Belief, Theology, and Context in the Book of Numbers
The Biblical books are often discussed in piecemeal fashion or rather generally, both in public discourse and in research, and either as support or criticism of detailed religious norms, or literarily, grammatically, and historically by the scholar. More seldom are they discussed as literary works in their own right, and the beliefs (or theology) presented by them. Yet, such questions are often what engages ministers and lay people: what does the biblical books say about God and the world, and how do we relate to this today? The purpose of this project is to critically analyze the theology of the book of Numbers, thereby offering a constructive contribution to its theological interpretation. As regards Numbers, this is a special crux; in 1968 Noth set the tone for research in stating that “From the point of view of its contents, the book lacks unity, and it is difficult to see any pattern in its construction” (p. 1). In answering this, and in dialogue with narrative theory, the book is here understood as a narrative anthology that despite its diversity – or better, just because of it – weaves together stories and other genres in a discussion of themes such as religious identity, ethnicity, ecology, generations, purity, holiness, and reconciliation. A book contract is signed for publication (Cambridge University Press, 2023), conference presentations are made, and an exchange between University College Stockholm and Cambridge University is planned for February-March 2023.
Final report
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the project has been to critically analyze the theology of the book of Numbers, with reference to narrative theory. The theology (or “message”) of the Bible is often what interests priests, pastors, and the general public, but in contrast to most other biblical books, the theology of Numbers has not been researched to any large extent. Therefore, the project fills an important gap in research and contributes a critical approach to the the study of Numbers and biblical theology. The support from RJ Sabbatical made it possible to finish and present the results in a monograph, an article, and conference presentations, as well as establishing important contacts with the area of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Cambridge University. The project was conducted during the first half of 2023.
IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS
The project may be described in reference to the monograph that is about to be published. At the start of the grant-period five of the eight chapters of the book were finished: an introduction and then in turn analyses of setting and plot in the book’s narrative of the forty years wandering through the wilderness, the theme of generational change, the characters found in the theological discourse, and the theme of rebellion and obedience.
The work during the grant-period was focussed on finishing the last three chapters of the book. Chapter six, Purity and Holiness between Disgust and Delight breaks new ground in several respects. Purity thinking in Numbers is often analyzed in relationship to the book of Leviticus, but the chapter shows that there is an internal, literary logic to the theme in Numbers, not the least in relationship to corpse impurity. The purity rules of the book often work as digressions of themes and motifs found in the narrative parts. Furthermore, the purity thinking was analyzed in terms of research into emotions, which has not previously been done.
Chapter seven, Blessing and the God of the Book of Numbers, explores the motif of blessing in the book. The latest literary and historical research into the Aaronide blessing in Num 6:22–27 is synthesized and new literary arguments for the placement of the blessing in Numbers are put forward. Finally, chapter eight, The Reception of the Book of Numbers, surveys the reception of the book, primarily in the Christian and Jewish traditions. Earlier surveys have been limited with regard to historical period or individual phenomena. An important contribution is the reception from the 16th century forwards, as well as the feminist interpretation of the book.
During the summer 2023 a proofread manuscript was sent to the editors for the series Old Testament Theology at the Cambridge University Press, who is publishing the monograph with the title The Theology of the Book of Numbers the coming year.
One article that is expanding some findings in the book have been accepted for publishing during 2024. It is published as “Exploring the Wilderness in the Book of Numbers” and analyzes setting as a theological phenomena in relationship to the concept of the “world of the text.” This is a revised version of a presentation given at the conference Exploring Space: Space-Related Methodical Approaches to Ancient Cultures and texts, Freiburg and Bern (online) 2021.
Results from the project have been presented earlier at different conferences, and at the research seminar at the University College Stockholm, which sometimes is held in cooperation with the research seminars in Biblical Studies at Uppsala University.
During spring 2023 the following presentations of the chapters of the monograph were made:
The 8th of March I was invited to present a draft of chapter six at the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) Research Seminar, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University. Much valuable feedback was given, especially concerning the relationship of purity to historical research on Numbers and the disposition of the material.
The 5th of April I was invited to present a version of chapter five at the research seminar in Biblical Studies at the ALT School of Theology, Örebro. The seminar also led to contacts with lector Samuel Hildebrandt at the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK, concerning the reception of Numbers. Hildebrandt is currently writing a biblical commentary on Numbers for the Wiley Blackwell series “…Through the Centuries,” which is focussed on the reception of biblical books.
Finally, the 25–26th of May I was invited to participate in the symposium “Engaging Scripture: A Symposium on Theological Interpretation in Dialogue with Stephen Fowl”, at the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS), Linköping University. I presented a survey of the problems in working with the theology of Numbers titled “Writing a Biblical Theology of Numbers,” and parts of chapter one and eight were used for it. This was the first symposium of its kind in Sweden of late, and an important occasion for networking amongst scholars in Sweden that are interested in the theological interpretation of the biblical books.
