Loses’ death followed (cf. Nu 2u®-*),
28f., a detailed list of the offerings prescribed for the full round of sacred seasons, is given to P*. Its position among other supplements and away from the calendar in Ly 23 dated forty years back, its uniform inclusion of the later elements of Ly 23 and addition of the New Moon festival, the elabora- tion of 29** on the Feast of Booths or Ingathering (observe that both names are dropped), and the phraseological indications, all converge towards the same conclusion.
30, on Vows, may rest on an older, simpler basis, but it is shown by its style to be itselt late. It does not attach itself to Ly 27 or Nu 6.
31, on the war with Midian, comes awkwardly after the message about Moses’ death. Some ery (go to meet ¥, thy servants) suggest a
ependence on J, or a borrowing of his language which is foreign to P*. The ignoring of Joshua in favour of Phinehas δ, and Eleazar’s unique exercise of authority ™, point to P*, and the uliar phraseology confirms this.
32!-*, on the settlement of the 24 tribes, has still stronger indications of an underlying J element; but here, too, the whole must be given to P*. For the eg πες τσὶ of evidence see Oxf. Hex.—*-42, in which the conquest of Gilead, assumed in 4, is assigned to a Manassite clan, from its resem- blance to Jg 1, is given to J, cf. 21%-™, but “ is a harmonizing interruption. Cf. also Jg 10+.
~® gives an itinerary, largely based on JE (esp. J), with 40 stations in 40 years. Its position in the book and its mixed contents ] to its
NUMBERS
being ascribed like 31f. to P*.—%-* seems derived by P* from 2 sources, (1) a command, belonging to the school of P® (cf. Lv 26%. 89 20%), to drive out the Canaanites, destroy images, and possess the land δ10:δ8, 8of. ; (2) an order to divide the land by lot δ, based (in part verbally) on 26°*-,—34!- describes minutely ie future boundaries of the land W. of Jordan which Moses had never seen, but only alludes vaguely to the eastern regions he had seen.—* names the tribal agents for the de- limitation. Comparison with analogous passages in P* and with the account in Jos of the actual division, make it most unlikely that this can be P*, though it may be an expansion of a briefer section, ef. Jos 14%.
35 combines two orders, about 48 Levitical cities 1-8 (contrast 1850. *4, where priests and Levites have no property, only income), and about blood - re- venge **4, The latter has terms foreign to ῬῈ (e.g. high priest, holy owl *-*), and, after a full close 3, resumes the subject and closes with a verse 4 borrowed from an earlier source like P*, ef. 19, Ly 15" 18", δ refers to the cities of refuge, and both sections are best understood as not having formed part of P%.—36 supplements 27/4 on the rights oh heiresses,
ὃ 4, AUTHORSHIP AND Dae ea in a broad sense do these questions arise. e can speak of schools of writing and periods of composition, but we cannot name an individual or dogmatize about a year. In the wider sense the results of criticism as sketched above lead to some definite conclusions. All the strata of literary deposit in the Hex. seem to be laid bare in a section taken through the Book of Numbers. (1) If the earliest and latest elements in J were put in writing be- tween B.C. 850 and 650, as the indications suggest, then the bits of folk-song and the traditions of national life and movement which are associated with them in 20-21 must be dated amongst the oldest. The stories of Hobab (ch. 10), of the manna and quails (ch. 11), of Caleb and the spies (ch. 1372-*4), of the revolt of (Korah and) On (ch. 16), and the episode of Balaam, take a middle place, while the advanced conceptions and lofty tone of parts of chs. 11 and 14 represent the last contributions of this school. (2) Similarly, E has its archaic frag- ments of verse, from the Book of the Wars of J” or elsewhere, with brief notes of international rela- tions in chs, 20-21, its middle period producin the narratives of Caleb and the spies (ch. 13), 0 Dathan and Abiram (ch. 16) and of Balaam (ch. 22f.), and its latest stage illustrated by the account of the seventy elders (ch. 11), and the complaint of Aaron and Miriam (ch. 12). (3) Even D has its echo in one paragraph, 21%", (4) The four stages of priestly legislation and historio- graphy are met in turn. The peculiar notes of the
w of Holiness P» are detected twice, namely, in 10 and 15°“, and suspected elsewhere. The careful codifying of priestly teaching (P*) is pre- served in 5f. 15.19. The priestly groundwork of law and history (P£), though probably at many points displaced in favour oF an expanded version, is kept in parts of 1. 3. 9. 10, which are occupied with the census of laity and clergy in the holy congregation, the second Passover, and the first moving of the Camp from Sinai; it recounts the story of the spies (ars 13), the sacrilege of Korah and the congregation (ch. 16), and the budding of Aaron’s rod (ch. 17), provides for priests and Levites (ch. 18), and tells of the death of Aaron (ch. 20), the heroism of his grandson Phinehas (ch. 25), and the choice of Joshua (ch. 27).