...
Below is an excerpt of Halpern's argument on 'elep :
...
This is the first weakness of the hypothesis: there is no reason to supply
any figure before the 730 of Numbers 26:51 or the 550 of Numbers 1:46, let
alone the specific figures that must be chosen. Moreover, there is no reason
to suppose that the Israelite reader to whom these texts were directed would
divine that he was expected to supply these figures -how could the Israelite
be expected to understand that the notation 601,730 or 601 thousands and 730
really meant 601 clans and 5,730 people ? But this first difficulty is
compounded by a more serious one. Read with Mendenhall, the lists and the
summations do not tally. Numbers 1, read with Mendenhall mentions 598
"clans" and 5,550 warriors. Numbers 1:46 has the same number of warriors if
we supply the figure 5,000; but it thinks there were 603 "thousands" or
"clans". Numbers 26 has 596 clans and 5,730 warriors. But Numbers 26:51
(601,730), even read with Mendenhall to imply 5,730 warriors, has 601
"clans." (pp. 113-115. Halpern)
Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.