Book of Numbers
[1] The book has a long and complex history; its final form is possibly due to a Priestly redaction (i.e., editing) of a Yahwistic source made sometime in the early Persian period (5th century BC).
Fragments of the Ketef Hinnom scrolls containing verses from Numbers have been dated as far back as the late seventh or early sixth century BC.
The book ends with the new generation of Israelites in the plains of Moab ready for the crossing of the Jordan River.
[6] Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel's exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey to take possession of the land God promised their fathers.
As such it draws to a conclusion the themes introduced in Genesis and played out in Exodus and Leviticus: God has promised the Israelites that they shall become a great (i.e. numerous) nation, that they will have a special relationship with him, and that they shall take possession of the land of Canaan.
[8] Despite the strong chronological order and the clear distinction of the three geographic locations, the key theme of censuses among the Israelites and the parallels between the old and new generation seem to be a better fit for this book if seen as a theological account rather than a purely historical one.
God orders Moses, in the wilderness of Sinai, to number those able to bear arms—of all the men twenty years and older and to appoint princes over each tribe.
The children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron on account of the destruction of Korah's men and are stricken with the plague, with 14,700 perishing.
Moses is ordered by God to speak to a rock but initially disobeys, and is punished by the announcement that he shall not enter Canaan.
Realising that he cannot curse the Israelites, Balaam blesses them instead, and foresees a figure whom he identifies as 'the Star of Jacob' who will defeat Israel's enemies.
The majority of modern biblical scholars believe that the Torah—the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—reached its present form in the post-Exilic period (i.e., after c. 520 BC), based on preexisting written and oral traditions, as well as contemporary geographical and political realities.
[12] Below is an outline of the hypothesis: However, the Ketef Hinnom scrolls do point to the plausibility of a pre-exilic written tradition of the passage from Numbers 6 and Deuteronomy 7.
[16] The theme of the divine-human relationship is expressed, or managed, through a series of covenants (meaning treaties, legally binding agreements) stretching from Genesis to Deuteronomy and beyond.
[18]: 246 The theme of descendants marks the first event in Numbers, the census of Israel's fighting men: the huge number which results (over 600,000) demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham of innumerable descendants, as well as serving as God's guarantee of victory in Canaan.
[20] The Israelites then set out to conquer the land, but almost immediately they refuse to enter it, and Yahweh condemns the whole generation who left Egypt to die in the wilderness.
[21] A large part of the theological theme in Numbers is the righteousness and holiness of God being met with human rebellion.
[18]: 247 The book of Numbers records in some detail the population of the fighting men in Israel, providing a figure of approximately 600,000 soldiers.
However, scholars have proposed multiple alternatives, as such a large number of Israelites does not conform to modern historical knowledge of the period or archaeological evidence.
Most scholars who hold this view posit a much lower number for the fighting men of Israel, closer to 20,000.
A more likely explanation for the large number stated in the book is that the actual numerical metrics cannot really be established today.
[18]: 246 In his commentary on the book of Numbers, John Calvin acknowledged that even among his contemporaries, "certain sceptics"[26] had questioned the veracity of the figures quoted, but defended the inerrancy of the text by invoking the miraculous "interference of God".
According to Harrison the figures are to be taken as "symbols of relative power, triumph, importance, and the like and are not meant to be understood either strictly literally or as extant in a corrupt textual form.
