related, born in Bethlehem, prophesy said he was to be called Immanuel but he was named Jesus.
*An angel of the lord-unknown name, appears to Joseph in dreams, does not appear to anyone else.
*King Herod-worried about his position as King of the Jews, murdered children.
*Magi- from the east, possibly Zoroastrian astrologers, found Jesus in a house and gave him presents, outsmarted Herod.
*The chief priests and teachers of the law-Jews that Herod consulted about the Christ.
Luke-
*King Herod- King of Judea, no other info.
*Zachariah- a priest of the division of Abijah, upright, blameless, father of John, prophesied his son would be a prophet.
*Elizabeth- older cousin of Mary, mother of John, lives in a Judean hill country town, possibly Bethlehem, upright, blameless.
*An angel of the lord (Gabriel)-appears in person to Zachariah in the temple and to Mary in Nazareth, to announce that each of them would have a son and foretold the greatness of John and Jesus,told Mary to name her child Jesus, brought news of Jesus's birth to shepherds.
*Joseph-from Nazareth, a descendant of David, son of Heli (3:23), 55 generations from Abraham, 85 generations from Adam.
*Mary-lives in Nazareth, a virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit which caused her to be pregnant, sang a poetic/ prophetic song.
*John (the baptist)- son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, circumcised on the eighth day, his father's prophesy said he would become a prophet.
*Caesar Augustus- emperor of Rome, issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire roman world.
*Quirinius- governor of Syria during the census.
*Jesus- conceived by the Holy Spirit, born in Bethlehem, slept in a manger, circumcised on the eighth day, Gabriel prophesied he would be called the son of the most high and would reign on the throne of David, his kingdom would never end, 56 generations from Abraham, 86 generations from Adam.
*Shepherds-living in the fields watching their flocks, given a message by an angel, saw more Angels praising God, saw Jesus in the manger.
*More Angels- praised God.
*Simeon-righteous, devout, told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the christ, saw Jesus and prophesied about Him.
*Anna- prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher, eighty for year old widow, lived in the temple fasting and praying, saw Jesus and prophesied about him.
We can see that beside Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel, Matthew and Luke have a completely different cast of characters. Plus, some details about the core characters differ.
Matthew-
*Joseph- son of Jacob, the 39th generation descendant of Abraham through David, a righteous man, saw an angel in his dreams.
*Mary- virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.
*Jesus-Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit, 40th generation from Abraham though not related, born in Bethlehem, prophesy said he was to be called Immanuel but he was named Jesus.
*An angel of the lord-unknown name, appears to Joseph in dreams, does not appear to anyone else.
*King Herod-worried about his position as King of the Jews, murdered children.
*Magi- from the east, possibly Zoroastrian astrologers, found Jesus in a house and gave him presents, outsmarted Herod.
*The chief priests and teachers of the law-Jews that Herod consulted about the Christ.
Luke-
*King Herod- King of Judea, no other info.
*Zachariah- a priest of the division of Abijah, upright, blameless, father of John, prophesied his son would be a prophet.
*Elizabeth- older cousin of Mary, mother of John, lives in a Judean hill country town, possibly Bethlehem, upright, blameless.
*An angel of the lord (Gabriel)-appears in person to Zachariah in the temple and to Mary in Nazareth, to announce that each of them would have a son and foretold the greatness of John and Jesus,told Mary to name her child Jesus, brought news of Jesus's birth to shepherds.
*Joseph-from Nazareth, a descendant of David, son of Heli (3:23), 55 generations from Abraham, 85 generations from Adam.
*Mary-lives in Nazareth, a virgin, pledged to marry Joseph, "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit which caused her to be pregnant, sang a poetic/ prophetic song.
*John (the baptist)- son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, circumcised on the eighth day, his father's prophesy said he would become a prophet.
*Caesar Augustus- emperor of Rome, issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire roman world.
*Quirinius- governor of Syria during the census.
*Jesus- conceived by the Holy Spirit, born in Bethlehem, slept in a manger, circumcised on the eighth day, Gabriel prophesied he would be called the son of the most high and would reign on the throne of David, his kingdom would never end, 56 generations from Abraham, 86 generations from Adam.
*Shepherds-living in the fields watching their flocks, given a message by an angel, saw more Angels praising God, saw Jesus in the manger.
*More Angels- praised God.
*Simeon-righteous, devout, told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he saw the christ, saw Jesus and prophesied about Him.
*Anna- prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher, eighty for year old widow, lived in the temple fasting and praying, saw Jesus and prophesied about him.
We can see that beside Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and an angel, Matthew and Luke have a completely different cast of characters. Plus, some details about the core characters differ.
Friday, December 18, 2015
The Nativity part 2- the setting
Question: When did the birth of Jesus take place?
Answer: It depends which story you are reading. Matthew says " during the time of King Herod." This Herod died approximately 4 B.C.E., so Jesus must have been born before then. According to the text, the baby could have been as much as two years old by the time Herod found out about him. ( chapter 2:16) This would mean Jesus could have been born around 6 B.C.E. Or even a year or two earlier. The text says Joseph and Mary took the child to Egypt and stayed there till Herod died. (2:14) We are not told how long that was.
The book of Luke starts off with the pregnancy of Mary's cousin Elizabeth,"In the time of King Herod." ( chapter 1:5) Six months later, Mary is pregnant with Jesus. (1:26). So far, so good. However, when we get to Jesus's birth, we are told it was when " Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." (2:1-3)
A problem arises because the historical records clearly show that Quirinius was not governor of Syria till 6 C.E., which is also when he began the census of the province of Judea. There was no Census of the entire Roman world at that time. Augustus taxed the citizens of Rome and the provinces in different ways. This would place Jesus's birth a decade after the death of Herod, who was supposedly alive when Jesus was conceived. Matthew's story does not mention Quirinius or a census.
Question: Where does the birth story take place?
Answer: Matthew's tale begins with the birth in Bethlehem of Judea, supposedly to fulfill Micah 5:2., which is a cryptic prophecy of a future ruler of Israel, similar to David. Then Jesus is taken to Egypt, supposedly to fulfill " Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Hosea 11:1) which is is merely a reference to the Exodus. After that, Jesus's family supposedly settles in Nazareth of Galilee to fulfill "he will be called a Nazarene," which is not an Old Testament prophecy at all. Plus, there is some question about whether a person living in Nazareth was called a Nazarene. Matthew does not mention travel to Bethlehem from Galilee with or without a 9 months pregnant Mary on a donkey. There is no mention of registering for a census, a barn or stable, or a trip to Jerusalem to be consecrated.
Luke's story begins with Mary being visited by Gabriel in Nazareth of Galilee. Mary then goes to a town in the hill country of Judea, where her cousin Elizabeth lived. Interestingly, Bethlehem was a town in the hill country of Judea. Mary stays three months, then returns home. Then Joseph also goes from Nazareth to Judea to register for the census with Mary, supposedly because he was from the house of David, but the Romans would not have cared who his jewish ancestors were. After Jesus's birth he was put to bed in a manger, but the text does not say he was born in a barn or stable. At least forty days after his birth, when Mary was ceremonially clean, Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated to the lord. After that Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth in Galilee. No mention is made of any side trip to Egypt or any prophecies.
Edited.
Answer: It depends which story you are reading. Matthew says " during the time of King Herod." This Herod died approximately 4 B.C.E., so Jesus must have been born before then. According to the text, the baby could have been as much as two years old by the time Herod found out about him. ( chapter 2:16) This would mean Jesus could have been born around 6 B.C.E. Or even a year or two earlier. The text says Joseph and Mary took the child to Egypt and stayed there till Herod died. (2:14) We are not told how long that was.
The book of Luke starts off with the pregnancy of Mary's cousin Elizabeth,"In the time of King Herod." ( chapter 1:5) Six months later, Mary is pregnant with Jesus. (1:26). So far, so good. However, when we get to Jesus's birth, we are told it was when " Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." (2:1-3)
A problem arises because the historical records clearly show that Quirinius was not governor of Syria till 6 C.E., which is also when he began the census of the province of Judea. There was no Census of the entire Roman world at that time. Augustus taxed the citizens of Rome and the provinces in different ways. This would place Jesus's birth a decade after the death of Herod, who was supposedly alive when Jesus was conceived. Matthew's story does not mention Quirinius or a census.
Question: Where does the birth story take place?
Answer: Matthew's tale begins with the birth in Bethlehem of Judea, supposedly to fulfill Micah 5:2., which is a cryptic prophecy of a future ruler of Israel, similar to David. Then Jesus is taken to Egypt, supposedly to fulfill " Out of Egypt I have called my son." (Hosea 11:1) which is is merely a reference to the Exodus. After that, Jesus's family supposedly settles in Nazareth of Galilee to fulfill "he will be called a Nazarene," which is not an Old Testament prophecy at all. Plus, there is some question about whether a person living in Nazareth was called a Nazarene. Matthew does not mention travel to Bethlehem from Galilee with or without a 9 months pregnant Mary on a donkey. There is no mention of registering for a census, a barn or stable, or a trip to Jerusalem to be consecrated.
Luke's story begins with Mary being visited by Gabriel in Nazareth of Galilee. Mary then goes to a town in the hill country of Judea, where her cousin Elizabeth lived. Interestingly, Bethlehem was a town in the hill country of Judea. Mary stays three months, then returns home. Then Joseph also goes from Nazareth to Judea to register for the census with Mary, supposedly because he was from the house of David, but the Romans would not have cared who his jewish ancestors were. After Jesus's birth he was put to bed in a manger, but the text does not say he was born in a barn or stable. At least forty days after his birth, when Mary was ceremonially clean, Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated to the lord. After that Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth in Galilee. No mention is made of any side trip to Egypt or any prophecies.
Edited.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
The Nativity part 1- the authors
The Nativity
The purpose of the next few articles will be to establish what can and can't be known about the birth of Jesus, by asking a series of simple questions that have fairly simple answers.
First, we will ask,"Where can we find reliable extrabiblical historical information about the birth of a first century male named Jesus who corresponds to the Jesus in the bible?"
Answer: nowhere. There is absolutely no known mention of his birth in the historical record outside the bible, contemporary with that time period.
Question: Where are the circumstances of his birth clearly recorded in the bible? (This does not include supposed prophesies.)
Answer: Only in two books, Matthew and Luke.
Question: Who wrote the books of Matthew and Luke?
Answer: No one knows. The authors are anonymous. The text makes no claim about their identity.
Question: Could either of the authors have been an eye witness to the events?
Answer: Not a chance. Not only do they not claim to have been there, Matthew and Luke would have been mere children themselves, or not even born yet, if they ever existed in the first place. This means we are getting Matthew's story second or third hand at best. In the case of the book of Luke, it would be third hand at the very least, and that's being generous.
Question: Do Matthew or Luke reveal the sources of their information?
Answer: No.
Question: When was the book of Matthew written?
Answer: Most scholars think it falls within 70-110 C.E. We will see that this means it was not written till at least 64-74years after the events supposedly took place, depending on which version you read. Plus it could have been written as much as 115 years after the events.
Question: When was the book of Luke written?
Answer: The probable dates are between 80-100 C.E. Time spans similar to the book of Matthew, between events and writing, apply.
Question: Do Matthew and Luke tell the same story?
Answer: (spoiler) NO. The stories are about the same three people, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but we will see that they differ in most of the details.
Question: Are Matthew and Luke reliable sources for the birth of Jesus?
Answer: You tell me. In today's world, would you accept a story of a virgin birth told third hand by an anonymous person, from an unknown original source, with no outside corroboration?
Question: Are there any extrabiblical accounts of the nativity?
Answer: There are some apocryphal gospels that contain accounts of Jesus birth, but they are usually considered unreliable, even by christians.
Edited.
The purpose of the next few articles will be to establish what can and can't be known about the birth of Jesus, by asking a series of simple questions that have fairly simple answers.
First, we will ask,"Where can we find reliable extrabiblical historical information about the birth of a first century male named Jesus who corresponds to the Jesus in the bible?"
Answer: nowhere. There is absolutely no known mention of his birth in the historical record outside the bible, contemporary with that time period.
Question: Where are the circumstances of his birth clearly recorded in the bible? (This does not include supposed prophesies.)
Answer: Only in two books, Matthew and Luke.
Question: Who wrote the books of Matthew and Luke?
Answer: No one knows. The authors are anonymous. The text makes no claim about their identity.
Question: Could either of the authors have been an eye witness to the events?
Answer: Not a chance. Not only do they not claim to have been there, Matthew and Luke would have been mere children themselves, or not even born yet, if they ever existed in the first place. This means we are getting Matthew's story second or third hand at best. In the case of the book of Luke, it would be third hand at the very least, and that's being generous.
Question: Do Matthew or Luke reveal the sources of their information?
Answer: No.
Question: When was the book of Matthew written?
Answer: Most scholars think it falls within 70-110 C.E. We will see that this means it was not written till at least 64-74years after the events supposedly took place, depending on which version you read. Plus it could have been written as much as 115 years after the events.
Question: When was the book of Luke written?
Answer: The probable dates are between 80-100 C.E. Time spans similar to the book of Matthew, between events and writing, apply.
Question: Do Matthew and Luke tell the same story?
Answer: (spoiler) NO. The stories are about the same three people, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but we will see that they differ in most of the details.
Question: Are Matthew and Luke reliable sources for the birth of Jesus?
Answer: You tell me. In today's world, would you accept a story of a virgin birth told third hand by an anonymous person, from an unknown original source, with no outside corroboration?
Question: Are there any extrabiblical accounts of the nativity?
Answer: There are some apocryphal gospels that contain accounts of Jesus birth, but they are usually considered unreliable, even by christians.
Edited.
Numbers wrap up
*In this book we learn nothing about heaven, hell, Angels, demons, the devil, life after death, or promise of a spiritual savior.
*We are told the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, but are almost told nothing about those intervening years, except the names of the camp sites. They supposedly moved an average of once a year. During that time, every adult who had been over twenty when the Israelites came out of Egypt died, except for Caleb and Joshua. Moses also hasn't died yet. Miriam and Aaron have.
*According to the numbers supposedly recorded, the number of fighting men in the group has only decreased by about a thousand over the forty years.The balance of the population of each tribe has shifted. The tribe of Levites remains small. The tribe of Judah Is the largest tribe. There are still well over a million Israelites travellling together, along with their substantial flocks and herds.
*The Levites are not required to fight. They have special duties and privileges that pretty much guarantee they are the wealthiest and best fed tribe in the group.
*There were a couple of protests and departures from absolute obedience to Yahweh that were dealt with swiftly and violently, usually by Yahweh or a priest.
*Speaking of herds of animals, apparently they were able to have enough water and food to maintain large flocks, in spite of claims that they themselves were starving and thirsty.
*Not one single event or individual mentioned in the Book of Numbers is corroborated in the current archaeological record. Many place names can be found, many more can not. To convict someone of murder you need the testimony of at least two eyewitnesses. To accept that the book of Numbers is the "word of God" you only need faith. The book does not say it was written by Moses or that it is the word of God.
We will move on to Deuteronomy after the 1st of January. Until then we will take a look at the birth of Jesus.
Edited.
*We are told the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, but are almost told nothing about those intervening years, except the names of the camp sites. They supposedly moved an average of once a year. During that time, every adult who had been over twenty when the Israelites came out of Egypt died, except for Caleb and Joshua. Moses also hasn't died yet. Miriam and Aaron have.
*According to the numbers supposedly recorded, the number of fighting men in the group has only decreased by about a thousand over the forty years.The balance of the population of each tribe has shifted. The tribe of Levites remains small. The tribe of Judah Is the largest tribe. There are still well over a million Israelites travellling together, along with their substantial flocks and herds.
