Numbers 21–36

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baruch A. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Power Struggles ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ten Commandments ◽  
Uncertain Future

The Book of Numbers is an account of how the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after receiving the Ten Commandments of Mount Sinai. Through this time of testing, while facing an uncertain future, the people complained repeatedly to Moses and to God. Though fraught with tension and power struggles, their pilgrimage led to the discovery that God is indeed faithful to His promises, regardless of how people behave. In Numbers 21-36, world-renowned Bible scholar Baruch A. Levine unravels the complexity and confusing details in this Old Testament book. His lucid translation, based on thorough textual and linguistic research, including the ancient Deir Alla texts, opens the door for modern readers to understand and appreciate the richness of this intriguing book. Further, Levine examines the route of the wilderness wanderings, the ancient Near Eastern context of the laws, the social organization of early Israel, and the meaning of this biblical book for the contemporary world. Destined to become a classic and to share the same glowing reception that greeted Numbers 1-20 and its publication, Numbers 21-36 also completes the Anchor Bible series' first multivolume commentary on a book of the Torah.

Numbers 1–20

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baruch A. Levine
Keyword(s):  
Power Struggles ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Promised Land ◽  
The People ◽  
Ten Commandments

The Book of Numbers is an account of the young would-be nation of Israel's wanderings in the Wilderness after the magnificent event at Sinai, where Moses speaks with God face-to-face and receives the Ten Commandments. Throughout this time of trial, the people complain, sensing the contrast between the relative security of slavery in Egypt, from which they have fled, and the precarious insecurity of freedom in the Wilderness. Numbers is a book filled with power struggles, raising questions about who speaks for God, along with personal and communal crises of faith and rumors of revolt. Yet despite the people's blindness and rebelliousness, God remains faithful to the promises made to Israel's ancestors--Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Moses--and remains at Israel's side, guiding her slowly but surely to the Promised Land. In all, Numbers describes a terrific journey of discipline and dependence upon the God who liberated the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt: a journey to strengthen Israel for the challenge of a new and wondrous land and the battles she will have to fight in order to claim and keep it.

scholarly journals SPACE-TIME TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE UPPER XINGU AND UPPER RIO NEGRO

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 699-724
Author(s):  
Geraldo Andrello ◽  
Antonio Guerreiro ◽  
Stephen Hugh-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Rio Negro ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Esoteric Knowledge ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Time Transformations

Abstract The multi-ethnic and multilingual complexes of the Upper Rio Negro and the Upper Xingu share common aspects that frequently emerge in ethnographies, including notions of descent, hierarchical social organization and ritual activities, as well as a preference for forms of exogamy and the unequal distribution of productive and ritual specialties and esoteric knowledge. In this article we investigate how the people of both regions conceive of their humanity and that of their neighbours as variations on a shared form, since in both regions ritual processes for negotiating positions and prerogatives seems to take the place of the latent state of warfare typical of the social life of other Amazonian peoples. In this article we will synthesize, for each region, the spatio-temporal processes that underscore the eminently variable constitution of collectivities, seeking, in conclusion, to isolate those elements that the two regions have in common.

Challenging Norms Supportive of Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 126-141
Author(s):  
Obediah Dodo
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ways Of Life

Norms have a contribution in determining violence: how it starts, is unleashed, and its effect on the entirety of the society. They are important in moulding the behaviours of the people. However, they may be problematic and instigate violence. Realising an upsurge in violence emanating from some of the norms in Zimbabwean cultures, the study sought to understand all the various forms of norms, their functionalities, and how they influence violence before seeking to craft means of challenging them. The study is guided by the social norms approach. The study found out that social and cultural norms have over a period grown to define most societies' ways of life. However, there are elements that always try to create conflicts. To attend to the disruptive elements, there are interventions that may be applied to challenge some of these norms, usually combined with other methods, legislation and policies, education, adoption of contemporary world standards, communication, and inclusive lobbying and advocacy, among others.

