The remainder, occupying more than half of the whole book, though as far as possible from bein, homogeneous, must come under the one heading οἱ priestly supplements P*, some of them little later
NUMBERS
in time than P*, others among the latest additions to the Hex. Enough has been said above to enable the student to form his own conclusions about these.
§ 5. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.—Again, the dis- tinction must be drawn between the direct witness to the past and the indirect evidence as to the times of the writers. The whole book is abund- antly significant in the latter sense, JE illustrating for us how antiquity looked in the palmy days of Israel’s national greatness, and P revealing the effect of circumstances in changing the point of view, and so transforming almost beyond recogni- tion the picture of the rat But, except in places where there is independent reason to suppose that P rests on some part of JE which it has displaced, it is im ible here, any more than elsewhere, to accept its testimony as in the modern sense his- torical. Even the earlier sources can be used onl. with discrimination as eunplying data for histori- cal conclusions. But the general facts of the delay in entering Canaan, the roundabout route, and the conquest of the Amorites, being witnessed by both lines of tradition, and agreeable to the rest of our knowledge, emerge as well established. See, further, separate arts. on MOsESs, ete.
§ 6. RELIGIOUS VALUE. — What has been said under this head in the arts. on Exopus and LEVITICUS is saree applicable to the continuation of those books in Numbers. But a word may be added on that which is distinctive. (1) The fact is well brought out that a nation as well as an individual may have a moral and religious char- acter, and be bound by its acts. Proved to be unprepared for conquest and colonization, Israel is subjected to the discipline of delay. (2) The need of divine guidance is symbolized by the ad- vance of the ark (JE) or the cloud (P). (3) Types of character are presented whose lessons teach us still: Moses with the meekness of astrong nature under restraint, Miriam with the petty jealousy which often disfigures even good women, Caleb honest and whole-hearted, Balaam weak but not worthless ; pular movements are described which have thelr modern parallels—the fickleness of the mob,—“‘ little Israelites’ to-day, Chauvinists to-morrow,—their disposition to blame anybody but themselves, the readiness of the laity to assert their rights rather than fulfil their duties,—all these are before us especially in JE. (4) Taking the description of the camp and congregation given in P* and P* as an ideal picture of the past whose value is in its symbolism, even as the picture of the future in the Apocalypse is in the same way precious, there is much to be gleaned: —the order and particularity, the distribution of duties, the equalization of burdens, the provisions for unity by co-operation, the elaboration of a stately ceremonial, nothing being left to the spur of the moment, but confusion avoided by fulness of rubrical direction,—in all this there is latent a wealth of suggestion as to the nature, the worship, and the organization, not to say the financial management, of the Church of to-day. (5) Perhaps the highest point is reached in the lofty and yet broad view of prophetic inspiration found in ΕἸ] f.: Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets ! Accordingly, it only needs that the Lord should
ut His Spirit upon the modern readers of Num- να; and they will not fail to find fresh truth breaking forth out of this portion of His word.
LireraTurs.—Apart from the works cited under Haxarevon and the general commentaries, there is little to refer to. ie Bacon, Exodus, 1804, is valuable for JE; the Oxf. Hex, 1900 (ed. by J. E. Carpenter and the present writer) has been used largely, and may be consulted for fuller information ; the vol.in the Expos, Bible ia by R. A. Watson; preachers may also refer to Bp. Hall’s Contemplations ; the forthcoming vol. by G. B. Gray in the Intern, Crit. Com, has a large gap to fill, G. HARFORD-BATTERSBY.
NUMENIUS (Νουμήνιος), the son of Antiochus was one of the ambassadors sent by Jonathan, about B.C. 144, to renew the treaty between the Jews and Romans. He was also charged with letters from the high priest and the Jewish people to the Spartans and others, in order to establish friendly relations with them (1 Mae 12'%), The am- bassadors were well received at Sparta (ib. 14%) and at Rome (id. 12*-), and sent back to Judea with a safe-conduct. Subsequently, about the time of the popular decree in favour of Simon (B.c 141), Numenius was sent with another embassy to Rome, taking as a present a golden shield weigh- ing a thousand minas. The Senate passed a decree in favour of the Jews, guaranteeing them the un- disturbed possession of their country, and gave to the ambassadors letters to the neighbouring kings and independent States, informing them of the terms of this decree. The embassy returned to Jerusalem in B.C. 139 (1 Mac 15%). See art. Lucius, and cf. Schiirer, HJP I. i. 266-268. H. A. WHITE.
NUN (5).—The fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and as such employed in the 119th Psalm to designate the 14th part, each verse of which begins with this letter. It is transliterated in this Dictionary by n.