*The Levites are not required to fight. They have special duties and privileges that pretty much guarantee they are the wealthiest and best fed tribe in the group.
*There were a couple of protests and departures from absolute obedience to Yahweh that were dealt with swiftly and violently, usually by Yahweh or a priest.
*Speaking of herds of animals, apparently they were able to have enough water and food to maintain large flocks, in spite of claims that they themselves were starving and thirsty.
*Not one single event or individual mentioned in the Book of Numbers is corroborated in the current archaeological record. Many place names can be found, many more can not. To convict someone of murder you need the testimony of at least two eyewitnesses. To accept that the book of Numbers is the "word of God" you only need faith. The book does not say it was written by Moses or that it is the word of God.
We will move on to Deuteronomy after the 1st of January. Until then we will take a look at the birth of Jesus.
Edited.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Numbers chapter 36
After reading Numbers chapter 36:
*Now we have arrived at the end of the book of Numbers. What wisdom do we find imparted here?
The inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters is at stake again. Their relatives are concerned that if the daughters marry men from other tribes, those tribes will get the ancestral wealth and property that the women bring, and their tribe of origin would lose out. So the previous instructions about the daughters' inheritance are revised and clarified. What Yahweh meant to say all along was they got to keep their inheritance as long as they married within their family tribe. The same goes for every other
Israelite woman. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another. So Zelophehad's daughters married their cousins.
The end.
*Now we have arrived at the end of the book of Numbers. What wisdom do we find imparted here?
The inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters is at stake again. Their relatives are concerned that if the daughters marry men from other tribes, those tribes will get the ancestral wealth and property that the women bring, and their tribe of origin would lose out. So the previous instructions about the daughters' inheritance are revised and clarified. What Yahweh meant to say all along was they got to keep their inheritance as long as they married within their family tribe. The same goes for every other
Israelite woman. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another. So Zelophehad's daughters married their cousins.
The end.
Numbers chapter 35
After reading chapter 35:
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that the Levites must be given their own towns in the promised land. They also get the surrounding land, 3,000 feet on each side of the town, for pasture. The Levites are to be given 48 towns in all. Six of them are to be cities of refuge, three on the east side of the Jordan, three on the west. The cities of refuge are places for Israelites and "foreigners" to hide in when they have accidentally killed someone and are waiting for trial. Otherwise, "the avenger" of the death may not let them live that long.
*At trial, a death is considered murder when it is caused by a blow with an iron object, a stone (except in the case of stoning ordered by God or the priests, of course.) or a lethal piece of wood. If the cause of death is shoving someone with malice a forethought, throwing something at a person with intent to harm, or hitting with fists, that is murder. Those who murder are to be put to death by "the avenger of blood" whenever he meets them.
*Suddenly shoving someone, unintentionally throwing something at someone, accidentally dropping a stone on someone, all done without hostility to a non- enemy are not considered murder. However that person is still in danger from the "avenger of blood", so the community must protect him by sending him back to the city of refuge in which he had been waiting before the trial. He has to stay there until the death of the current high priest. But if he leaves the city of refuge before the proper time, and the avenger finds him, he's toast. The avenger will not be guilty of murder if he kills the person, even if the person had been judged not guilty by the assembly. So, who is this avenger? Probably the nearest male relative. These are basically honor killings.
*In order for the assembly to judge someone a murderer, there must be at least two witnesses to the event. No one is to be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The murderer cannot be bought out of his death sentence. Even the person judged not guilty cannot be bought out of his term spent in the city of refuge before the death of the high priest. We also learn that bloodshed pollutes the land, and the only way to make the land happy again is to kill the person who did the killing, more bloodshed, go figure.
*So, use poison and don't let anyone see you. (You do realize this is a joke, right?)
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that the Levites must be given their own towns in the promised land. They also get the surrounding land, 3,000 feet on each side of the town, for pasture. The Levites are to be given 48 towns in all. Six of them are to be cities of refuge, three on the east side of the Jordan, three on the west. The cities of refuge are places for Israelites and "foreigners" to hide in when they have accidentally killed someone and are waiting for trial. Otherwise, "the avenger" of the death may not let them live that long.
*At trial, a death is considered murder when it is caused by a blow with an iron object, a stone (except in the case of stoning ordered by God or the priests, of course.) or a lethal piece of wood. If the cause of death is shoving someone with malice a forethought, throwing something at a person with intent to harm, or hitting with fists, that is murder. Those who murder are to be put to death by "the avenger of blood" whenever he meets them.
*Suddenly shoving someone, unintentionally throwing something at someone, accidentally dropping a stone on someone, all done without hostility to a non- enemy are not considered murder. However that person is still in danger from the "avenger of blood", so the community must protect him by sending him back to the city of refuge in which he had been waiting before the trial. He has to stay there until the death of the current high priest. But if he leaves the city of refuge before the proper time, and the avenger finds him, he's toast. The avenger will not be guilty of murder if he kills the person, even if the person had been judged not guilty by the assembly. So, who is this avenger? Probably the nearest male relative. These are basically honor killings.
*In order for the assembly to judge someone a murderer, there must be at least two witnesses to the event. No one is to be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The murderer cannot be bought out of his death sentence. Even the person judged not guilty cannot be bought out of his term spent in the city of refuge before the death of the high priest. We also learn that bloodshed pollutes the land, and the only way to make the land happy again is to kill the person who did the killing, more bloodshed, go figure.
*So, use poison and don't let anyone see you. (You do realize this is a joke, right?)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Numbers chapter 34
After reading chapter 34:
*This chapter delineates the borders of the land Yahweh is giving the Israelites. The wikipedia article on the promised land has maps that show where these borders would have been. Notice that the area of the promised land differs from that which yahweh promised to Abraham's descendants at the end of Genesis chater 15. There, the the northern border was the Euphrates and the southern border "the river of Egypt."
*After that, Moses says this land will be divided up among the remaining nine and a half tribes, after the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh get the land they requested on the east side of the Jordan. A leader was to be chosen from each of the nine and a half tribes, for the purpose of portioning out the "inheritance" of the Israelites.
*This chapter delineates the borders of the land Yahweh is giving the Israelites. The wikipedia article on the promised land has maps that show where these borders would have been. Notice that the area of the promised land differs from that which yahweh promised to Abraham's descendants at the end of Genesis chater 15. There, the the northern border was the Euphrates and the southern border "the river of Egypt."
*After that, Moses says this land will be divided up among the remaining nine and a half tribes, after the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh get the land they requested on the east side of the Jordan. A leader was to be chosen from each of the nine and a half tribes, for the purpose of portioning out the "inheritance" of the Israelites.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Numbers chapter 33
After reading chapter 33:
*The first part of the chapter is a record of all the travels and stops the Israelites made over the forty years of wandering. There were supposedly 42 separate camp sites, none of which left any evidence of well over a million people for modern archaeologists to find.
*In the second part, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that when they cross the Jordan into canaan they are to destroy all the Canaanite idols, of stone and metal. They are to also destroy any "high places" which were usually hilltop temples or places of sacrifice. They were to take over the land after it was divvied up by tribe and doled out to individual families by the casting of lots.
Then God says that if the Israelites do not drive the current inhabitants out of the land, they will end up regretting it. Not only will the people be an irritant, but God will do to the Israelites what he's been thinking of doing to the Canaanites, whatever that is.
*The first part of the chapter is a record of all the travels and stops the Israelites made over the forty years of wandering. There were supposedly 42 separate camp sites, none of which left any evidence of well over a million people for modern archaeologists to find.
*In the second part, Yahweh tells Moses to tell the Israelites that when they cross the Jordan into canaan they are to destroy all the Canaanite idols, of stone and metal. They are to also destroy any "high places" which were usually hilltop temples or places of sacrifice. They were to take over the land after it was divvied up by tribe and doled out to individual families by the casting of lots.
Then God says that if the Israelites do not drive the current inhabitants out of the land, they will end up regretting it. Not only will the people be an irritant, but God will do to the Israelites what he's been thinking of doing to the Canaanites, whatever that is.
Numbers chapter 32
After reading chapter 32:
*While the Israelites were still on the east side of the Jordan River, the Reubenites and Gadites went to Moses and asked to be able to settle on that side, in the lands of Jazer and Gilead, instead of in canaan. They liked that land because it had enough space and food for their large herds of animals.
*After an initial protest, some insults and veiled threats, and some bargaining, Moses agreed , on condition that their fighting men still help the rest of the Israelites conquer the Canaanites. Plus, if they didn't help, they would be sorry. The Ruebenites and Gadites consented. Moses gave them the land, as though it was his to give. They built many "cities" which are named in the text.
*While the Israelites were still on the east side of the Jordan River, the Reubenites and Gadites went to Moses and asked to be able to settle on that side, in the lands of Jazer and Gilead, instead of in canaan. They liked that land because it had enough space and food for their large herds of animals.
*After an initial protest, some insults and veiled threats, and some bargaining, Moses agreed , on condition that their fighting men still help the rest of the Israelites conquer the Canaanites. Plus, if they didn't help, they would be sorry. The Ruebenites and Gadites consented. Moses gave them the land, as though it was his to give. They built many "cities" which are named in the text.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Numbers chapter 31
After reading chapter 31:
*After a brief intermission, laying down some religious and social rules, Yahweh tells Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites, who used to be Moabites, presumably for the crime of inviting them to other god's BBQs and showing the men a good time. So, 12,000 men, 1,000 from each tribe, were sent into battle, along with Phineas, the son of the high priest, the same guy who had run a spear through the Midianite woman and Israeli man. They fought against Midian and killed every man, including Balaam, the guy with the talking donkey.
*The Israelite army burned the Midianite towns and camps, after they plundered them. They took their spoils, including the women and children , back to the Israelite camp. Moses was upset, because it was the Midianite/Moabite women who had enticed the Israelite men. He ordered all the sexually active women killed. The reason given for this was that they were following Balaam's advice on how to turn the Israelites away from Yahweh. This is very strange because chapters 22-24 clearly show Balaam speaking on behalf of Yahweh and the Israelites, and blessing them. There is no mention of him giving any advice for turning the Israelites away from Yahweh.
*Moses also ordered the killing of all the boys, but gives no reason. Then, he says the Israelite army can save all the virgin girls for themselves, we can guess the reason. The fighting men who had killed, and the captive virgins, were to remain outside the camp for seven days, to be "purified." The thought of this makes my blood run cold. All metals, were to be passed through a fire and washed with holy water, for cleansing. Everything that couldn't be passed through a fire was just to be washed with the water of cleansing.
*Next, Yahweh told Moses to count all the people ( the girls) and the animals that were captured and divide up the spoils. Half for the fighting men, half for the rest of the community. From the soldier's share, one out of every 500, of the girls, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys was to be given to the priests, um, the lord. From the community share, one out of every 50. We are given the numbers for each of the kinds of animals and the virgins, because this is the book of numbers after all. There were 32,000 females divvied up that day.
*After the distribution of the spoils, the commanders of the army told Moses that not a single fighting man had been lost. Incredible. They also had gold to give to the priests, um, the lord. Of course Moses and the priests accepted the gold on Yahweh's behalf, and the soldiers had some left over for themselves, naturally.
*After a brief intermission, laying down some religious and social rules, Yahweh tells Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites, who used to be Moabites, presumably for the crime of inviting them to other god's BBQs and showing the men a good time. So, 12,000 men, 1,000 from each tribe, were sent into battle, along with Phineas, the son of the high priest, the same guy who had run a spear through the Midianite woman and Israeli man. They fought against Midian and killed every man, including Balaam, the guy with the talking donkey.
*The Israelite army burned the Midianite towns and camps, after they plundered them. They took their spoils, including the women and children , back to the Israelite camp. Moses was upset, because it was the Midianite/Moabite women who had enticed the Israelite men. He ordered all the sexually active women killed. The reason given for this was that they were following Balaam's advice on how to turn the Israelites away from Yahweh. This is very strange because chapters 22-24 clearly show Balaam speaking on behalf of Yahweh and the Israelites, and blessing them. There is no mention of him giving any advice for turning the Israelites away from Yahweh.
*Moses also ordered the killing of all the boys, but gives no reason. Then, he says the Israelite army can save all the virgin girls for themselves, we can guess the reason. The fighting men who had killed, and the captive virgins, were to remain outside the camp for seven days, to be "purified." The thought of this makes my blood run cold. All metals, were to be passed through a fire and washed with holy water, for cleansing. Everything that couldn't be passed through a fire was just to be washed with the water of cleansing.
*Next, Yahweh told Moses to count all the people ( the girls) and the animals that were captured and divide up the spoils. Half for the fighting men, half for the rest of the community. From the soldier's share, one out of every 500, of the girls, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys was to be given to the priests, um, the lord. From the community share, one out of every 50. We are given the numbers for each of the kinds of animals and the virgins, because this is the book of numbers after all. There were 32,000 females divvied up that day.
*After the distribution of the spoils, the commanders of the army told Moses that not a single fighting man had been lost. Incredible. They also had gold to give to the priests, um, the lord. Of course Moses and the priests accepted the gold on Yahweh's behalf, and the soldiers had some left over for themselves, naturally.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Numbers chapter 30
After reading chapter 30:
*This chapter is about vows to Yahweh, or pledges and obligations. A man who makes a vow must keep it completely. A woman who makes a vow must keep it, unless her husband or father forbids it at any time, then it becomes nullified. However, if he nullifies her vow some time after it has been made, he is responsible for her guilt, as if that actually means anything.
* You may ask why a husband or father would want to nullify a vow made by a woman. My guess is because it affects him personally. A woman could vow never to marry, or to refrain from sex if married. She might vow to give away personal possessions or money that the man has an interest in. She might also vow to spend all her days in prayer, not attending to household matters. Notice that a woman can not nullify a husband's vow, which is no surprise, considering it was a patriarchical society.
*This chapter is about vows to Yahweh, or pledges and obligations. A man who makes a vow must keep it completely. A woman who makes a vow must keep it, unless her husband or father forbids it at any time, then it becomes nullified. However, if he nullifies her vow some time after it has been made, he is responsible for her guilt, as if that actually means anything.
* You may ask why a husband or father would want to nullify a vow made by a woman. My guess is because it affects him personally. A woman could vow never to marry, or to refrain from sex if married. She might vow to give away personal possessions or money that the man has an interest in. She might also vow to spend all her days in prayer, not attending to household matters. Notice that a woman can not nullify a husband's vow, which is no surprise, considering it was a patriarchical society.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Numbers chapter 28 and 29
After reading chapter 28 and 29
*Here we have a reiteration of the routine sacrifices and feast days, with instructions, that we saw in Leviticus. The bible is very fond of repetition, almost like it was really written as separate books and not one unified whole. There are daily sacrifices, sabbath sacrifices, monthly sacrifices, the passover, the feast of weeks, the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement, and the feast of tabernacles. We are again reminded that these are for Yahweh, even though he does not eat or drink and the priests get whatever is not burnt up. Because God just loves the smell of BBQ. Me too.
*Here we have a reiteration of the routine sacrifices and feast days, with instructions, that we saw in Leviticus. The bible is very fond of repetition, almost like it was really written as separate books and not one unified whole. There are daily sacrifices, sabbath sacrifices, monthly sacrifices, the passover, the feast of weeks, the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement, and the feast of tabernacles. We are again reminded that these are for Yahweh, even though he does not eat or drink and the priests get whatever is not burnt up. Because God just loves the smell of BBQ. Me too.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Numbers chapter 27
After reading chapter 27:
*The daughters of a man named Zelophehad went to the tabernacle and stood before Moses and the other leaders. They wanted their father's inheritance because their father had no sons. Moses asked Yahweh what to do and he said if a man has no sons, his daughters inherit. Then he laid out a plan of inheritance for someone who dies without direct (male) descendants.