Laws in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Greengus
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Biblical Law ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
The People ◽  
Divine Origin ◽  
The Law ◽  
Criminal Behaviors ◽  
The Many

Biblical laws are found mainly in the Pentateuch (i.e., the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). The laws are linked to the figure of Moses, who is depicted as having received them directly from God in order to transmit them to the people of Israel during the years in the Wilderness after being released from slavery in Egypt. Biblical laws are thus presented as being of divine origin. Their authority was further bolstered by a tradition that they were included in covenants (i.e., formal agreements made between God and the people as recorded in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy). Similar claims of divine origin were not made for other ancient Near Eastern laws; their authority flowed from kings, who issued the laws, although these kings might also be seen as having been placed on their thrones through the favor of the gods. The biblical law collections are unlike other ancient Near Eastern “codes” in that they include sacral laws (i.e., governing cult, worship, and ritual, as well as secular laws: namely, governing civil, and criminal behaviors). This mingling of sacral and secular categories is the likely reason both for the many terms used to denote the laws, as well as for the unexpected number of formulations in which they are presented. The formulations used in biblical law can be classified as “casuistic” or “non-casuistic.” They are not equally distributed in the books of the Pentateuch nor are they equally used with secular and sacral laws. While there are similarities in content between secular laws found in the Hebrew Bible and laws found in the ancient Near Eastern law “codes,” the latter do not exhibit a comparable variety in the numbers of law terms and formulations. The Hebrew Bible tended to “blur” the differences between the law terms and their formulations, ultimately to the point of subsuming them all under the law term torah (“teaching”) to describe the totality of the divinely given laws in the Pentateuch. Biblical studies in general and Pentateuchal studies in particular are challenged by the fact that manuscripts contemporary with the events described have not survived the ravages the time. Scholars must therefore rely on looking for “clues” within the texts themselves (e.g., the laws cited by the prophets, the reform of Josiah, the teaching of torah by Ezra, and evidence for customs and customary laws found in books of the Hebrew Bible outside of the Pentateuch).

scholarly journals Dampak Sosial Politik terhadap Perkembangan Ekonomi Umat Allah Zaman Perjanjian Lama

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Karel Siahaya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Political Power ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Social Politics ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social

This is a study of the Old Testament about the economic development of the Old Testament Israelites which was influenced by several things such as social politics. The purpose of this discussion is to show the social, potent and even geographical influences on the economic development of the people. By using descriptive methods, the conclusion obtained from this study is, political power will have an impact on the economic development of the people in it. Likewise, with social, there is a development of social structures based on the economy. Abstrak Ini adalah sebuah kajian Perjanjian Lama tentang perkembangan ekonomi umat Israel zaman Perjanjian Lama yang dipengaruhi oleh beberapa hal seperti sosial politik. Tujuan pembahasan ini adalah untuk menunjukkan pengaruh sosial, potik, bahkan geografi terhadap perkembangna ekonomi umat. Dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif, kesimpulan yang diperoleh dari kajian ini adalah, kekuasaan politik akan memberikan dampak bagi perkembangan ekonomi umat di dalamnya. Demikian juga dengan sosial, terjadi perkembangan struktur sosial berdasarkan ekonomi.

scholarly journals The Determinants of Phubbing Behaviour: a Millenials Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12S) ◽  
pp. 806-812
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Disruptive Technologies ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Romantic Satisfaction

In this contemporary world, where disruptive technologies are making their way to change the entire lifestyle of a mankind, smart phones have emerged to be a life changer. The smart phones which contain the features of pocket computers possess many properties which include camera, internet, online video streaming, game applications and social media networking. However, despite their obvious advantages in bringing people together virtually, smartphones on the contrary have pulled the people apart in reality. Further, the increased usage of smartphone has given birth to different addictions which create the tendencies for the basis of „Phubbing‟. The term „Phubbing‟ is a combination of two words „phone‟ and „snubbing‟. According to oxford dictionary, phubbing is “The practice of ignoring one's companion or companions in order to pay attention to one's phone or other mobile device” led to hamper the social relationships and romantic satisfaction, that ultimately resulting into a partner‟s depression and dissatisfaction with life. The use of phone during a conversation interfere the sense of connection to the other person, and obstructs the quality of the conversation. Therefore, a deep understanding and insight is required in this area so as to protect & develop young brain socially and proactively. Keeping this in mind, a study was conducted among the millennial of Delhi (India) region so as to identify the key antecedents of Phubbing behavior. For the present study, 360 responses were collected through Purposive sampling technique. The study found that Watsapp addiction; Game addiction and Social Media addiction are the major determinants in affecting phubbing behavior of the millennial.

