Editing Book of Numbers (section)

==Summary==
[[File:Figures.jpg|thumb|[[Priest]], [[Levite]], and furnishings of the [[Tabernacle]]]]
God orders [[Moses]], in the wilderness of [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]], to number those able to bear arms—of all the men twenty years and older and to appoint princes over each tribe. A total of 603,550 Israelites are found to be fit for military service. The [[Levite|tribe of Levi]] is exempted from military service and therefore not included in the census. Moses consecrates the Levites for the service of the Tabernacle in the place of the first-born sons, who hitherto had performed that service. The Levites are divided into three families, the Gershonites, the Kohathites, and the Merarites, each under a chief. The Kohathites were headed by [[Eleazar]], son of [[Aaron]], while the Gershonites and Merarites were headed by Aaron's other son, [[Ithamar]]. Preparations are then made for resuming the march to the [[Promised Land]]. Various ordinances and laws are decreed.

The Israelites set out from Sinai. The people murmur against God and are punished by fire; Moses complains of their stubbornness and God orders him to choose seventy elders to assist him in the government of the people. [[Miriam]] and Aaron insult Moses at Hazeroth, which angers God; Miriam is punished with [[leprosy]] and is shut out of camp for seven days, at the end of which the Israelites proceed to the [[desert of Paran]] on the border of [[Canaan]]. [[The Twelve Spies|Twelve spies]] are sent out into Canaan and come back to report to Moses. [[Joshua]] and [[Caleb]], two of the spies, report that the land is abundant and is "flowing with milk and honey", but the other spies say that it is inhabited by giants, and the Israelites refuse to enter the land. Yahweh decrees that the Israelites will be punished for their loss of [[faith]] by having to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

God orders Moses to make plates to cover the altar. The children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron on account of the destruction of [[Korah#Korah.2C son of Izhar.2C leader of a rebellion against Moses|Korah]]'s men and are stricken with the plague, with 14,700 perishing. Aaron and his family are declared by God to be responsible for any iniquity committed in connection with the sanctuary. The Levites are again appointed to help in the keeping of the Tabernacle. The Levites are ordered to surrender to the priests a part of the tithes taken to them.

Miriam dies at Kadesh Barnea and the Israelites set out for [[Moab]], on Canaan's eastern border. The Israelites blame Moses for the lack of water. 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. The king of Edom refuses permission to pass through his land and they go around it. Aaron dies on Mount Hor. The Israelites are bitten by [[fiery flying serpent]]s for speaking against God and Moses. A [[Nehushtan|brazen serpent]] is made to ward off these serpents.

The Israelites arrive on the plains of Moab, across the [[Jordan River|River Jordan]] from [[Jericho]]. Here, the Israelites find themselves in conflict with the [[Amorites]] and [[Og]], king of [[Bashan]], both of whom they defeat. [[Balak]], king of Moab decides to fight the Israelites as well, and summons a local diviner named [[Balaam]] to curse the Israelites. However, God tells Balaam not to curse them, and when Balaam attempts to travel to Balak with the Moabite officials God sends an angel to stop his donkey. Realising that he cannot curse the Israelites, Balaam blesses them instead, and foresees [[Messiah|a figure]] whom he identifies as 'the Star of Jacob' who will defeat Israel's enemies. This angers Balak, but Balaam informs Balak that he cannot say anything except what God tells him to say.

The longer the Israelites stay on the [[Abila (Peraea)|plains of Shittim]], the more they intermarry with the local Moabites, and the more they participate in the [[Heresy of Peor|local religion]], worshipping a deity known as Baal-Peor. God sends a plague in retaliation, and Moses tells the [[biblical judges|judges]] to kill anyone participating in this practice. When one of Aaron's grandsons, [[Phinehas]], finds out a [[Tribe of Simeon|Simeonite]] prince named [[Zimri (prince)|Zimri]] has married a Midianite woman named [[Cozbi]], he enters their tent and runs a spear through them. God rewards him by giving his descendants an everlasting priesthood. God also tells the Israelites to consider the Midianites their enemies.

A new census gives the total number of men from twenty years and upward as 601,730, and the number of the Levites from the age of one month and upward as 23,000. The land shall be divided by lot. The daughters of [[Zelophehad]], who had no sons, are to share in the allotment. God orders Moses to appoint [[Joshua]] as his successor. Prescriptions for the observance of the feasts and the offerings for different occasions are enumerated. Moses orders the Israelites to [[Numbers 31|massacre the people of Midian]], in retaliation for the Baal-Peor incident. Specifically, all Midianite men and boys and women who are not virgins are killed. Virgin Midianite women and girls are spared, but kept as prizes for the Israelite army.

The [[Reubenites]] and the [[Gadites]] request Moses to assign them the land east of the [[Jordan]]. Moses grants their request after they promise to help in the conquest of the land west of the Jordan. The land [[Transjordan (Bible)|east of the Jordan]] is divided among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the [[Tribe of Manasseh|half-tribe of Manasseh]]. Moses recalls the stations at which the Israelites halted during their forty years' wanderings and instructs the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites and destroy their idols. The boundaries of the land are spelled out; the land is to be divided under the supervision of [[Eleazar]], Joshua, and twelve princes, one of each tribe.