*After that Yaweh tells Moses to go up on a mountain to look at the promised land, then he will die. Moses asked him to appoint a new leader first. God told Moses to choose Joshua and commission him in the presence of the priests and the assembly. Joshua was to obtain his decisions from Eleazar the priest, who would get them by asking the "Urim" which was an unidentified object used for divination, introduced in Exodus 28. So, Joshua was commissioned.
*The daughters of a man named Zelophehad went to the tabernacle and stood before Moses and the other leaders. They wanted their father's inheritance because their father had no sons. Moses asked Yahweh what to do and he said if a man has no sons, his daughters inherit. Then he laid out a plan of inheritance for someone who dies without direct (male) descendants.
*After that Yaweh tells Moses to go up on a mountain to look at the promised land, then he will die. Moses asked him to appoint a new leader first. God told Moses to choose Joshua and commission him in the presence of the priests and the assembly. Joshua was to obtain his decisions from Eleazar the priest, who would get them by asking the "Urim" which was an unidentified object used for divination, introduced in Exodus 28. So, Joshua was commissioned.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Numbers chapter 26
After reading chapter 26
*This chapter contains the numbers of a second census of men twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army, taken after the plague in chapter 25. Remember, this is approximately 40 years after the first census. It does not include women, children, and Levites. The tribe of Rueben was down by 2,770. The tribe of Simeon was down by 27,100! The tribe of Gad was down by 5,150. The tribe of Judah was increased by 1,900. The tribe of Issachar increased by 9,900. The tribe of Zebulon increased by3,100. The tribe of Manasseh increased by 20,500! The tribe of Ephraim decreased by 12,000. The tribe of Benjamin increased by 10,200. The tribe of Dan increased by 1,700. The tribe of Asher increased by 11,900. The tribe of Naphtali decreased by 8,000.
*According to verse 51, there was a net loss of 1,820 fighting men. Not bad for 40 years in the wilderness. The above numbers were nice and even again. They were also very suggestive. The large number lost to the tribe of Simeon might be accounted for by the various punishments Yahweh meted out to those that were disobedient.
*Yahweh tells Moses that the promised land is to be portioned out according to the size of the tribe. The bigger the tribe, the more land. Within the tribes, the land was to be distributed by lot, essentially drawing straws. The largest tribe was Judah, of course.
*The Levites, males a month old or more, were counted last. They had increased by exactly 1,000. Amazing. Supposedly, not one of the current population of Israelites was of the group counted by Moses and Aaron, except Caleb and Joshua. (And Moses) Which would have to mean there were no men over the age of 60 at this time.
*This chapter contains the numbers of a second census of men twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army, taken after the plague in chapter 25. Remember, this is approximately 40 years after the first census. It does not include women, children, and Levites. The tribe of Rueben was down by 2,770. The tribe of Simeon was down by 27,100! The tribe of Gad was down by 5,150. The tribe of Judah was increased by 1,900. The tribe of Issachar increased by 9,900. The tribe of Zebulon increased by3,100. The tribe of Manasseh increased by 20,500! The tribe of Ephraim decreased by 12,000. The tribe of Benjamin increased by 10,200. The tribe of Dan increased by 1,700. The tribe of Asher increased by 11,900. The tribe of Naphtali decreased by 8,000.
*According to verse 51, there was a net loss of 1,820 fighting men. Not bad for 40 years in the wilderness. The above numbers were nice and even again. They were also very suggestive. The large number lost to the tribe of Simeon might be accounted for by the various punishments Yahweh meted out to those that were disobedient.
*Yahweh tells Moses that the promised land is to be portioned out according to the size of the tribe. The bigger the tribe, the more land. Within the tribes, the land was to be distributed by lot, essentially drawing straws. The largest tribe was Judah, of course.
*The Levites, males a month old or more, were counted last. They had increased by exactly 1,000. Amazing. Supposedly, not one of the current population of Israelites was of the group counted by Moses and Aaron, except Caleb and Joshua. (And Moses) Which would have to mean there were no men over the age of 60 at this time.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Numbers chapter 25
After reading chapter 25:
*So, Israel was staying in Shittim (Please, let's not get all junior high here.) Some of the men got invited to BBQs (sacrifices to other gods) by the Moabite women, and they went. Not only that, they also had a very good time with those Moabite women. They ate the BBQ and bowed down to Baal of Peor, who may have been the egyptian sun god Horus. Boy was Yahweh mad! He told Moses to kill all the people who had done this.
*Then an Israelite man had the effrontery to bring home a Midianite woman in front of everyone!
Phineas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, took a spear and drove it through both of them while they were together in the tent. This stopped a plague which had apparently been happening at the time, but not before 24,0000 people died. (A nice round number. )God told Moses that Phineas had appeased his anger, so he made an everlasting covenant with him that his descendants would be an everlasting priesthood, even though he had already been covered under the same promise made to Aaron.
*Is anyone else wondering how we got from Moabites to Midianites one setting? As far as I know they are not the same thing. Now Yahweh tells Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies because their deceit caused the Israelites to worship Peor, which brought the plague.
*So, Israel was staying in Shittim (Please, let's not get all junior high here.) Some of the men got invited to BBQs (sacrifices to other gods) by the Moabite women, and they went. Not only that, they also had a very good time with those Moabite women. They ate the BBQ and bowed down to Baal of Peor, who may have been the egyptian sun god Horus. Boy was Yahweh mad! He told Moses to kill all the people who had done this.
*Then an Israelite man had the effrontery to bring home a Midianite woman in front of everyone!
Phineas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, took a spear and drove it through both of them while they were together in the tent. This stopped a plague which had apparently been happening at the time, but not before 24,0000 people died. (A nice round number. )God told Moses that Phineas had appeased his anger, so he made an everlasting covenant with him that his descendants would be an everlasting priesthood, even though he had already been covered under the same promise made to Aaron.
*Is anyone else wondering how we got from Moabites to Midianites one setting? As far as I know they are not the same thing. Now Yahweh tells Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies because their deceit caused the Israelites to worship Peor, which brought the plague.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Numbers chapters 23 and 24
After reading chapters 23 and 24:
*Next, Balaam has Balak build seven altars and they sacrifice seven Bulls and seven Rams. Then Balaam excuses himself to go talk to Yahweh. When he comes back, he gave a poetic speech called an oracle, which basically says he can't curse the Israelites because God hasn't cursed them.
*Then, Balak takes Balaam to some higher ground where they can see some of the Israelite horde. He again asks Balaam to curse them. They build seven more altars and sacrifice seven more Bulls and Rams. Balaam excuses himself again to talk with Yahweh. When he comes back, he gives another poetic speech saying he was commanded to bless the Israelites, and no divination or sorcery would work against them. Balak says Balaam may not be able to curse the Israelites, but he doesn't have to bless them, gee.
*Now Balak takes Balaam to a different vantage point hoping there will be a different answer this time. The altars are built again, the Bulls and Rams sacrificed, and Balaam goes off to talk to Yahweh. Balaam then gives another pretty speech about the Israelites and ends with " whoever curses them will be cursed and whoever blesses them will be blessed." Balak was very angry and sent Balaam home without pay for his services. Then Balaam prophesies about Israel crushing the Moabites and other surrounding people, plus the rise of a great ruler. After that he goes home.
Edited because my grammar skills are always better the next day.
*Next, Balaam has Balak build seven altars and they sacrifice seven Bulls and seven Rams. Then Balaam excuses himself to go talk to Yahweh. When he comes back, he gave a poetic speech called an oracle, which basically says he can't curse the Israelites because God hasn't cursed them.
*Then, Balak takes Balaam to some higher ground where they can see some of the Israelite horde. He again asks Balaam to curse them. They build seven more altars and sacrifice seven more Bulls and Rams. Balaam excuses himself again to talk with Yahweh. When he comes back, he gives another poetic speech saying he was commanded to bless the Israelites, and no divination or sorcery would work against them. Balak says Balaam may not be able to curse the Israelites, but he doesn't have to bless them, gee.
*Now Balak takes Balaam to a different vantage point hoping there will be a different answer this time. The altars are built again, the Bulls and Rams sacrificed, and Balaam goes off to talk to Yahweh. Balaam then gives another pretty speech about the Israelites and ends with " whoever curses them will be cursed and whoever blesses them will be blessed." Balak was very angry and sent Balaam home without pay for his services. Then Balaam prophesies about Israel crushing the Moabites and other surrounding people, plus the rise of a great ruler. After that he goes home.
Edited because my grammar skills are always better the next day.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Numbers chapter 22
After reading chapter 22:
*Even though chapter 21 tells us the Israelites took possession of and settled in the land of the Amorites, plus made war with Bashan to the north, this chapter tells us they were still on the move. Now they are camping along the Jordan, across the river from Jericho.
*I became confused about many of the places mentioned in these chapters. The Israelites should have gone through or around the land of the Moabites to get to the land of the Amorites, but now we seem to be backtracking . If you look at the maps of the land of Canaan,(There are a number of different maps to flip through) you can see where the different tribal kingdoms are supposed to have been. Anyway, now Balaak, the son of the King of Moab, listened to his fellow Moabites , who were terrified that the Israelite hordes would decimate their land. So, some Moabite princes went to visit Balaam, who was apparently a practitioner of the long lost fake art of divination, plus had the power to bless and curse people. They wanted Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites. He promised to give them a message from Yahweh.
*God told Balaam not to put a curse on the Israelites and not to go with the princes of Moab. Balaam told the princes this, and the King's son offered him anything he wanted if Balaam would put a curse on the Israelites. Balaam talked to God again and was told to go with the Moabites now.
*So, in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey to go with the princes of Moab, just like God told him to. But now God is mad, for who knows what reason. His angel stood in the road with a drawn sword, blocking the way. The donkey saw the Angel and refused to go down the road. Balaam beat her. The angel made a game of block the donkey as Balaam went along. Each time, Balaam beat her. Finally, she just lay down and asked why Balaam has beaten her. Balaam took his talking donkey as a matter of course and said it's because she made him look foolish. Then they had a little chat, and Balaam realized something was up when he personally saw the Angel with the sword. So, Balaam apologized to the Angel, not the donkey, and offered to turn back. But no, God still wanted him to go on. Huh?
*Balaam got to Balak and told him he could only speak the words God put in his mouth. Then Balak and the other princes had a bbq (sacrifice) and shared it with Balaam.
And if you believe in talking donkeys, I have a bridge to sell you.
Edited for grammar and spelling.
*I became confused about many of the places mentioned in these chapters. The Israelites should have gone through or around the land of the Moabites to get to the land of the Amorites, but now we seem to be backtracking . If you look at the maps of the land of Canaan,(There are a number of different maps to flip through) you can see where the different tribal kingdoms are supposed to have been. Anyway, now Balaak, the son of the King of Moab, listened to his fellow Moabites , who were terrified that the Israelite hordes would decimate their land. So, some Moabite princes went to visit Balaam, who was apparently a practitioner of the long lost fake art of divination, plus had the power to bless and curse people. They wanted Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites. He promised to give them a message from Yahweh.
*God told Balaam not to put a curse on the Israelites and not to go with the princes of Moab. Balaam told the princes this, and the King's son offered him anything he wanted if Balaam would put a curse on the Israelites. Balaam talked to God again and was told to go with the Moabites now.
*So, in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey to go with the princes of Moab, just like God told him to. But now God is mad, for who knows what reason. His angel stood in the road with a drawn sword, blocking the way. The donkey saw the Angel and refused to go down the road. Balaam beat her. The angel made a game of block the donkey as Balaam went along. Each time, Balaam beat her. Finally, she just lay down and asked why Balaam has beaten her. Balaam took his talking donkey as a matter of course and said it's because she made him look foolish. Then they had a little chat, and Balaam realized something was up when he personally saw the Angel with the sword. So, Balaam apologized to the Angel, not the donkey, and offered to turn back. But no, God still wanted him to go on. Huh?
*Balaam got to Balak and told him he could only speak the words God put in his mouth. Then Balak and the other princes had a bbq (sacrifice) and shared it with Balaam.
And if you believe in talking donkeys, I have a bridge to sell you.
Edited for grammar and spelling.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Numbers chapter 21
After reading chapter 21:
*Now the Canaanite King of Arad, in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were coming, so he attacked and captured some of them. The Israelites asked God to let them destroy the cities in that area, and of course he obliged since they had asked nicely. So, they completely destroyed the people and their towns and called the place Hormah, which was also the name of two other places in the Bible,(Numbers 14, Judges 1) in spite of the fact that there is no extra biblical reference to any place of that name. This is in contrast to the Arad site which shows that it was an early Israelite site with a possible temple to Yahweh on its high point.
*After slaughtering the inhabitants of that area the Israelites move on, complaining of the lack of food and water. So, Yahweh, who had let them destroy whole towns, decided to send poisonous snakes to pester them. They were seriously alarmed and asked Moses to pray for them, because prayer is the most effective way to deal with snakes. He did, and Yahweh told him to set up a pole with a bronze snake for the people to look at when they got bit, that would keep them from dying. Because it would have been too much trouble to just get rid of the snakes. I wonder if it looked anything like the rod of Asclepius or Ningishzida, among the many uses of serpent symbology.
*The Israelites moved on camping in Oboth, lye Abarim, the Zered valley, and beside the Arnon River which is now called the wadi Mujib. Apparently, there was a Book of the Wars of Yahweh that told about this. It has vanished from existence. And they kept moving from place to place til they came to the valley of Moab overlooked by Pisgah.
*Then they sent messengers to the king of the Amorites to ask if they could pass through his territory. He said no. Verse 23. The irony of the text saying that this land belongs to the Amorites and not the Israelites is almost amusing. So, the king got an army together and met the Israelites, but this time they killed the king, took over the land of the Amorites, and occupied all its cities. You can guess what happened to the inhabitants. However they could only go so far because the Ammonite border was fortified. So the Israelites settled in the land of the Amorites, presumably east of the Jordan at this time.
*Then they had more battles, captured more settlements, took posession of more land, and killed more people, all with the help of Yahweh, of course.
Edited.
*Now the Canaanite King of Arad, in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were coming, so he attacked and captured some of them. The Israelites asked God to let them destroy the cities in that area, and of course he obliged since they had asked nicely. So, they completely destroyed the people and their towns and called the place Hormah, which was also the name of two other places in the Bible,(Numbers 14, Judges 1) in spite of the fact that there is no extra biblical reference to any place of that name. This is in contrast to the Arad site which shows that it was an early Israelite site with a possible temple to Yahweh on its high point.
*After slaughtering the inhabitants of that area the Israelites move on, complaining of the lack of food and water. So, Yahweh, who had let them destroy whole towns, decided to send poisonous snakes to pester them. They were seriously alarmed and asked Moses to pray for them, because prayer is the most effective way to deal with snakes. He did, and Yahweh told him to set up a pole with a bronze snake for the people to look at when they got bit, that would keep them from dying. Because it would have been too much trouble to just get rid of the snakes. I wonder if it looked anything like the rod of Asclepius or Ningishzida, among the many uses of serpent symbology.
*The Israelites moved on camping in Oboth, lye Abarim, the Zered valley, and beside the Arnon River which is now called the wadi Mujib. Apparently, there was a Book of the Wars of Yahweh that told about this. It has vanished from existence. And they kept moving from place to place til they came to the valley of Moab overlooked by Pisgah.
