What is the literary context of the Book of Numbers?

Answer 1

A:To understand the literary context of the Book of Numbers, it is of primary importance to understand that the book had not one, but at least three separate authors, each with his own understanding of religion and theology, his own agenda and his own view of history.

The Priestly Source was the major source, being primarily responsible for chapters 1-10:28, 15-20, 25-31 and 33-36, with shorter contributions elsewhere. The Priestly Source is generally considered to have lived during the Babylonian Exile, but there is also a good case for placing him early in the post-Exilic period, which probably means that there were actually two persons who contributed to this style and content. The Priestly Source, as the name implies, was interested in justifying the primacy of the priesthood, now that there was no longer a royal line of Judah. He also broadened the scope of stories to be more inclusive of Israel, not just Judah, perhaps to help justify the view that the inheritance of the Jews included the ancient kingdom of Israel.

The Yahwist was another important source, living in the southern Hebrew kingdom of Judah, in the ninth or eighth century BCE. He was a gifted story-teller and was interested in people.

The third source was the Elohist, living in the northern Hebrew kingdom of Israel, shortly before the destruction of Israel in 722 BCE.

In the Book of Numbers, Moses sent spies to search the land of Canaan, but the narrative is actually two versions of the same story, written by the Yahwist and the Priestly Source. The Yahwist Source was only interested in providing an account of the conquest of the future kingdom of Judah, and (Numbers 13:22-25) the spies travelled only as far north as Hebron in Judah. The spies returned and issued their report to Moses alone, stating that the land was 'flowing with milk and honey', but that the inhabitants were giants and and their cities fortified. Caleb alone tried to encourage the Israelites to proceed with the conquest; the spies countered Caleb's claim, stating that the land was unconquerable. (13:30-31,33). The people refused to enter Canaan and plotted to elect a new captain to lead them back to Egypt (14:1b, 4). The Priestly Source wanted to further Judah's interest in reclaiming the former kingdom of Israel and always included Israel in his stories, so his spies toured the entire Promised Land, 'from the Wilderness of Zin to the entrance to Hamath' (Numbers 13:21). The spies returned and displayed the land's fruit and issued their report to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. Their report stated that Canaan was not only unconquerable, but a 'land that devours its inhabitants' (13:32-33). The Israelites refused to enter Canaan (14:1a, 2-3). Joshua is closely identified with the traditions of the northern kingdom and, in the Priestly account, plays a much bigger part. The Priestly Source tells us that both Caleb and Joshua both tried to encourage the Israelites to proceed with the conquest, but the Israelites responded by calling for them to be stoned.

The Yahwist and the Priestly Source also give their accounts of the rebellion of Korah in Numbers chapter 16.

The story of God's warning to Balaam is also told twice. The Yahwist version is in Numbers 22:22-35 and the Elohist version in Numbers 22:9-12.

So, the context of the Book of Numbers is divided over the centuries and across the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. One source was a Judahite, only interested in the history of Judah; another was an Israelite, interested in what he believed was the history of Israel, while the last source, the Priestly Source, wrote at a time when the priestly class had taken political control of the Jews, either in the Babylonian empire or in Jerusalem after the Return.