Altar of Burnt Offering, illustration for Cassell's Illustrated Family Bible Superior Edition published by Cassell, Petter and Galpin, circa 1880. As Chapter 28 begins, God has decided to have Moses remind the Israelites regarding the guidelines for the different types of offerings they should make to Him. It makes sense, because these are the Israelites…
Illustration of Zelophehad's Daughters from The Bible and Its Story by Charles F. Horne and Julius A. Brewer, published 1908, currently in the Princeton Theological Seminary Library In the previous couple of chapters, the Moabite prophet Balaam has been warning Moabite leaders that the Israelites who are now encroaching on their territory are favored and…
Balaam and his Ass by Pieter Lastman, 1622, currently at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel After so many chapters and verses going over God's laws and rules for the Israelites, it's so nice to have some narrative. Get ready for some good stuff. In Chapter 21, the Israelites are FINALLY on their way to take…
Moses Draws Water From the Rock by Francois Perrier, 1642, currently at the Capitoline Museums, Rome, Italy Ok. You know how for quite a few blog posts lately I've been complaining about how repetitive this part of the Old Testament is? That God is dictating His rules for cleanliness again and again and again? Well,…
An Episode from the Exodus - A Storm of Quails Gathers Over the Israelite Camp by Pawel Franck (Paolo Fiammingo), painted circa mid-1500s We finally return to narrative with these chapters and I'm giddy with anticipation. No more long lists of laws, rules, animals, Tabernacle furnishings - only the Israelites' story from here on out,…
Consecration of the Levites When They Were Installed in Their Charges by Wijding van de Levieten, printed in 1683 by Jan Luyken, currently at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands If, like me, you're ready to wrap up all the lists and requirements and duties that the Israelites are supposed to have and do and…
Image from The Book of Numbers by Francysk Skarynaб, printed in 1519, currently in the Library of Vilnius, Lithuania In Chapter 4, God asks Moses and Aaron to go to the Levites and within them, identify all the men ages 30-50 of the Kohathite, Gershonite and Merarite clans. These men now comprise a sort of…
Image from an etching by Philip James de Loutherbourg from the opening page of Numbers from the Bible published by Thomas Macklin, 1791, currently at The British Museum A new book! Numbers! The name for this chapter in the Christian Bible comes from the Septuagint, the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Torah, and is based…
Penny Reads the Bible 