*Then they sent messengers to the king of the Amorites to ask if they could pass through his territory. He said no. Verse 23. The irony of the text saying that this land belongs to the Amorites and not the Israelites is almost amusing. So, the king got an army together and met the Israelites, but this time they killed the king, took over the land of the Amorites, and occupied all its cities. You can guess what happened to the inhabitants. However they could only go so far because the Ammonite border was fortified. So the Israelites settled in the land of the Amorites, presumably east of the Jordan at this time.
*Then they had more battles, captured more settlements, took posession of more land, and killed more people, all with the help of Yahweh, of course.
Edited.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Giving thanks
Tomorrow is officially Thanksgiving Day here in the US. Most households will gather with family and friends to have a feast of Thanksgiving, reminiscent of the harvest feasts of days gone by. Certain members of my family call it "National Stuff Your Gullet Day." All in fun of course. Many reasons are given for celebrating, including religious and national ones. There is a lot of talk about what individuals are thankful for, and often the Christian God is given a great deal of the credit for those things.
May I suggest something? Take the time to direct your thanks in person to the real live people in your lives, not to an invisible and undetectable God, and not to the air, which can't hear you either. Use this time to give thanks to those people who usually get taken for granted in your life, big or small.
If you are reading this, I thank you.
May I suggest something? Take the time to direct your thanks in person to the real live people in your lives, not to an invisible and undetectable God, and not to the air, which can't hear you either. Use this time to give thanks to those people who usually get taken for granted in your life, big or small.
If you are reading this, I thank you.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Numbers chapter 20
After reading chapter 20:
*This chapter starts on the first month of an unknown year. My study bible says it must have been the end of the forty years the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert, back in chapter 14. If this is true, it appears that nothing noteworthy happened during the intervening years. They are back in Kadesh, where they started forty years ago. Miriam dies and is buried there. Echoing Exodus 17, the Israelites complain of no water. Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, where Yahweh tells Moses ( not Aaron) to take the magical staff that has apparently lasted all this time and speak to a rock, which would pour out water. This is the same staff that Moses turned into snakes, used to part the Nile, and which became Aaron's staff which blossomed. So, they gather the Israelites for a show of god's power. Moses struck the rock just like before, and just like before, water gushed out. All million plus Israelites and their livestock now had water. The text says these were called the waters of Meribah, just like the waters struck from a rock over forty years ago in Horeb. God takes this opportunity to remind Moses that he will not be going into the promised land.
*Then Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for the Israelites to pass through his land, with promises not to disturb anything. The king denied them passage. The Israelites said they were coming through any way. The king of Edom said, "No, you are not." He sent a large army against the Israelites and they backed off.
*On the border of Edom, at Mount Hor, Yahweh told Moses it was time for Aaron to die. Moses, Aaron, and his son Eleazar, went up the mountain. Moses removed the high priest garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died. Then, Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. Sounds mighty fishy to me.
*If we continue to follow the bible chronology, placing the creation at 4004 B.C.E, this would have taken place around the year 1296 B.C.E.
*This chapter starts on the first month of an unknown year. My study bible says it must have been the end of the forty years the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert, back in chapter 14. If this is true, it appears that nothing noteworthy happened during the intervening years. They are back in Kadesh, where they started forty years ago. Miriam dies and is buried there. Echoing Exodus 17, the Israelites complain of no water. Moses and Aaron go to the tabernacle, where Yahweh tells Moses ( not Aaron) to take the magical staff that has apparently lasted all this time and speak to a rock, which would pour out water. This is the same staff that Moses turned into snakes, used to part the Nile, and which became Aaron's staff which blossomed. So, they gather the Israelites for a show of god's power. Moses struck the rock just like before, and just like before, water gushed out. All million plus Israelites and their livestock now had water. The text says these were called the waters of Meribah, just like the waters struck from a rock over forty years ago in Horeb. God takes this opportunity to remind Moses that he will not be going into the promised land.
*Then Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission for the Israelites to pass through his land, with promises not to disturb anything. The king denied them passage. The Israelites said they were coming through any way. The king of Edom said, "No, you are not." He sent a large army against the Israelites and they backed off.
*On the border of Edom, at Mount Hor, Yahweh told Moses it was time for Aaron to die. Moses, Aaron, and his son Eleazar, went up the mountain. Moses removed the high priest garments from Aaron and put them on Eleazar. Aaron died. Then, Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. Sounds mighty fishy to me.
*If we continue to follow the bible chronology, placing the creation at 4004 B.C.E, this would have taken place around the year 1296 B.C.E.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Numbers chapter 19
After reading chapter 19:
*In this chapter Moses and Aaron get a new everlasting ordinance from Yahweh. This time they are told how to slaughter and burn an unblemished red heifer in great detail. Its ashes were to be gathered and kept in a ceremonially clean place outside of the camp. They were to be used in water when a ritual cleansing was to be done, for purification of sin. The water with heifer ashes in it is the "water of cleansing." The water was to be used to purify a person who has touched a dead human body, even old bones.
*The person who touched the dead body was unclean. He had to put some of the heifer ashes in a jar with water and a clean person had to sprinkle the water on him and on everyone and everything else associated with the body, on the third and seventh days of their uncleanness. Then they had to wash themselves and thier clothes. If they don't do this they will remain unclean and will be excommunicated. The weird part, if this isn't wierd enough, is that the clean sprinkler becomes temporarily unclean and anyone else who touches the water of cleansing becomes unclean til evening!
*Here you have it: Magic heifer ashes make unclean people clean and clean people unclean.
*In this chapter Moses and Aaron get a new everlasting ordinance from Yahweh. This time they are told how to slaughter and burn an unblemished red heifer in great detail. Its ashes were to be gathered and kept in a ceremonially clean place outside of the camp. They were to be used in water when a ritual cleansing was to be done, for purification of sin. The water with heifer ashes in it is the "water of cleansing." The water was to be used to purify a person who has touched a dead human body, even old bones.
*The person who touched the dead body was unclean. He had to put some of the heifer ashes in a jar with water and a clean person had to sprinkle the water on him and on everyone and everything else associated with the body, on the third and seventh days of their uncleanness. Then they had to wash themselves and thier clothes. If they don't do this they will remain unclean and will be excommunicated. The weird part, if this isn't wierd enough, is that the clean sprinkler becomes temporarily unclean and anyone else who touches the water of cleansing becomes unclean til evening!
*Here you have it: Magic heifer ashes make unclean people clean and clean people unclean.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Numbers chapter 18
After reading chapter 18:
*Now Yahweh tells Aaron that he and his sons, and their descendants, will be the only ones responsible for the altar, the sanctuary, and the duties inside the tabernacle. This service is given to them as a priesthood. If anyone else comes near the sanctuary, they will die. The other Levites are given to the priests to be helpers with all the stuff and activities outside the tent.
* All the wave offerings, first fruit offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings that the Israelites give to Yahweh, become the priests'. This is Yahweh's gift to them and an everlasting covenant, or at least Aaron said it was. They must take his word for it, or rather the word of the person who wrote about it, who was probably a priest. They may share it with others in their household who are ceremonially clean, of course. However, they will get none of the promised land as an inheritance. Who needs land when they have a guaranteed steady supply of food and money?
*For their service, the rest of the Levites get all the tithes that the Israelites bring to Yahweh. They will also have no inherited land. Of the tithes that the Levites get from the Israelites, they must take the best and holiest tenth and give it to Aaron and his sons. That is their tithe to the lord, so they won't be guilty and die. How nice for the priests that the lord is so generous and gives them all his stuff, which he has no use for anyway.
*Now Yahweh tells Aaron that he and his sons, and their descendants, will be the only ones responsible for the altar, the sanctuary, and the duties inside the tabernacle. This service is given to them as a priesthood. If anyone else comes near the sanctuary, they will die. The other Levites are given to the priests to be helpers with all the stuff and activities outside the tent.
* All the wave offerings, first fruit offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings that the Israelites give to Yahweh, become the priests'. This is Yahweh's gift to them and an everlasting covenant, or at least Aaron said it was. They must take his word for it, or rather the word of the person who wrote about it, who was probably a priest. They may share it with others in their household who are ceremonially clean, of course. However, they will get none of the promised land as an inheritance. Who needs land when they have a guaranteed steady supply of food and money?
*For their service, the rest of the Levites get all the tithes that the Israelites bring to Yahweh. They will also have no inherited land. Of the tithes that the Levites get from the Israelites, they must take the best and holiest tenth and give it to Aaron and his sons. That is their tithe to the lord, so they won't be guilty and die. How nice for the priests that the lord is so generous and gives them all his stuff, which he has no use for anyway.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Numbers chapter 17
After reading chapter 17:
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to get a staff from each of the heads of the twelve tribes. The Levite staff is to be inscribed with Aaron's name. The staffs would be placed in front of the ark of the covenant and the staff of god's chosen person would sprout. So, that was done and the next day, guess whose staff sprouted. Not only had Aaron's staff sprouted, but it had gone through the whole growing cycle in one night, budding, blossoming, and producing almonds! Then Moses came out with all the staffs and showed the leaders of the tribes their staffs.
*Aaron's staff was put back in front of the ark of the covenant as a reminder to the rebellious, so they would not die. I don't know how it would have been a reminder if they couldn't look at it, because that area of the tabernacle was off limits. It surely wasn't put there so they couldn't examine it and maybe see that it wasn't the same staff as the day before. Moses would never do something like switch the staff for a tree branch in the middle of the night.
*The Israelites were in despair. Can you blame them? They were just as much enslaved now as they had been in Egypt, maybe more. Intellectual and emotional enslavement can be just as devastating as physical enslavement.
*Now, Yahweh tells Moses to get a staff from each of the heads of the twelve tribes. The Levite staff is to be inscribed with Aaron's name. The staffs would be placed in front of the ark of the covenant and the staff of god's chosen person would sprout. So, that was done and the next day, guess whose staff sprouted. Not only had Aaron's staff sprouted, but it had gone through the whole growing cycle in one night, budding, blossoming, and producing almonds! Then Moses came out with all the staffs and showed the leaders of the tribes their staffs.
*Aaron's staff was put back in front of the ark of the covenant as a reminder to the rebellious, so they would not die. I don't know how it would have been a reminder if they couldn't look at it, because that area of the tabernacle was off limits. It surely wasn't put there so they couldn't examine it and maybe see that it wasn't the same staff as the day before. Moses would never do something like switch the staff for a tree branch in the middle of the night.
*The Israelites were in despair. Can you blame them? They were just as much enslaved now as they had been in Egypt, maybe more. Intellectual and emotional enslavement can be just as devastating as physical enslavement.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Numbers chapter 16
After reading chapter 16:
*Now we read about an uprising in the camp. A Levite, some Reubenites, and 250 community leaders charge Moses with being too big for his britches. Moses tells them they are the ones that have gone too far and God will prove it by making clear who is holy and who isn't. The men complain of being treated like slaves by Moses. Moses wants to know what the Levites have to complain about, don't they get special important work to do? Then Moses got angry and told God not to accept their offering. Like the king of the universe takes orders? Well, apparently he does.
*The dissidents are told to meet in front of the tabernacle the next morning with censers of burning incense. They did, and God told Moses and Aaron to get out of the way because he was going to destroy the 250 mutineers. Moses and Aaron made a token protest then told the people who weren't involved to stay way back.
*Then Moses speechified about how if the men died a natural death, that would mean Yahweh had not sent Moses to take them out of Egypt and Moses was a liar. But, if a weird new phenomenon happened, like the earth splitting open and swallowing the men and their belongings, that would mean God did send Moses. Lo, and behold, guess what happened! The ground split opened and swallowed Korah the Levite, his friends, and all their belongings, alive. The 250 community leaders were then blasted by fire from God.
* According to Yahweh's instructions, the men's censors were salvaged from their charred remains, beaten into sheets, and used to overlay the altar. This was supposed to serve as a reminder to the Israelites that no one except Aaron and his sons should bring incense befor the lord, even though Moses was the one that told those 250 guys to bring the incense in the first place.
*More people became very unhappy with Moses and Aaron because of the deaths. Who can blame them? A group gathered in front of the tabernacle again. God threatened to put an end to these people as well. Moses told Aaron to hurry up and put incense and coals in his censor then go stand in the midst of the people to make atonement for them. Apparently a plague had already begun to hit them. Aaron stood between the living and those who had died from the plague and managed to stop the plague with sheer willpower and incense. Even so, 14,700 people died, another nice round number for the book of Numbers. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tabernacle.
*So, this chapter makes it very clear that Moses is Yahweh's right hand man and whatever he says goes, or else. I wonder how many nightmares it gave the young children who heard it read for the first time? Did it instill a lifelong determination never to get on Yahweh's bad side by disregarding Moses's words? Also, exactly what was this atonement thing Aaron did to stop the plague? What kind of plague starts and stops that quickly? Did you notice that the digits in 250 add up to seven and the digits in 14,700 add up to twelve? Coincidence? Plus, that weird new phenomenon sounds a lot like an earthquake. I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of this Yahweh and his heavy handed ways.
*Now we read about an uprising in the camp. A Levite, some Reubenites, and 250 community leaders charge Moses with being too big for his britches. Moses tells them they are the ones that have gone too far and God will prove it by making clear who is holy and who isn't. The men complain of being treated like slaves by Moses. Moses wants to know what the Levites have to complain about, don't they get special important work to do? Then Moses got angry and told God not to accept their offering. Like the king of the universe takes orders? Well, apparently he does.
*The dissidents are told to meet in front of the tabernacle the next morning with censers of burning incense. They did, and God told Moses and Aaron to get out of the way because he was going to destroy the 250 mutineers. Moses and Aaron made a token protest then told the people who weren't involved to stay way back.
*Then Moses speechified about how if the men died a natural death, that would mean Yahweh had not sent Moses to take them out of Egypt and Moses was a liar. But, if a weird new phenomenon happened, like the earth splitting open and swallowing the men and their belongings, that would mean God did send Moses. Lo, and behold, guess what happened! The ground split opened and swallowed Korah the Levite, his friends, and all their belongings, alive. The 250 community leaders were then blasted by fire from God.
* According to Yahweh's instructions, the men's censors were salvaged from their charred remains, beaten into sheets, and used to overlay the altar. This was supposed to serve as a reminder to the Israelites that no one except Aaron and his sons should bring incense befor the lord, even though Moses was the one that told those 250 guys to bring the incense in the first place.
*More people became very unhappy with Moses and Aaron because of the deaths. Who can blame them? A group gathered in front of the tabernacle again. God threatened to put an end to these people as well. Moses told Aaron to hurry up and put incense and coals in his censor then go stand in the midst of the people to make atonement for them. Apparently a plague had already begun to hit them. Aaron stood between the living and those who had died from the plague and managed to stop the plague with sheer willpower and incense. Even so, 14,700 people died, another nice round number for the book of Numbers. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tabernacle.
*So, this chapter makes it very clear that Moses is Yahweh's right hand man and whatever he says goes, or else. I wonder how many nightmares it gave the young children who heard it read for the first time? Did it instill a lifelong determination never to get on Yahweh's bad side by disregarding Moses's words? Also, exactly what was this atonement thing Aaron did to stop the plague? What kind of plague starts and stops that quickly? Did you notice that the digits in 250 add up to seven and the digits in 14,700 add up to twelve? Coincidence? Plus, that weird new phenomenon sounds a lot like an earthquake. I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of this Yahweh and his heavy handed ways.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Numbers chapter 15
After reading Numbers 15:
*We read how offerings are to be presented when the Israelites make the promised land their home. All foreigners are to follow the same rules and regulations as the Israelites, no matter what they actually believe. The first portion of any food from the land is given to the priest, excuse me, Yahweh.