Further on in 2023 I will present two papers at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting i San Antonio, Texas, USA, 17–21 November. The conference is the largest one in the world for biblical research and an important arena for disseminating research. The two papers are specialized studies proceeding from chapter six of the monograph: “The Bitter Effect of the Water in the Sotah-Ritual (Num 5:11–31): Holiness and Impurity in Conflict,” and “The Theology of Holiness and Purity in the Book of Numbers.”
Lastly, the support from RJ Sabbatical also opened the way for a month’s stay as Visiting scholar at the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University, during which professor Nathan MacDonald was my host. It was a very productive time and invaluable for the research and networking. All the remaining chapters of the monograph apart from the last were finished during the stay. I had the opportunity to meet and discuss with all three professors of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and was also invited to participate in the larger life of the faculty. Professor James Aitken gave important input on thoughts about a project on Hebrew lexicography and grammar. Professor Katherine Dell has written about theological interpretation of the Bible in a way that is close to the present project. Dell later visited the research seminar for Biblical Studies at the University College Stockholm the 18th of April 2023 where she presented a paper titled “Covenant and Wisdom: Arguing with a Premise from Absence”. The same date she also gave a public lecture at the university college titled “Theological Themes in ‘Wisdom Literature’: Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes”. The research of professor MacDonald centres around the cult of ancient Israel and the Pentateuch, and he gave much valuable input on my project during my stay at Cambridge. Similarly to Dell, MacDonald has accepted an invitation to present his research in a public lecture at the University College Stockholm the 16th of April 2024, titled, “Mapping the Tribes of Israel in Early Modern Europe”. The 17th of April 2024 he will present a paper at the research seminar of Biblical Studies titled “The Greek Text of Exod 35–40 and the Literary Development of the Tabernacle Account”. The contacts with these scholars continue and further, short research stays in Cambridge are planned during 2024.
NEW RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The project has given rise to several new questions that may open up new research projects. One concerns the mixture of traditions in Numbers, primarily priestly ones in relationship to others, how these are dated and understood. In this the contact with Nathan MacDonald, who is a world-renowned expert in the area, is important. The chapter on purity in the monograph opens up questions about Zoroastrian influence in the priestly laws. The paper presented at the Society of Biblical Literature this November documents such influence, but the question must be explored much more thoroughly. More broadly speaking, questions on biblical theology or theology in the Bible, how to approach and analyze it, are raised, which is a subject poorly represented in Sweden. Here, both Katherine Dell and Nathan MacDonald are important conversation partners, together with the group of scholars that gathered at Linköping University in May 2023. Furthermore, it was a surprise to see that so little work had been done on the reception of Numbers, meaning that there are several, extensive, gaps to be filled in this area. Examples of these are the reception of the book among the radical reformers of the 16–17th centuries, and the early modern interpretation of Numbers in the 19–20th centuries. An important contact for future research in this area is Samuel Hildebrandt.
Finally, as stated, the contact with James Aitken gave important input for research concerning biblical lexicography and grammar. Part of this is to further analyze the priestly terminology of Numbers. More broadly speaking, there has not been produced a Hebrew lexicon in the Swedish language since 1832 and the latest, more developed Hebrew grammar was published in 1960. Aitken tragically passed away during the spring so that a personal contact is not possible, but the contacts with the research area of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Cambridge University continues, including the wider pool of Hebrew specialists found at the university.
The purpose of the project has been to critically analyze the theology of the book of Numbers, with reference to narrative theory. The theology (or “message”) of the Bible is often what interests priests, pastors, and the general public, but in contrast to most other biblical books, the theology of Numbers has not been researched to any large extent. Therefore, the project fills an important gap in research and contributes a critical approach to the the study of Numbers and biblical theology. The support from RJ Sabbatical made it possible to finish and present the results in a monograph, an article, and conference presentations, as well as establishing important contacts with the area of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Cambridge University. The project was conducted during the first half of 2023.
IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS
The project may be described in reference to the monograph that is about to be published. At the start of the grant-period five of the eight chapters of the book were finished: an introduction and then in turn analyses of setting and plot in the book’s narrative of the forty years wandering through the wilderness, the theme of generational change, the characters found in the theological discourse, and the theme of rebellion and obedience.
The work during the grant-period was focussed on finishing the last three chapters of the book. Chapter six, Purity and Holiness between Disgust and Delight breaks new ground in several respects. Purity thinking in Numbers is often analyzed in relationship to the book of Leviticus, but the chapter shows that there is an internal, literary logic to the theme in Numbers, not the least in relationship to corpse impurity. The purity rules of the book often work as digressions of themes and motifs found in the narrative parts. Furthermore, the purity thinking was analyzed in terms of research into emotions, which has not previously been done.