Violence and Personhood in Ancient Israel and Comparative Contexts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Western World ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Ancient Israel ◽  
American Society ◽  
The Right

How should the human body be treated? Should bodies be slaughtered, starved, tortured, sold, and shot in the streets? Whose bodies should be treated in these ways and whose protected from harm? Who has the right to seek redress in cases of abuse and who is seen as fit for dehumanization? This book addresses these very questions, examining materials from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, ancient Near Eastern literature, and contemporary American society. In the first book-length work on personhood in ancient Israel, the author reveals widespread intersections between violence and personhood in both this society and the wider region. Relations of domination and subordination were so important to the culture and social organization of ancient Israel that these relations too often determined the boundaries of personhood itself. Rather than being fixed, personhood was malleable—it could be and was violently erased in many social contexts. The book exposes a violence–personhood–masculinity nexus in which domination allowed those in control to animalize and brutalize the bodies of subordinates. Perhaps even more noteworthy, the author argues that in particular social contexts in the contemporary “Western” world, this same nexus operates, holding devastating consequences for particular social groups. If the violence of Abu Ghraib calls to mind that of Ashurbanipal, this is no accident but is instead because both arise from of a certain construction of personhood that could not exist without violence.

Conflict in Irrigation

1963 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Fernea
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Social System ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Central Mexico ◽  
Social Setting ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Euphrates Valley ◽  
Irrigation Agriculture

Recently, in this journal, René Millon and others discussed the results of their study of irrigation agriculture in the contemporary social setting of the Teotihuacan Valley, Central Mexico. In introducing their study, the authors briefly noted comparable investigations (including my own) and came to the general conclusion that “any system of irrigation agriculture creates its own distinctive potential for both cohesion and conflict, whatever may be the social system of the people who practice it.” Do social systems play as passive a role in determining the social effects of irrigation agriculture as the statement implies? I wish to suggest a distinction which may be important in seeking answers to this question and then to briefly compare certain aspects of Millon's Mexican example with my own study of irrigation agriculture and social organization in the Southern Euphrates Valley of Iraq.

scholarly journals Sacred history of the Old Testament biblical state: Religious and political context

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-526
Author(s):  
Archpriest Timofey Fetisov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Death Sentence ◽  
The Political ◽  
The People ◽  
Ten Commandments ◽  
History Of ◽  
Union With God ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Sacred History

The article is devoted to the consideration of the place and role of the political factor as an instrument of Divine Providence, realized in the Sacred history of the biblical state. The exodus from Egypt became a manifestation of the supernatural political power of God. The Decalogue was not only a religious and ethical code, but also the actual constitution of the Hebrew state. Fulfillment of the Ten Commandments, brought down by Moses, and obedience to God went beyond the scope of religious duty, being a means of realizing national identity and citizenship. The establishment of the institution of the kingdom in Israel was the development of the idea of a theocracy, in which the monarch was assigned the sacred function of an intermediary between God and the people, and the keeper of Divine laws. The disintegration of the statehood of Israel in the prophetic writings was closely associated with the fall of the entire people and the breakdown of the union with God. Its revival was expected as a result of repentance. The destruction of the temple, the loss of shrines and the fall of the monarchy were perceived as a coherent phenomenon. At the same time, the hope for political liberation of the people and the restoration of the union with God were closely linked with the reconstruction of the monarchy, which acquired a religious and messianic significance. The opposition of the Pharisees to Christ and the death sentence to the Savior had a pronounced political implication.

scholarly journals The Religious, Social and Moral Life of the Patriarchal Days as Depicted in the Book of Job

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1175-1178
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Moral Life ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Book Of Job ◽  
Arts And Sciences ◽  
Commercial Practice ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of

The book of Job, one of the earliest books of the Old Testament, gives us a glimpse of the social life and history of the people of Uz and its neighbouring places during the days of the patriarchs. It has sporadic mention to the religious, social and moral life of the people of that time. Their abundant knowledge of diverse arts and sciences is astonishing. The religious beliefs like offering sacrifices, praying for each other and possessing a clear understanding about God are depicted in this book. The social evil of the time namely plundering of pastoral wealth and ostracizing people with certain ailments are evident. The unique way of mourning by rending the garments is one of their common practices. Besides these, the moral and ethical values of the people are also echoed throughout this book. The book is a sure proof of the knowledge of these people in the commercial practice of barter system, science of astronomy, mining, hunting, writing and so on. Above all it bears testimony to the righteous life of one of the richest men of that time Job, and his unwavering faith even amidst the traumatic and triumphant phases of his life

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