*If anyone unintentionally breaks a rule, without the community knowing it, the community is to offer a particular sacrifice and the whole community will be forgiven, because they shared in the sin. This makes no sense to me. Sacrifice and forgiveness for sins no one recognizes?
*So, while the Israelites were in the desert (notice the past tense phrasing by someone who was obviously not Moses and had not been in the desert with the Israelites.) a man gathered wood on the sabbath. Horrors! What is the world coming to? They took him into custody and Yahweh, or rather Moses speaking for Yahweh, said the man must die. So the Israelites stoned him to death. Because picking up a few sticks on a Saturday is one of the most abominable things a human can do. So, my dear children, this should remind you to always do what Moses told the Israelites, that Yahweh told him, that they should do.
*Now this is really important, so listen close. Yahweh also told Moses to tell the Israelites to wear tassels with blue cords on the corners of their garments. These tassels have magical power to remind them to keep god's commands when they look at them. This would help prevent them from getting stoned, that is beaten to a bloody pulp by people throwing rocks, till they die.
*We read how offerings are to be presented when the Israelites make the promised land their home. All foreigners are to follow the same rules and regulations as the Israelites, no matter what they actually believe. The first portion of any food from the land is given to the priest, excuse me, Yahweh.
*If anyone unintentionally breaks a rule, without the community knowing it, the community is to offer a particular sacrifice and the whole community will be forgiven, because they shared in the sin. This makes no sense to me. Sacrifice and forgiveness for sins no one recognizes?
*So, while the Israelites were in the desert (notice the past tense phrasing by someone who was obviously not Moses and had not been in the desert with the Israelites.) a man gathered wood on the sabbath. Horrors! What is the world coming to? They took him into custody and Yahweh, or rather Moses speaking for Yahweh, said the man must die. So the Israelites stoned him to death. Because picking up a few sticks on a Saturday is one of the most abominable things a human can do. So, my dear children, this should remind you to always do what Moses told the Israelites, that Yahweh told him, that they should do.
*Now this is really important, so listen close. Yahweh also told Moses to tell the Israelites to wear tassels with blue cords on the corners of their garments. These tassels have magical power to remind them to keep god's commands when they look at them. This would help prevent them from getting stoned, that is beaten to a bloody pulp by people throwing rocks, till they die.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Numbers chapter 14
After reading chapter 14:
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
*So, after the 12 explorers got back, the Israelites began to complain again because they were afraid of the people whose land they were supposed to take over. It was suggested that they elect someone to take them back to Egypt. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb begged and pleaded with the Israelites, telling them not to be afraid, because Yahweh would protect them. The Israelites seriously considered stoning Moses and his cronies.
* Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, not the people, for some reason, and told him that he was sick and tired of the Israelites not respecting him. He just might destroy them with a plague and make Moses into a nation bigger and better than they are. Moses was worried that the Egyptians would hear about it and ruin Yahweh's reputation. Plus, people in the promised land had already heard great and wonderful things about Yahweh and the Israelites. How would it look if he gave up on them now?
*We again read those fundamentally contradictory statements about god's abounding love and forgiveness, plus his punishing of those who sin against him to the third and fourth generations. So, Yahweh relents and forgives them, BUT none of the people who disobeyed him in the desert would get to see the promised land, except Caleb. He's different. The wierd thing about this passage is that God never actually tells the Israelites to do anything so what command are they disobeying?
*Next they are told to turn back towards the desert. Since the Israelites are such a complaining bunch, every complainer twenty years and older will die in the desert. Their children will get to see the promised land after 40 years of a nomadic shepherding life. That's one year for each of the forty days that the land was explored. Then God says the whole community is wicked and banded together against him. Now who is complaining? As if mere mortals could stop the plans of an all powerful God!
*The ten explorers who started this trouble were struck down by a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb survived. After the Israelites were informed of all this, they said they would go into the land after all. Moses said, if they did, it would be disobedient again and God would not protect them. They went anyway, and the inhabitants of the land beat them back.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Numbers chapter 13
After reading chapter 13:
*Now that the Israelites are in the desert of Paran, Yahweh tells Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, to go explore the land lof Canaan. This land was currently being occupied by people who had no idea that Yahweh was giving the Israelites their land. All twelve men are specifically named.
*Moses told the men to go through the Negev and into the hill country to scope out the land and the people. They were told to report on the civilizations and crop growing conditions. It was grape season so they were told to bring back a sample. What if the land was barren and infertile, would the Israelites have rejected Yahweh's gift? Would we be reading this story today? Since historical evidence suggests that the Israelites may have actually been long term natives of that land, this story is probably more like nationalistic propaganda.
*Some of the places the men travelled that we haven't covered before included Rehob and the Negev. When they reached the valley of Eshcol, a place that supposedly still exists, though I could not find much information about it. They took a sample of the crops growing there. Two of the men carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. This doesn't necessarily mean the grapes were large and heavy, it may just have been their way of keeping them from getting bruised. The men explored for 40 days, a very biblical length of time.
*They went back and reported to Moses that it was a great land " flowing with milk and honey." Caleb confidently suggested they take the land right away. The other men that had gone were leary of the inhabitants and said they saw Nephilim, or Anakites, who were supposedly of great size. They made them feel as small as grasshoppers.
*Now that the Israelites are in the desert of Paran, Yahweh tells Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, to go explore the land lof Canaan. This land was currently being occupied by people who had no idea that Yahweh was giving the Israelites their land. All twelve men are specifically named.
*Moses told the men to go through the Negev and into the hill country to scope out the land and the people. They were told to report on the civilizations and crop growing conditions. It was grape season so they were told to bring back a sample. What if the land was barren and infertile, would the Israelites have rejected Yahweh's gift? Would we be reading this story today? Since historical evidence suggests that the Israelites may have actually been long term natives of that land, this story is probably more like nationalistic propaganda.
*Some of the places the men travelled that we haven't covered before included Rehob and the Negev. When they reached the valley of Eshcol, a place that supposedly still exists, though I could not find much information about it. They took a sample of the crops growing there. Two of the men carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. This doesn't necessarily mean the grapes were large and heavy, it may just have been their way of keeping them from getting bruised. The men explored for 40 days, a very biblical length of time.
*They went back and reported to Moses that it was a great land " flowing with milk and honey." Caleb confidently suggested they take the land right away. The other men that had gone were leary of the inhabitants and said they saw Nephilim, or Anakites, who were supposedly of great size. They made them feel as small as grasshoppers.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Numbers chapter 12
After reading chapter 12:
*In this chapter, we learn that Miriam and Aaron, Moses's sister and brother, were upset because Moses had married a Cushite woman. Why this made them upset is not stated, but there are some possibilities. 1. She was not an Israelite. The Israelites had been told in Exodus 34:16 that marrying foreign women was not God approved. Why did Moses get a pass? 2. One possible interpretation of Cushite is Ethiopian. In that case, this may have been a matter of racial prejudice, because of her dark skin. It could be both reasons or neither.
* Miriam and Aaron wanted equal billing with Moses because Yahweh had also spoken through them. What this had to do with Moses's wife is a mystery. Apparently God preferred Moses to be in charge because he was the humblest man on earth. Wow! That's quit an accomplishment.
*So, Yaweh called the three of them to stand in front of the tabernacle. He came down in the pillar of cloud and asked Miriam and Aaron to step forward. Then he rebuked them for daring to speak against Moses. Everyone else only gets revelations in dreams and visions, and we know how reliable those are. But Moses speaks clearly with God, face to face, and sees Yaweh's form. They should have been afraid to speak against him. This passage makes me wonder if the authors wrote it in response to Israelites in their time questioning the authority of Moses. It directly contradicts other scriptures that no one has seen God. It also directly contradicts the notion that God is a pure spirit being, if he has a face, a form, and a voice there must be a physical component to him. Likewise, if he can be seen and heard by humans, why hasn't he shown himself to anyone else, especially in modern times? Why would he need to cloak himself in mystery?
*When God was finished talking, the cloud lifted and Miriam was found to be leprous, white as snow, perhaps in contrast to the dark skin of the cushite? Of course that made her unclean. Moses and Aaron pleaded for Yahweh to heal her. He told Moses she would have to spend seven days outside of camp like all the other unclean people. So, the Israelites did not break camp till Miriam was "clean" again. Why wasn't Aaron punished too?
*Verse 14 says if Miriam's father had spit in her face she would have been in disgrace for seven days. We have come across no precedent or law about this yet but my study bible tells me there will be an explanation in Deuteronomy. We will wait and see.
*In this chapter, we learn that Miriam and Aaron, Moses's sister and brother, were upset because Moses had married a Cushite woman. Why this made them upset is not stated, but there are some possibilities. 1. She was not an Israelite. The Israelites had been told in Exodus 34:16 that marrying foreign women was not God approved. Why did Moses get a pass? 2. One possible interpretation of Cushite is Ethiopian. In that case, this may have been a matter of racial prejudice, because of her dark skin. It could be both reasons or neither.
* Miriam and Aaron wanted equal billing with Moses because Yahweh had also spoken through them. What this had to do with Moses's wife is a mystery. Apparently God preferred Moses to be in charge because he was the humblest man on earth. Wow! That's quit an accomplishment.
*So, Yaweh called the three of them to stand in front of the tabernacle. He came down in the pillar of cloud and asked Miriam and Aaron to step forward. Then he rebuked them for daring to speak against Moses. Everyone else only gets revelations in dreams and visions, and we know how reliable those are. But Moses speaks clearly with God, face to face, and sees Yaweh's form. They should have been afraid to speak against him. This passage makes me wonder if the authors wrote it in response to Israelites in their time questioning the authority of Moses. It directly contradicts other scriptures that no one has seen God. It also directly contradicts the notion that God is a pure spirit being, if he has a face, a form, and a voice there must be a physical component to him. Likewise, if he can be seen and heard by humans, why hasn't he shown himself to anyone else, especially in modern times? Why would he need to cloak himself in mystery?
*When God was finished talking, the cloud lifted and Miriam was found to be leprous, white as snow, perhaps in contrast to the dark skin of the cushite? Of course that made her unclean. Moses and Aaron pleaded for Yahweh to heal her. He told Moses she would have to spend seven days outside of camp like all the other unclean people. So, the Israelites did not break camp till Miriam was "clean" again. Why wasn't Aaron punished too?
*Verse 14 says if Miriam's father had spit in her face she would have been in disgrace for seven days. We have come across no precedent or law about this yet but my study bible tells me there will be an explanation in Deuteronomy. We will wait and see.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Numbers chapter 11, part 2
At the end of chapter 11, we read that a wind drove flocks of quail in from the sea to the camp so that the ground was covered with them to a depth of three feet out to a distance of a day's walk. When I read this I had many questions.
-First of all, the quail I am familiar with wouldn't have come from the sea, so what birds are these? I learned that there are many kinds of birds called quail, so these might be old world quail which are related to gulls, auks and other shore birds. It is not possible to know exactly what kind of birds these were.
-Then I remembered that gulls are not considered clean birds according to Leviticus chapter 11. So, I asked Google, "Are quail kosher birds? " The answer is: I don't know. Apparently, there are differing ideas on this. Some rabbis say yes, some say no. If they were not clean, it might explain what happens later.
-Next I asked myself, how realistic is it that quail would lie on the ground in drifts up to three feet deep, in a radius of a day's walking distance? Not likely.
*The text then tells us that noone gathered any less than ten homers of quail, which is about 60 bushels a piece. I've got another question. Were these bird alive or dead when they were gathered? If they were dead, everyone that handled them would have become "unclean."
*Also, what a pain it must have been to prepare all those quail to eat. First, they would have to have had their heads cut off and be drained of blood. Remember blood is also unclean. Then, they would have to be plucked clean of feathers, and that is not a pleasant job. Last of all, they must be cooked over an open fire, the only kind of fire the Israelites would have had. But I guess if they were starving for meat, they might not have minded.
*Well, none of that mattered. Just as the Israelites were about to have a quail feast, Yahweh struck them with a plague. Even though the text doesn't say it, the implication is that the plague killed all those people who had wanted other food besides manna, because they were buried there. In reality, it can't have been very many people because the main body of Israelites lives on, or else we wouldn't have a continuing saga to read tomorrow.
*One thing I noticed about this story is that it happened almost exactly a year after the last quail and manna story. (Exodus 16) But that time, God gave them quail to eat without striking them with a plague. Why was this time different?
-First of all, the quail I am familiar with wouldn't have come from the sea, so what birds are these? I learned that there are many kinds of birds called quail, so these might be old world quail which are related to gulls, auks and other shore birds. It is not possible to know exactly what kind of birds these were.
-Then I remembered that gulls are not considered clean birds according to Leviticus chapter 11. So, I asked Google, "Are quail kosher birds? " The answer is: I don't know. Apparently, there are differing ideas on this. Some rabbis say yes, some say no. If they were not clean, it might explain what happens later.
-Next I asked myself, how realistic is it that quail would lie on the ground in drifts up to three feet deep, in a radius of a day's walking distance? Not likely.
*The text then tells us that noone gathered any less than ten homers of quail, which is about 60 bushels a piece. I've got another question. Were these bird alive or dead when they were gathered? If they were dead, everyone that handled them would have become "unclean."
*Also, what a pain it must have been to prepare all those quail to eat. First, they would have to have had their heads cut off and be drained of blood. Remember blood is also unclean. Then, they would have to be plucked clean of feathers, and that is not a pleasant job. Last of all, they must be cooked over an open fire, the only kind of fire the Israelites would have had. But I guess if they were starving for meat, they might not have minded.
*Well, none of that mattered. Just as the Israelites were about to have a quail feast, Yahweh struck them with a plague. Even though the text doesn't say it, the implication is that the plague killed all those people who had wanted other food besides manna, because they were buried there. In reality, it can't have been very many people because the main body of Israelites lives on, or else we wouldn't have a continuing saga to read tomorrow.
*One thing I noticed about this story is that it happened almost exactly a year after the last quail and manna story. (Exodus 16) But that time, God gave them quail to eat without striking them with a plague. Why was this time different?
Numbers chapter 11, part 1
After reading chapter 11:
*"The people began to complain in the hearing of Yahweh." Does this mean there is a place out of the hearing of the lord? Well, anyway, Yahweh, that patient and loving God, sent some of his fire to burn a few of them up on the outskirts of the camp. Moses prayed on their behalf and the fire died down. If this was a true story, I would suspect Moses of starting those fires himself.
*Next, we read that the Israelites are getting awfully tired of eating manna. They want meat and vegetables, anything but manna. OK, this is just silly. We have recently read chapters and chapters about dozens of kinds of meat and grain sacrifices. There were goats, and sheep, and bulls, and pigeons, and doves to be sacrificed. Where did they come from? What were the animals eating? Who was eating them? It wasn't Yahweh. Was it the Levites? Not only that, in Leviticus 17 we were told that some people were sacrificing (slaughtering) animals out in the fields. Clearly there is a contradiction here.
*Then we get another description of manna. This time it tastes like something made with olive oil instead of wafers made with honey back in Exodus chapter 16. One wonders what the nutritional value of manna was, especially since it did not satisfy the Israelites.
*Moses heard all those hundreds of thousands of people wailing at the entrance of their tents. Yahweh got angry. Moses was peeved. He wanted to know why he had to be the babysitter in charge of so many babies. How was he going to get meat for these people. (Um, what about all those animals you are carting around for sacrifices?) Moses asked God just to kill him and put him out of his misery right there. I wonder if Moses had meat to eat.
