Bamidbar: Numbers 1-4:20
LA JOLLA, California — This opening portion of the Book of Numbers covers:
Chapter 1 dictates a census of the entire Israelite desert community; males only from age 20 and up; not to include Levites. Like most ancient counts, the tally of 603,550 is exaggerated, according to scholars.
Chapter 2 dictates the site distributions of the tribes around the camp:
(a) On the east, under the identifying standard and lead of Judaites, they are accompanied by Issacharites, and Zebulunites.
(b) On the south, under the standard and lead of Reubenites, they are accompanied by Simeonites and Gadites.
(c) On the west, under the standard and lead of Ephraimites, they are accompanied by Manassites and Benjaminites.
(d) On the north, under the standard and lead of the Danites, they are accompanied by Asherites and Naphtalites.
Chapter 3 dictates the census count of the Levite males from age one and up, to then be arranged as follows:
(a) Kohanim in front of the Tent of Meeting,
(b) Gershonites at the west edge of the Tent,
(c) Kohathltes at the south edge of the Tent, and
(d) Merrarites at the north edge of the Tent.
The total Levites so counted came to 22,000, meant to correspond to the total number of first-born Israelites. The text also dictates the duties of each Levite group. It then determines that the total of all Israelite first borns from age one month and up actually came to 22,273. Since 22,000 of them were to correspond to the 22,000 Levites, there was an excess of 273. These were redeemed at five shekels a head i.e. 273 x 5= 1365, this total to go to the High Priest Aaron and sons, for their duties.
Numbers 4:1-20 The script dictates that, on dismantling of the camp, Aaron and sons initiate the process by privately covering all sacred objects in blue cloth. There follows the subsequent distribution of porterage duties of these objects by the Levite tribes, with instructions that extend into next week’s reading.
I have chosen three passages from this parasha for comparison with ancient pagan practices, from internet sources.
I. Numbers 1:1-46 ” Take a census…male(s)…twenty years and up..who are able to bear arms… enrolled to 603,550.”
Per the internet, the first recorded census (on clay tiles), was in Babylonia around 4000 BCE, used as a guide for the amount of food the population needed.
From around 2500 BCE, Egyptians used censuses to work out the scale of the labor force to build pyramids. They also used the information to plan the share-out of the land after each annual flooding of the Nile.
The Chinese too began to take censuses around 2500 BCE. A Han Dynasty census in the year 2 CE, is considered by scholars to be relatively accurate. It recorded 57.67 million people in 12.36 million households.
The Romans conducted censuses every five years, beginning in the 6th century BCE. They called on every man, with his family, to return to his place of birth for the count. It was used to determine taxes and for military purposes. [1] The story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is attributed to such a transient move from the Galilee by Joseph and Mary.
I also discovered birth rates averaged 5-9 per woman. However, elite families were more associated with family limitation, evidently to preserve their socioeconomic standing. Graveyard populations suggest high male to female ratios, perhaps indicative of female infanticide.
There were high death rates, with mean life expectancy at 20-30 years. This low lifespan was true also among the elite, e.g. in Rome. Egyptian evidence indicates higher death rates in large cities. In the Mediterranean area, there was a high vulnerability to infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal, plus malaria and tuberculosis. Leprosy spread from Egypt during the Roman period. Smallpox first appeared, possibly in Athens in 430 BCE, and probably throughout the Roman Empire in 160-180 CE. Plague from the hinterlands erupted in a massive pandemic around 540 CE. [2]
II. Numbers 2:2-33 ..”The Israelites shall camp each with his standard…around the Tent of Meeting at a distance..on east side…division of Judah…on the south…of Reuben…on the west…of Ephraim…on the north…of Dan….for all troops 603,550…Levites not (here) recorded…”
I found that the Tabernacle layout was nearly a copy of the Egyptian war camp and tent of Rameses II. This is portrayed in the reliefs on the wall of The Great Hall at Abu Sunbel, of the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites (1274 BCE).
The dimensions and layouts of both are remarkably similar. Both tents are rectangular, being twice as long as wide. Both are oriented east to west, with the entrance on the east. The Egyptian intent was to see the sun rise, i.e Rameses to greet his father, the sun god each AM.
Inside the Egyptian tent, there is an inner square tent which holds the Pharaoh’s golden throne, where he held meetings with his generals and high staff. At this site is Rameses’ cartouche (god symbol) flanked on either side by a representation of the falcon god Horus. The wings of Horus cover Pharaoh’s golden throne, much like the cherubim in the Hebrew Tabernacle. [3]
III. Numbers 3:11-50 “Lord spoke…I hereby take the Levites…in place of all the first-born…be mine…(as) I smote every first-born…in Egypt, I consecrate every first-born in Israel (in memory of the Tenth Plague)…to be Mine…all…(Levite) males…age one month up…came to 22,000. in place of every first-born among the people…(which) came to 22,273…And as the redemption price of the (extra) 273…over the number of the Levites…take five shekels per head…and give…to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those (5 x 273 =) 1365).shekels…”
On the internet, I found nothing among ancient pagans even remotely like this passage regarding first-borns, or even a census of first-borns. Also there were no ‘collections’ for redemption.
However, pagan ancients, like the Hebrews, nearly universally did celebrate birthdays, and gave special favor to primogeniture males. [4]
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NOTES
[1] UK Office for National Statistics/national archives.gov.uk
[2] encyclopedia.com, Ancient World, Demography of, updated May 16, 2020
[3] The Military History of Ancient Israel, Richard A. Gabriel, Praaeger, Westport, CT ISBN 0-275-97798-6
[4] The People’s Dictionary of the Bible, J.R. Beard, London, Simpkin, Marshall & Co.,1850
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Irv Jacobs is a retired medical doctor who delights in Torah analysis. He often delivers a drosh at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, and at his chavurah.