*Yahweh tells Moses to call together 70 of the elders of Israel. He will give them the same spirit Moses has so that they can help shoulder the burden. Moses is also to tell the Israelites that tomorrow they get meat. They will have so much meat for a whole month that they will come to hate it. Moses wants to know where enough meat for six hundred thousand men, for a whole month, will come from. That's a lot of meat! Finally. This is a realistic question. Or it would be if Moses had included all the women and children. What a pesky detail. Yahweh's answer is,"You'll see."
*The seventy elders, except two, gathered at the tabernacle and got the Spirit. They were able to prophecy one time, that's it. The two elders who did not assemble with the others still got the spirit and prophesied. Joshua, Moses's aide, tattled on them. Moses accused Joshua of jealousy.
Edited.
*"The people began to complain in the hearing of Yahweh." Does this mean there is a place out of the hearing of the lord? Well, anyway, Yahweh, that patient and loving God, sent some of his fire to burn a few of them up on the outskirts of the camp. Moses prayed on their behalf and the fire died down. If this was a true story, I would suspect Moses of starting those fires himself.
*Next, we read that the Israelites are getting awfully tired of eating manna. They want meat and vegetables, anything but manna. OK, this is just silly. We have recently read chapters and chapters about dozens of kinds of meat and grain sacrifices. There were goats, and sheep, and bulls, and pigeons, and doves to be sacrificed. Where did they come from? What were the animals eating? Who was eating them? It wasn't Yahweh. Was it the Levites? Not only that, in Leviticus 17 we were told that some people were sacrificing (slaughtering) animals out in the fields. Clearly there is a contradiction here.
*Then we get another description of manna. This time it tastes like something made with olive oil instead of wafers made with honey back in Exodus chapter 16. One wonders what the nutritional value of manna was, especially since it did not satisfy the Israelites.
*Moses heard all those hundreds of thousands of people wailing at the entrance of their tents. Yahweh got angry. Moses was peeved. He wanted to know why he had to be the babysitter in charge of so many babies. How was he going to get meat for these people. (Um, what about all those animals you are carting around for sacrifices?) Moses asked God just to kill him and put him out of his misery right there. I wonder if Moses had meat to eat.
*Yahweh tells Moses to call together 70 of the elders of Israel. He will give them the same spirit Moses has so that they can help shoulder the burden. Moses is also to tell the Israelites that tomorrow they get meat. They will have so much meat for a whole month that they will come to hate it. Moses wants to know where enough meat for six hundred thousand men, for a whole month, will come from. That's a lot of meat! Finally. This is a realistic question. Or it would be if Moses had included all the women and children. What a pesky detail. Yahweh's answer is,"You'll see."
*The seventy elders, except two, gathered at the tabernacle and got the Spirit. They were able to prophecy one time, that's it. The two elders who did not assemble with the others still got the spirit and prophesied. Joshua, Moses's aide, tattled on them. Moses accused Joshua of jealousy.
Edited.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Numbers chapter 10
After reading chapter 10:
*The first part of this chapter is about the creation of two silver trumpets to be used by Aaron and his sons.
-Both trumpets blown at the same time signal a community assembly at the entrance to the tabernacle. Though how you get a million or so people to hear two trumpets, plus gather together and assemble in one spot, is a mystery.
-One trumpet means only the heads of the clans are to assemble.
-One trumpet blast, of a different signal, means the eastern camps start moving. A second blast after that and the southern camps start moving. The text doesn't mention the western and northern camps
-A trumpet blast before a battle will ensure they are remembered by God and are rescued from their enemies. God needs reminding.
-The trumpets will also be sounded at feasts, festivals, and over burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So, I'm guessing the trumpets would have been sounded fairly often. This reminds me of a scene in the Sound of Music.
*On the twentieth day of the second month, of the second year, the cloud over the tabernacle lifted. The Israelites broke camp and followed the cloud from the desert of Sinai to the desert of Paran.
The divisions of clans set out in a particular order, Judah's camp divisions left first. Again, the tribe of Judah is being given priority, even though Reuben was the oldest of Israel's sons. I wonder if this is another case of the younger brother symbolism found so often throughout the bible narrative. It looks ahead to a time when the of tribe of Judah becomes the leading tribe in the kingdom of Judah. If so, that clearly means this narrative was not written till after that time, which was not till at least the 9th century B.C.E., a few hundred years after these events would have taken place.
*The Gershonites and Merarites were to leave with the first Israelite clans so they could set up the tabernacle in the new spot before the Kohathites arrived with the holy accoutrements.
*Moses invited his brother-in-law Hobab to come with them. He declined and said he was going back to his own people. Moses begged him to stay and help them out. He promised Hobab a share of the spoils. So they travelled for three days. (A standard journey for those times.) Every day they set out, and every time they camped, Moses repeated some magical words to get Yahweh to stay with them.
*The first part of this chapter is about the creation of two silver trumpets to be used by Aaron and his sons.
-Both trumpets blown at the same time signal a community assembly at the entrance to the tabernacle. Though how you get a million or so people to hear two trumpets, plus gather together and assemble in one spot, is a mystery.
-One trumpet means only the heads of the clans are to assemble.
-One trumpet blast, of a different signal, means the eastern camps start moving. A second blast after that and the southern camps start moving. The text doesn't mention the western and northern camps
-A trumpet blast before a battle will ensure they are remembered by God and are rescued from their enemies. God needs reminding.
-The trumpets will also be sounded at feasts, festivals, and over burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. So, I'm guessing the trumpets would have been sounded fairly often. This reminds me of a scene in the Sound of Music.
*On the twentieth day of the second month, of the second year, the cloud over the tabernacle lifted. The Israelites broke camp and followed the cloud from the desert of Sinai to the desert of Paran.
The divisions of clans set out in a particular order, Judah's camp divisions left first. Again, the tribe of Judah is being given priority, even though Reuben was the oldest of Israel's sons. I wonder if this is another case of the younger brother symbolism found so often throughout the bible narrative. It looks ahead to a time when the of tribe of Judah becomes the leading tribe in the kingdom of Judah. If so, that clearly means this narrative was not written till after that time, which was not till at least the 9th century B.C.E., a few hundred years after these events would have taken place.
*The Gershonites and Merarites were to leave with the first Israelite clans so they could set up the tabernacle in the new spot before the Kohathites arrived with the holy accoutrements.
*Moses invited his brother-in-law Hobab to come with them. He declined and said he was going back to his own people. Moses begged him to stay and help them out. He promised Hobab a share of the spoils. So they travelled for three days. (A standard journey for those times.) Every day they set out, and every time they camped, Moses repeated some magical words to get Yahweh to stay with them.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Numbers chapter 9
After reading chapter 9:
*The book of Numbers began at the second month of the second year. Chapter 9 takes us back to the first month of that year to tell us that the Israelites celebrated the passover like they were supposed to, on the 14th day at twilight. However, it seems that some people were not able to celebrate because they were made unclean by a dead body. Moses consulted Yahweh, who said anyone who hadn't been able to observe it the first month must do so on the 14th day of the second month, in the same way they would have observed it in the first month. I find it interesting that the 14 th day of a lunar month is usually a full moon. Any one who failed to celebrate the passover was excommunicated.
*This chapter also refers back to the day the tabernacle was set up, which, according to Exodus, was the first day of the first month of the second year. We are again told about the cloud that came to rest over the tabernacle and how the Israelites moved when it moved, no matter how long or short the time was.
*The book of Numbers began at the second month of the second year. Chapter 9 takes us back to the first month of that year to tell us that the Israelites celebrated the passover like they were supposed to, on the 14th day at twilight. However, it seems that some people were not able to celebrate because they were made unclean by a dead body. Moses consulted Yahweh, who said anyone who hadn't been able to observe it the first month must do so on the 14th day of the second month, in the same way they would have observed it in the first month. I find it interesting that the 14 th day of a lunar month is usually a full moon. Any one who failed to celebrate the passover was excommunicated.
*This chapter also refers back to the day the tabernacle was set up, which, according to Exodus, was the first day of the first month of the second year. We are again told about the cloud that came to rest over the tabernacle and how the Israelites moved when it moved, no matter how long or short the time was.
Numbers chapter 8
After reading chapter 8:
*Now we find out what Yahweh told Moses when he spoke to him at the end of the last chapter. He told him how to position the the lamps on the lamp stand. Important stuff.
*Next, there is the consecration of the Levites with more sacrifices and wave offerings, yada, yada, yada. Again, we hear about the how the Levites replace the firstborn of the other Israelites as dedicated to God. It is their special job to make atonement for the Israelites so the Israelites won't be struck by plagues (shades of Egypt) when they go near the sanctuary.
*So, the Levites did all the sacrificing, and waving, and washing, and purifying, just as God commanded. The Levites themselves were a wave offering, which some how made them belong to God.
*Then God told Moses a Levite must be twenty five before he could serve at the tabernacle and he must retire at fifty. I wonder if they got a pension.
*Now we find out what Yahweh told Moses when he spoke to him at the end of the last chapter. He told him how to position the the lamps on the lamp stand. Important stuff.
*Next, there is the consecration of the Levites with more sacrifices and wave offerings, yada, yada, yada. Again, we hear about the how the Levites replace the firstborn of the other Israelites as dedicated to God. It is their special job to make atonement for the Israelites so the Israelites won't be struck by plagues (shades of Egypt) when they go near the sanctuary.
*So, the Levites did all the sacrificing, and waving, and washing, and purifying, just as God commanded. The Levites themselves were a wave offering, which some how made them belong to God.
*Then God told Moses a Levite must be twenty five before he could serve at the tabernacle and he must retire at fifty. I wonder if they got a pension.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Numbers chapter 7
After reading chapter 7:
*Now, we read about the gifts that each of the twelve tribes gave to the service of the tabernacle, after it was consecrated and anointed.
- First, the tribal leaders donated a total of six covered carts and twelve oxen. These were given to the Levite clans to transport the tabernacle equipment. The Gershonites got 2 carts and 4 oxen, the Merarites got four carts and eight oxen. The Kohanites didn't get any. They had to carry all the most holy stuff themselves, on their shoulders.
-Then, for the dedication of the altar, the twelve tribal leaders each brought offerings, one tribe a day for twelve days. The tribe of Judah was first. I'm guessing that is significant, since we will find that tribe taking a lead role later in the bible narrative. Each tribe brought the exact same offering and we are given 11 word for word, repetitious descriptions of it. It amounted to a quantity of silver and gold dishes, a grain offering, and a number of sacrificial animals. I still wonder why they needed manna if they had that many animals and the means to feed them, not to mention the grain offerings.
*Not only are we told the exact offering of each tribe, but we are also given the total amount of all the offerings at the end of the chapter. This really is a book of numbers.
*The last verses tell us that Moses entered the tabernacle to speak to Yahweh and he heard a voice come from between the cherubim above the cover of the ark. At least that is what we are told, there were no actual witnesses. We don't get to hear what Yaweh said til chapter 8.
Edited.
*Now, we read about the gifts that each of the twelve tribes gave to the service of the tabernacle, after it was consecrated and anointed.
- First, the tribal leaders donated a total of six covered carts and twelve oxen. These were given to the Levite clans to transport the tabernacle equipment. The Gershonites got 2 carts and 4 oxen, the Merarites got four carts and eight oxen. The Kohanites didn't get any. They had to carry all the most holy stuff themselves, on their shoulders.
-Then, for the dedication of the altar, the twelve tribal leaders each brought offerings, one tribe a day for twelve days. The tribe of Judah was first. I'm guessing that is significant, since we will find that tribe taking a lead role later in the bible narrative. Each tribe brought the exact same offering and we are given 11 word for word, repetitious descriptions of it. It amounted to a quantity of silver and gold dishes, a grain offering, and a number of sacrificial animals. I still wonder why they needed manna if they had that many animals and the means to feed them, not to mention the grain offerings.
*Not only are we told the exact offering of each tribe, but we are also given the total amount of all the offerings at the end of the chapter. This really is a book of numbers.
*The last verses tell us that Moses entered the tabernacle to speak to Yahweh and he heard a voice come from between the cherubim above the cover of the ark. At least that is what we are told, there were no actual witnesses. We don't get to hear what Yaweh said til chapter 8.
Edited.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Numbers chapter 6
After reading chapter 6:
*Most of this chapter is what to do if you have taken a Nazarite vow. We are not told specifically what is a Nazarite or his vow, but it seems to be some kind of dedication to God.
-The Nazarite must not eat or drink any products made from grapes, including wine, vinegar, grapes, raisins, etc.
- He must not cut his hair at all. That is the symbol of his dedication.
-He must not touch or go anywhere near a dead body or he will defile his hair. (?!)
-If he does defile his hair by going near a dead body, he must shave it all off and bring a sin offering to the lord, because it was a sin for him to be in the presence of a dead body. Then he must rededicate himself to the lord and start his vow period over.
-When he has fulfilled his vow he is to bring various sacrificial offerings to the tabernacle. After those are performed by the priest, he is to have his head shaved in front of the tabernacle and the hair is to be put in the fire under the fellowship offering.
-Then the priest is to take a portion of the offering, wave it in front of the lord, then keep it for himself. (I'm not making this up.)
-After that the Nazarite is free to drink wine.
*The last part of the chapter is a blessing Yahweh tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say over the Israelites. It is similar to the one sung at the sabbath meal in Fiddler in the Roof. It is echoed in Psalm 67:1. A portion of this blessing was also found on two silver amulets in a cave in Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C.E. They are one of the earliest Hebrew references to Yahweh ever found. The story of Moses would have taken place at least 600 years earlier, if it happened.
*Most of this chapter is what to do if you have taken a Nazarite vow. We are not told specifically what is a Nazarite or his vow, but it seems to be some kind of dedication to God.
-The Nazarite must not eat or drink any products made from grapes, including wine, vinegar, grapes, raisins, etc.
- He must not cut his hair at all. That is the symbol of his dedication.
-He must not touch or go anywhere near a dead body or he will defile his hair. (?!)
-If he does defile his hair by going near a dead body, he must shave it all off and bring a sin offering to the lord, because it was a sin for him to be in the presence of a dead body. Then he must rededicate himself to the lord and start his vow period over.
-When he has fulfilled his vow he is to bring various sacrificial offerings to the tabernacle. After those are performed by the priest, he is to have his head shaved in front of the tabernacle and the hair is to be put in the fire under the fellowship offering.
-Then the priest is to take a portion of the offering, wave it in front of the lord, then keep it for himself. (I'm not making this up.)
-After that the Nazarite is free to drink wine.
*The last part of the chapter is a blessing Yahweh tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say over the Israelites. It is similar to the one sung at the sabbath meal in Fiddler in the Roof. It is echoed in Psalm 67:1. A portion of this blessing was also found on two silver amulets in a cave in Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C.E. They are one of the earliest Hebrew references to Yahweh ever found. The story of Moses would have taken place at least 600 years earlier, if it happened.
Halloween special: Ghosts and spirits in the bible
Happy Halloween! Before we begin, you may want to refresh your memory with information about the historical background of Halloween here.
No matter where Halloween originated, in many religious traditions it is a time of year generally reserved for remembering the dead. Some even believe that visitations from those dead may occur, which could be good thing or a bad thing. Ghostly tales abound.
What about ghosts and the spirits of the departed in the bible? I did a little research and found a few interesting facts:
- The King James translation is quite liberal with the word ghost, using the phrase he "gave up the ghost" many times in the Old And New Testaments, in reference to dying. The original Hebrew wording refers only to the physical act of dying, no ghosts involved. Other translations render the passage with people expiring, passing away, and just plain dying. Now, imagine you have never read or heard any other translation but the KJV. What might you believed happened when people died? Where did those ghosts who left those bodies go? Maybe they were still roaming around on earth, waiting for judgement day or bothering their relatives.
-The New Living Translation and the International Standard Version of the bible sometimes translated ruined or desolate areas into "ghost towns." That is not the meaning of the original manuscript words.
-The books of Isaiah and Psalms suggest that the spirits of the dead reside underground in a place called Sheol, which is pretty much a boring place just for dead people to hang out.
-We've already seen in Leviticus that it is forbidden to consult mediums or people who talk to the spirits of the dead, but in 1 Samuel, Saul consults one anyway. The medium conjures up the spirit of Samuel the priest. He comes out of the ground as the ghostly figure of an old man wearing a robe, or at least that is what she tells Saul. He cannot see Samuel but he believes her. He can't hear Samuel either. The medium relays the message, just like mediums today. Imagine that.
-Isaiah calls mediums people who chirp and mutter.
-Various "wicked people" in the Old Testament (enemies of the Jews) are said to have resorted to using mediums to contact spirits, along with other foul deeds.
-In Matthew and Mark, Jesus's disciples thought he was a ghost when he walked on water.
-After the supposed resurrection, Jesus materializes and disappears suddenly, even in locked rooms. But, he says he is not a spirit because he has a body, and spirits don't have bodies.
-As far as I can tell with what little study I've done on this subject, there are no ghostly hauntings in the bible, only figurative hauntings of Jackals, foxes, owls, and dragons, depending on which translation you read.
No matter where Halloween originated, in many religious traditions it is a time of year generally reserved for remembering the dead. Some even believe that visitations from those dead may occur, which could be good thing or a bad thing. Ghostly tales abound.
What about ghosts and the spirits of the departed in the bible? I did a little research and found a few interesting facts:
- The King James translation is quite liberal with the word ghost, using the phrase he "gave up the ghost" many times in the Old And New Testaments, in reference to dying. The original Hebrew wording refers only to the physical act of dying, no ghosts involved. Other translations render the passage with people expiring, passing away, and just plain dying. Now, imagine you have never read or heard any other translation but the KJV. What might you believed happened when people died? Where did those ghosts who left those bodies go? Maybe they were still roaming around on earth, waiting for judgement day or bothering their relatives.
-The New Living Translation and the International Standard Version of the bible sometimes translated ruined or desolate areas into "ghost towns." That is not the meaning of the original manuscript words.
-The books of Isaiah and Psalms suggest that the spirits of the dead reside underground in a place called Sheol, which is pretty much a boring place just for dead people to hang out.
-We've already seen in Leviticus that it is forbidden to consult mediums or people who talk to the spirits of the dead, but in 1 Samuel, Saul consults one anyway. The medium conjures up the spirit of Samuel the priest. He comes out of the ground as the ghostly figure of an old man wearing a robe, or at least that is what she tells Saul. He cannot see Samuel but he believes her. He can't hear Samuel either. The medium relays the message, just like mediums today. Imagine that.
-Isaiah calls mediums people who chirp and mutter.
-Various "wicked people" in the Old Testament (enemies of the Jews) are said to have resorted to using mediums to contact spirits, along with other foul deeds.
-In Matthew and Mark, Jesus's disciples thought he was a ghost when he walked on water.
-After the supposed resurrection, Jesus materializes and disappears suddenly, even in locked rooms. But, he says he is not a spirit because he has a body, and spirits don't have bodies.
-As far as I can tell with what little study I've done on this subject, there are no ghostly hauntings in the bible, only figurative hauntings of Jackals, foxes, owls, and dragons, depending on which translation you read.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Numbers chapter 5
After reading chapter 5:
*Yahweh tells Moses that anyone, male or female, with a skin disease, a discharge, or who has come in contact with a dead body, must be sent outside the camp so they don't "defile" it. Supposedly, the Israelites did that.
*Next, Yahweh tells Moses that any one who has wronged another person, or God, must confess and make equal restitution plus a fifth. If there is no one to give the restitution to, it is to be given to the priest, along with a ram for atonement. Everything given to the priest belongs to the priest, another job benefit.
*Verses 11-29 is one of the most disturbing passages I have come upon so far. It is how to test to see if a wife is unfaithful, not because there reason to believe she is, but because the husband is feeling jealous.
-First the husband is to take the wife to the priest, along with an offering of barley flour for jealousy. Who wants to bet that the woman had no choice in this matter?
-The priest will make the woman stand before the lord. Presumably this means in front of the tabernacle.
-The priest will put holy water in a clay jar. There is no explanation of where he got the holy water and what makes it holy compared to regular water. Then, get this, he will scoop up dirt from the tabernacle floor and put it in the water.
-Then the priest will loosen the woman's hair, and make her hold the barley flour offering. (Humiliation?) While she is doing that, he says a magical oath over the pitcher of dirty water: If the woman has been faithful to her husband, may the bitter water not harm her; BUT if she has been unfaithful, may she be under a curse that causes her abdomen to swell and any child she is carrying to be miscarried. How's that for the sanctity of life in the womb?
-The woman is required to say, "Amen, so be it."
-The priest then writes the above curses on a scroll and washes the curses off the scroll into the water in the pitcher. One wonders what the ink was made from.
-Next, the priest takes the grain offering, waves it in front of the lord, and burns a handful of it. After that, he makes the woman drink the " bitter," cursed, dirty water. Again, do you think she had a choice?
-If the woman was not unfaithful, nothing would happen to her. She would be declared clean and would be able to have children. If she was unfaithful, her abdomen would swell, her womb would miscarry, and she would become a bitter curse. This would be proof of her guilt. Of course it would have nothing to do with the filthy poisoned water she was given. How many times do you think a woman would have been proven faithful using this method? (What happened to the woman after she was proved "guilty" of adultery?)
-No matter what the result, the husband would not be considered guilty of any wrong doing. One wonders what the test for an unfaithful husband was, or if there even was one.
*Yahweh tells Moses that anyone, male or female, with a skin disease, a discharge, or who has come in contact with a dead body, must be sent outside the camp so they don't "defile" it. Supposedly, the Israelites did that.
*Next, Yahweh tells Moses that any one who has wronged another person, or God, must confess and make equal restitution plus a fifth. If there is no one to give the restitution to, it is to be given to the priest, along with a ram for atonement. Everything given to the priest belongs to the priest, another job benefit.
*Verses 11-29 is one of the most disturbing passages I have come upon so far. It is how to test to see if a wife is unfaithful, not because there reason to believe she is, but because the husband is feeling jealous.
-First the husband is to take the wife to the priest, along with an offering of barley flour for jealousy. Who wants to bet that the woman had no choice in this matter?
-The priest will make the woman stand before the lord. Presumably this means in front of the tabernacle.
-The priest will put holy water in a clay jar. There is no explanation of where he got the holy water and what makes it holy compared to regular water. Then, get this, he will scoop up dirt from the tabernacle floor and put it in the water.
-Then the priest will loosen the woman's hair, and make her hold the barley flour offering. (Humiliation?) While she is doing that, he says a magical oath over the pitcher of dirty water: If the woman has been faithful to her husband, may the bitter water not harm her; BUT if she has been unfaithful, may she be under a curse that causes her abdomen to swell and any child she is carrying to be miscarried. How's that for the sanctity of life in the womb?
-The woman is required to say, "Amen, so be it."
-The priest then writes the above curses on a scroll and washes the curses off the scroll into the water in the pitcher. One wonders what the ink was made from.
-Next, the priest takes the grain offering, waves it in front of the lord, and burns a handful of it. After that, he makes the woman drink the " bitter," cursed, dirty water. Again, do you think she had a choice?
-If the woman was not unfaithful, nothing would happen to her. She would be declared clean and would be able to have children. If she was unfaithful, her abdomen would swell, her womb would miscarry, and she would become a bitter curse. This would be proof of her guilt. Of course it would have nothing to do with the filthy poisoned water she was given. How many times do you think a woman would have been proven faithful using this method? (What happened to the woman after she was proved "guilty" of adultery?)
-No matter what the result, the husband would not be considered guilty of any wrong doing. One wonders what the test for an unfaithful husband was, or if there even was one.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Numbers chapter 4
After reading chapter 4:
*This chapter gives various duties of different clans of Levites when dismantling the tabernacle and moving camp.
-First Aaron and his sons go in the tabernacle and privately wrap the ark of the covenant with cloths and put a durable leather cover over it and attach carrying poles. They do the same with the Table of the Presence and the tabernacle accessories, putting them on carrying frames or attaching poles. They prepare the golden altar (for incense) and the bronze altar (for burnt offerings) in the same way. Every thing is well wrapped, waterproofed and made ready to carry. Eleazar was in charge of the oil, incense, and grain offerings.
-After that, members of the Kohathite branch of the Levites had the privilege of carrying everything. But they must not touch any of the holy things or they will die. It occurs to me that if this is true, the chance that any Israelite ever actually saw the ark of the covenant is slim to non-existent. All they would have seen was a bulky shape covered with leather and carried with poles.
-The Gershonite branch of the Levites were to carry the tabernacle curtains and related equipment. They were under the direction of Aaron's son Ithamar.
-The Merarite branch of the Levites were to carry the tent frames, poles, tent pegs, and ropes. They were also under the direction of Ithamar.
-Then we have the counting of all the men 30-50 years old in the Kohathite, Gershonite, and Merarite clans. These men would do the serving and tent carrying for the tabernacle. There was a total of 8,580.
Edited.
*This chapter gives various duties of different clans of Levites when dismantling the tabernacle and moving camp.
-First Aaron and his sons go in the tabernacle and privately wrap the ark of the covenant with cloths and put a durable leather cover over it and attach carrying poles. They do the same with the Table of the Presence and the tabernacle accessories, putting them on carrying frames or attaching poles. They prepare the golden altar (for incense) and the bronze altar (for burnt offerings) in the same way. Every thing is well wrapped, waterproofed and made ready to carry. Eleazar was in charge of the oil, incense, and grain offerings.
-After that, members of the Kohathite branch of the Levites had the privilege of carrying everything. But they must not touch any of the holy things or they will die. It occurs to me that if this is true, the chance that any Israelite ever actually saw the ark of the covenant is slim to non-existent. All they would have seen was a bulky shape covered with leather and carried with poles.
-The Gershonite branch of the Levites were to carry the tabernacle curtains and related equipment. They were under the direction of Aaron's son Ithamar.
-The Merarite branch of the Levites were to carry the tent frames, poles, tent pegs, and ropes. They were also under the direction of Ithamar.
-Then we have the counting of all the men 30-50 years old in the Kohathite, Gershonite, and Merarite clans. These men would do the serving and tent carrying for the tabernacle. There was a total of 8,580.
Edited.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Numbers chapter 3
After reading chapter 3:
*Here we are again told about Aaron and his four sons. Nadab and and Abihu are no longer living because they used unsanctioned incense. They died childless. Eleazar and Ithamar are priests and served during the lifetime of their father.
*Yahweh told Moses to present the tribe of the Levites to Aaron and his sons as workers to assist them in the tabernacle care and duties. But, only Aaron and his sons could approach the sanctuary, anyone else would die.
*Yahweh explained that the whole tribe of Levites belonged to him. They were stand ins for the first born sons of the other Israelites. Why? Because all first born Israelites (and animals) belong to God, why? Because Egypt. After all, he didn't kill them when he killed the Egyptian firstborn, and he could have.
*Now the Levite males are counted, every one a month old and up. There were 22,000 all together, another nice round number. It is significantly less than the number of adult males in any of the the other tribes. Next, in order to insure each individual Levite male is the redemption for one of the firstborn of the other Israelites, the firstborn of the other tribes, from one month on up, are all counted. There were 22, 273, an excess of 273 Israelites who didn't have a Levite match. No problem, says Yahweh. Just collect 5 shekels of silver for each one of the 273, then give the money to Aaron and his sons, of course.
*So, Moses collected all that silver and gave it to Aaron and his sons.
One wonders if this was just a one time deal or if an accounting needed to be done any time another Levite male or first born male Israelite was born.
*Here we are again told about Aaron and his four sons. Nadab and and Abihu are no longer living because they used unsanctioned incense. They died childless. Eleazar and Ithamar are priests and served during the lifetime of their father.
*Yahweh told Moses to present the tribe of the Levites to Aaron and his sons as workers to assist them in the tabernacle care and duties. But, only Aaron and his sons could approach the sanctuary, anyone else would die.
*Yahweh explained that the whole tribe of Levites belonged to him. They were stand ins for the first born sons of the other Israelites. Why? Because all first born Israelites (and animals) belong to God, why? Because Egypt. After all, he didn't kill them when he killed the Egyptian firstborn, and he could have.
*Now the Levite males are counted, every one a month old and up. There were 22,000 all together, another nice round number. It is significantly less than the number of adult males in any of the the other tribes. Next, in order to insure each individual Levite male is the redemption for one of the firstborn of the other Israelites, the firstborn of the other tribes, from one month on up, are all counted. There were 22, 273, an excess of 273 Israelites who didn't have a Levite match. No problem, says Yahweh. Just collect 5 shekels of silver for each one of the 273, then give the money to Aaron and his sons, of course.
*So, Moses collected all that silver and gave it to Aaron and his sons.
One wonders if this was just a one time deal or if an accounting needed to be done any time another Levite male or first born male Israelite was born.
Numbers chapter 2
After reading chapter 2:
*This chapter explains how the twelve divisions of the Israelites were to set up camp. Three divisions each at the sites east, west, north and south of the tabernacle.
-In the eastern section, the leader would be the tribe of Judah. With them would camp the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun. When camp was broken, they would set out first.
-In the southern section, the leader would be the tribe of Reuben. With them would be the tribes of Simeon and Gad. When camp was broken, they would set out second.
-The tabernacle would be in the middle of the camp and the Levites would camp around it. They would set out in the same order in which they set up camp. We are not told what order that is.
-In the western section, the leader would be the tribe of Ephraim. With them would camp the tribes of Benjamin and Manasseh. They would set out third.
-In the northern section, the leader would be the tribe of Dan. With them would camp the tribes of Asher and Naphtali. When camp was broken, they would set out last.
The numbers from chapter one are repeated and tallied again. We are told the Israelites did what God told them.
*This chapter explains how the twelve divisions of the Israelites were to set up camp. Three divisions each at the sites east, west, north and south of the tabernacle.
-In the eastern section, the leader would be the tribe of Judah. With them would camp the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun. When camp was broken, they would set out first.
-In the southern section, the leader would be the tribe of Reuben. With them would be the tribes of Simeon and Gad. When camp was broken, they would set out second.
-The tabernacle would be in the middle of the camp and the Levites would camp around it. They would set out in the same order in which they set up camp. We are not told what order that is.
-In the western section, the leader would be the tribe of Ephraim. With them would camp the tribes of Benjamin and Manasseh. They would set out third.
-In the northern section, the leader would be the tribe of Dan. With them would camp the tribes of Asher and Naphtali. When camp was broken, they would set out last.
The numbers from chapter one are repeated and tallied again. We are told the Israelites did what God told them.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Numbers chapter 1
After reading chapter 1:
*Back in Exodus 40, the tabernacle was finished and set up on the frst day of the first month, of the second year in the desert. Now, in Numbers, it is the first day of the second month of the same year. Moses has a private conversation with Yahweh in the tent of meeting, which we will assume is the tabernacle. So, apparently, Leviticus took place in between these times. God tells Moses that he and Aaron are to take a census of all the male Israelites twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army. The heads of the clans were to help them.
*Each person counted registered his ancestry by clan and family. Every single name was supposedly written down, one by one. Twelve clans of Israel were counted, those of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph), Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The Levites, the clan of priests, were exempt from service in the Army because they had the special privilege of taking care of all the tabernacle stuff. Nice work, if you can get it.
*The numbers of fighting men in each clan are almost miraculous, they all end with zeroes. All but one end with two zeroes. No odd numbers. Each clan has between 32,000 and 75,000 men. Together they total 603,550. My study bible suggests that the total population, including women and children should have been in excess of 2 million persons, twice the population of Austin, Texas. They all travelled and camped in the desert together for many years and left no trace of their existance. Amazing feat.
*Whenever the Israelites camped, they were to set up their tents in divisions according to their clans. The Levites were to set up their tents around the tabernacle. Only Levites could participate in the setting up and dismantling of the tabernacle. If anyone else came near during this process, they wiould die. They were to literally keep it all in the family.
*Back in Exodus 40, the tabernacle was finished and set up on the frst day of the first month, of the second year in the desert. Now, in Numbers, it is the first day of the second month of the same year. Moses has a private conversation with Yahweh in the tent of meeting, which we will assume is the tabernacle. So, apparently, Leviticus took place in between these times. God tells Moses that he and Aaron are to take a census of all the male Israelites twenty years and older who are able to serve in the army. The heads of the clans were to help them.
*Each person counted registered his ancestry by clan and family. Every single name was supposedly written down, one by one. Twelve clans of Israel were counted, those of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph), Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The Levites, the clan of priests, were exempt from service in the Army because they had the special privilege of taking care of all the tabernacle stuff. Nice work, if you can get it.
*The numbers of fighting men in each clan are almost miraculous, they all end with zeroes. All but one end with two zeroes. No odd numbers. Each clan has between 32,000 and 75,000 men. Together they total 603,550. My study bible suggests that the total population, including women and children should have been in excess of 2 million persons, twice the population of Austin, Texas. They all travelled and camped in the desert together for many years and left no trace of their existance. Amazing feat.
*Whenever the Israelites camped, they were to set up their tents in divisions according to their clans. The Levites were to set up their tents around the tabernacle. Only Levites could participate in the setting up and dismantling of the tabernacle. If anyone else came near during this process, they wiould die. They were to literally keep it all in the family.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Introduction to Numbers
Before reading the book of numbers, please read the Wikipedia article here.
Numbers was definitely not written by Moses over a thousand years before the common era. It was most likely put together by priests in the 500's B.C.E. It's story begins at Mount Sinai and ends with the Israelites getting ready to enter into the promised land. The English name of the book reflects the counting of the Israelites in the story.
Numbers was definitely not written by Moses over a thousand years before the common era. It was most likely put together by priests in the 500's B.C.E. It's story begins at Mount Sinai and ends with the Israelites getting ready to enter into the promised land. The English name of the book reflects the counting of the Israelites in the story.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Leviticus wrap up
First, what did we not see in Leviticus: Heaven, Hell, eternal punishment or reward, demons, devils, miracles, Satan, any mention or hint of a messaiah or son of God,
What did we learn about Yahweh:
-He favors the Israelites over all other people and the Levites over all other Israelites.
-He approves of slavery, unless it involves Israelites
-He is extraordinarily obsessed with ceremonial cleanness and the number seven.
-He is loves animal sacrifices, gifts of food that he will never eat, and money that he will never use.
-He is ruthless and unbending in his punishments for disobedience, not considering circumstances.
-He seems unaware of simple preventative measures for mold, how to keep land fertile, how to treat wounds, and other things an omniscient God should know.
-He places a lower value on females than males.
-He lives in an inner area of the tabernacle tent, hovering over the arc, between the cherubim's wings..
-He is only to be visited once a year, on the day of atonement, by the high priest.
-All the info about him and his laws was supposedly given to Aaron and the people by Moses.
We also learned that there was unrest in the camp. Some people made their own sacrifices to other gods out in the fields. Some even blasphemed Yahweh. It was made quite clear that doing your own thing could have dire consequences, namely death or excommunication. Execution included stoning and burning. Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, used the wrong kind of incense and were blasted out of existance by God.
All that aside, what we see is an extraordinary amount of control over the personal lives and possessions of others given to the priestly class. This is a true theocracy. Certainly no one today wants that.
One thing to remember is that these laws were supposedly created over three thousand years ago for the Israelites as a nation, living in the "promised land." Nowhere do these passages imply that any other people living in any other place are expected to abide by them, least of all in modern America. To expect otherwise is delusional.
Other legal codes predate this Mosaic law by several hundreds of years and use some of the same terminology, such as the code of Hammurabi. They are also better attested to in the archaeological record, being found on very ancient clay tablets and stones. The mosaic law can not be proven to be anywhere near as old as it claims to be.
There is no concrete evidence for any of the specific events in this book. It does not claim to be written by Moses or to be the word of God.
Edited 10/25/15
What did we learn about Yahweh:
-He favors the Israelites over all other people and the Levites over all other Israelites.
-He approves of slavery, unless it involves Israelites
-He is extraordinarily obsessed with ceremonial cleanness and the number seven.
-He is loves animal sacrifices, gifts of food that he will never eat, and money that he will never use.
-He is ruthless and unbending in his punishments for disobedience, not considering circumstances.
-He seems unaware of simple preventative measures for mold, how to keep land fertile, how to treat wounds, and other things an omniscient God should know.
-He places a lower value on females than males.
-He lives in an inner area of the tabernacle tent, hovering over the arc, between the cherubim's wings..
-He is only to be visited once a year, on the day of atonement, by the high priest.
-All the info about him and his laws was supposedly given to Aaron and the people by Moses.
We also learned that there was unrest in the camp. Some people made their own sacrifices to other gods out in the fields. Some even blasphemed Yahweh. It was made quite clear that doing your own thing could have dire consequences, namely death or excommunication. Execution included stoning and burning. Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, used the wrong kind of incense and were blasted out of existance by God.
All that aside, what we see is an extraordinary amount of control over the personal lives and possessions of others given to the priestly class. This is a true theocracy. Certainly no one today wants that.
One thing to remember is that these laws were supposedly created over three thousand years ago for the Israelites as a nation, living in the "promised land." Nowhere do these passages imply that any other people living in any other place are expected to abide by them, least of all in modern America. To expect otherwise is delusional.
Other legal codes predate this Mosaic law by several hundreds of years and use some of the same terminology, such as the code of Hammurabi. They are also better attested to in the archaeological record, being found on very ancient clay tablets and stones. The mosaic law can not be proven to be anywhere near as old as it claims to be.
There is no concrete evidence for any of the specific events in this book. It does not claim to be written by Moses or to be the word of God.
Edited 10/25/15
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Leviticus 27
After reading Leviticus 27:
*I found this chapter a little confusing and had to read it multiple times, along with the study bible notes. Here is what it seems to be saying, at face value:
Things and people can be given (dedicated) to the lord by special vows. But the actual person or item doesn't have to be physically given, an amount of money equivalent to the gift can be given. Who do you think got the money? Did you say the priests? I'm thinking that would be a good guess. What would God do with money?
There are rules for each type of gift:
-A gift of a person (as though you can give people as gifts) is represented by a monetary amount based on their age and gender. The most valuable people were between twenty and sixty years of age. Young children were of the least value. Females were less valuable than males. Frankly, this appears to me to be a substitute for human sacrifice.
-A ceremonially clean animal gift to the lord is accepted outright and becomes holy.
-A ceremonially unclean animal gift to the lord must be presented to the priest who will judge it as good or bad. The priest will set a value for the animal. If the person wishes to give money in place of the animal, he must add a fifth to the value.
-A house dedicated to the lord is to be judged good or bad by the priest, who will set its value. If the person wishes to give money in place of the house, he must add a fifth to the value. It seems that, among other things, the priests would have controlled the market value of real estate.
-Family land dedicated to the lord is to have a monetary exchange value of the amount of seed it would take to plant on it, but only in the year of Jubilee. Its monetary value decreases during the years between Jubilees. The priests set the value, and if the person wishes to substitute money for the gift of land, he must add a fifth of the value. If he does not substitute money for the land, he doesn't get the land back at the Jubilee. It becomes holy land belonging to the priests, of course.
-Previously purchased, non-family land dedicated to the lord is valued by the priests according to how close to the Jubilee it is. In the year of the Jubilee it reverts to its family of origin.
-A first born animal may not be dedicated to the lord because it already belongs to him. If it happens to be unclean, he can buy it back at a fifth more than its value (determined by the priests) or the priests will sell it themselves.
The money used to redeem property is silver shekels. The standard is the sanctuary shekel.
Now, apparently, Devoting something to the lord is different than Dedicating something. People or property devoted to the lord cannot be redeemed monetarily. Everything devoted becomes holy, probably meaning it now belongs to the priests.
People devoted to destruction cannot be redeemed monetarily, they must be put to death. I take this to mean that anyone incurring the death penalty, because of breaking the aforementioned laws in Leviticus, cannot get out of their sentence by monetary redemption.
*Added to everything else, a tithe of everything that a person's land produces,of all food and livestock, must be given to the lord. (Read the priests) It can be monetarily redeemed by adding a fifth to its value, which was probably determined by the priests.
There ends the book probably written by priests, outlining laws, duties, responsibilities, plus priestly privileges and job benefits.
*I found this chapter a little confusing and had to read it multiple times, along with the study bible notes. Here is what it seems to be saying, at face value:
Things and people can be given (dedicated) to the lord by special vows. But the actual person or item doesn't have to be physically given, an amount of money equivalent to the gift can be given. Who do you think got the money? Did you say the priests? I'm thinking that would be a good guess. What would God do with money?
There are rules for each type of gift:
-A gift of a person (as though you can give people as gifts) is represented by a monetary amount based on their age and gender. The most valuable people were between twenty and sixty years of age. Young children were of the least value. Females were less valuable than males. Frankly, this appears to me to be a substitute for human sacrifice.
-A ceremonially clean animal gift to the lord is accepted outright and becomes holy.
-A ceremonially unclean animal gift to the lord must be presented to the priest who will judge it as good or bad. The priest will set a value for the animal. If the person wishes to give money in place of the animal, he must add a fifth to the value.
-A house dedicated to the lord is to be judged good or bad by the priest, who will set its value. If the person wishes to give money in place of the house, he must add a fifth to the value. It seems that, among other things, the priests would have controlled the market value of real estate.
-Family land dedicated to the lord is to have a monetary exchange value of the amount of seed it would take to plant on it, but only in the year of Jubilee. Its monetary value decreases during the years between Jubilees. The priests set the value, and if the person wishes to substitute money for the gift of land, he must add a fifth of the value. If he does not substitute money for the land, he doesn't get the land back at the Jubilee. It becomes holy land belonging to the priests, of course.
-Previously purchased, non-family land dedicated to the lord is valued by the priests according to how close to the Jubilee it is. In the year of the Jubilee it reverts to its family of origin.
-A first born animal may not be dedicated to the lord because it already belongs to him. If it happens to be unclean, he can buy it back at a fifth more than its value (determined by the priests) or the priests will sell it themselves.
The money used to redeem property is silver shekels. The standard is the sanctuary shekel.
Now, apparently, Devoting something to the lord is different than Dedicating something. People or property devoted to the lord cannot be redeemed monetarily. Everything devoted becomes holy, probably meaning it now belongs to the priests.
People devoted to destruction cannot be redeemed monetarily, they must be put to death. I take this to mean that anyone incurring the death penalty, because of breaking the aforementioned laws in Leviticus, cannot get out of their sentence by monetary redemption.
*Added to everything else, a tithe of everything that a person's land produces,of all food and livestock, must be given to the lord. (Read the priests) It can be monetarily redeemed by adding a fifth to its value, which was probably determined by the priests.
There ends the book probably written by priests, outlining laws, duties, responsibilities, plus priestly privileges and job benefits.
Leviticus 26
After reading Leviticus 26:
*It seems that we have reached the end of the law making. This chapter is about rewards and punishments for following or not following all those laws.
First we have the rewards for absolute obedience to Yahweh's commands:
-Rain
-Plentiful crops
-Peace in the land
-An absence of wild animals ( It appears God doesn't know this would hurt the ecosystem, not to mention cause an increase in small rodents.)
-An absence of war
-The ability to slaughter their enemies easily (What defines an enemy?)
-An increase in population (This can also backfire, too many people becomes a strain on the economy and the land. But that idea is contrary to tribal thinking.)
-God will live and walk among them, even though they will never personally see or hear him and they will have to take the priest's word for it.
Next we have consequences for failing to carry out all of god's commands, which will violate his covenant:
-Disease
-Famine
-Subjugation to enemies
-Imaginary fears
-Attacks by wild animals
-War in the land, which will cause plagues and deprivation
-They will eat their own children.
-God will tear down places of idol worship. (Well, not him personally, but his agents, the priests.)
-Cities will be ruined and the land will get an enforced Sabbath rest.
-They will waste away as captives in the lands of their enemies.
All these afflictions will be multiplied seven times over. But, after they are punished, if they confess their sins, the land will be waiting for them to return from their exile. God won't forget about them.
They will not be completely destroyed and he will remember his covenant with them.
Wow! This all eventually came true. Isn't it miraculous? Well, it might have been if these passages were actually written in the time of Moses. There is more reason to believe they were written after the Babylonian and Persian exiles. (See Leviticus.) Even if it was written beforehand, these kind of events happened with alarming frequency throughout the ancient world. Were the other conquered people's gods punishing them in the same way that Yahweh punished the Israelites? Since the Babylonians and Persians prospered against the Israelites, does that mean Yahweh favored them at the time, even though they worshipped other gods?
*It seems that we have reached the end of the law making. This chapter is about rewards and punishments for following or not following all those laws.
First we have the rewards for absolute obedience to Yahweh's commands:
-Rain
-Plentiful crops
-Peace in the land
-An absence of wild animals ( It appears God doesn't know this would hurt the ecosystem, not to mention cause an increase in small rodents.)
-An absence of war
-The ability to slaughter their enemies easily (What defines an enemy?)
-An increase in population (This can also backfire, too many people becomes a strain on the economy and the land. But that idea is contrary to tribal thinking.)
-God will live and walk among them, even though they will never personally see or hear him and they will have to take the priest's word for it.
Next we have consequences for failing to carry out all of god's commands, which will violate his covenant:
-Disease
-Famine
-Subjugation to enemies
-Imaginary fears
-Attacks by wild animals
-War in the land, which will cause plagues and deprivation
-They will eat their own children.
-God will tear down places of idol worship. (Well, not him personally, but his agents, the priests.)
-Cities will be ruined and the land will get an enforced Sabbath rest.
-They will waste away as captives in the lands of their enemies.
All these afflictions will be multiplied seven times over. But, after they are punished, if they confess their sins, the land will be waiting for them to return from their exile. God won't forget about them.
They will not be completely destroyed and he will remember his covenant with them.
Wow! This all eventually came true. Isn't it miraculous? Well, it might have been if these passages were actually written in the time of Moses. There is more reason to believe they were written after the Babylonian and Persian exiles. (See Leviticus.) Even if it was written beforehand, these kind of events happened with alarming frequency throughout the ancient world. Were the other conquered people's gods punishing them in the same way that Yahweh punished the Israelites? Since the Babylonians and Persians prospered against the Israelites, does that mean Yahweh favored them at the time, even though they worshipped other gods?
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