Chapter seven, Blessing and the God of the Book of Numbers, explores the motif of blessing in the book. The latest literary and historical research into the Aaronide blessing in Num 6:22–27 is synthesized and new literary arguments for the placement of the blessing in Numbers are put forward. Finally, chapter eight, The Reception of the Book of Numbers, surveys the reception of the book, primarily in the Christian and Jewish traditions. Earlier surveys have been limited with regard to historical period or individual phenomena. An important contribution is the reception from the 16th century forwards, as well as the feminist interpretation of the book.
During the summer 2023 a proofread manuscript was sent to the editors for the series Old Testament Theology at the Cambridge University Press, who is publishing the monograph with the title The Theology of the Book of Numbers the coming year.
One article that is expanding some findings in the book have been accepted for publishing during 2024. It is published as “Exploring the Wilderness in the Book of Numbers” and analyzes setting as a theological phenomena in relationship to the concept of the “world of the text.” This is a revised version of a presentation given at the conference Exploring Space: Space-Related Methodical Approaches to Ancient Cultures and texts, Freiburg and Bern (online) 2021.
Results from the project have been presented earlier at different conferences, and at the research seminar at the University College Stockholm, which sometimes is held in cooperation with the research seminars in Biblical Studies at Uppsala University.
During spring 2023 the following presentations of the chapters of the monograph were made:
The 8th of March I was invited to present a draft of chapter six at the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) Research Seminar, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University. Much valuable feedback was given, especially concerning the relationship of purity to historical research on Numbers and the disposition of the material.
The 5th of April I was invited to present a version of chapter five at the research seminar in Biblical Studies at the ALT School of Theology, Örebro. The seminar also led to contacts with lector Samuel Hildebrandt at the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK, concerning the reception of Numbers. Hildebrandt is currently writing a biblical commentary on Numbers for the Wiley Blackwell series “…Through the Centuries,” which is focussed on the reception of biblical books.
Finally, the 25–26th of May I was invited to participate in the symposium “Engaging Scripture: A Symposium on Theological Interpretation in Dialogue with Stephen Fowl”, at the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS), Linköping University. I presented a survey of the problems in working with the theology of Numbers titled “Writing a Biblical Theology of Numbers,” and parts of chapter one and eight were used for it. This was the first symposium of its kind in Sweden of late, and an important occasion for networking amongst scholars in Sweden that are interested in the theological interpretation of the biblical books.
Further on in 2023 I will present two papers at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting i San Antonio, Texas, USA, 17–21 November. The conference is the largest one in the world for biblical research and an important arena for disseminating research. The two papers are specialized studies proceeding from chapter six of the monograph: “The Bitter Effect of the Water in the Sotah-Ritual (Num 5:11–31): Holiness and Impurity in Conflict,” and “The Theology of Holiness and Purity in the Book of Numbers.”
Lastly, the support from RJ Sabbatical also opened the way for a month’s stay as Visiting scholar at the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University, during which professor Nathan MacDonald was my host. It was a very productive time and invaluable for the research and networking. All the remaining chapters of the monograph apart from the last were finished during the stay. I had the opportunity to meet and discuss with all three professors of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and was also invited to participate in the larger life of the faculty. Professor James Aitken gave important input on thoughts about a project on Hebrew lexicography and grammar. Professor Katherine Dell has written about theological interpretation of the Bible in a way that is close to the present project. Dell later visited the research seminar for Biblical Studies at the University College Stockholm the 18th of April 2023 where she presented a paper titled “Covenant and Wisdom: Arguing with a Premise from Absence”. The same date she also gave a public lecture at the university college titled “Theological Themes in ‘Wisdom Literature’: Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes”. The research of professor MacDonald centres around the cult of ancient Israel and the Pentateuch, and he gave much valuable input on my project during my stay at Cambridge. Similarly to Dell, MacDonald has accepted an invitation to present his research in a public lecture at the University College Stockholm the 16th of April 2024, titled, “Mapping the Tribes of Israel in Early Modern Europe”. The 17th of April 2024 he will present a paper at the research seminar of Biblical Studies titled “The Greek Text of Exod 35–40 and the Literary Development of the Tabernacle Account”. The contacts with these scholars continue and further, short research stays in Cambridge are planned during 2024.
NEW RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The project has given rise to several new questions that may open up new research projects. One concerns the mixture of traditions in Numbers, primarily priestly ones in relationship to others, how these are dated and understood. In this the contact with Nathan MacDonald, who is a world-renowned expert in the area, is important. The chapter on purity in the monograph opens up questions about Zoroastrian influence in the priestly laws. The paper presented at the Society of Biblical Literature this November documents such influence, but the question must be explored much more thoroughly. More broadly speaking, questions on biblical theology or theology in the Bible, how to approach and analyze it, are raised, which is a subject poorly represented in Sweden. Here, both Katherine Dell and Nathan MacDonald are important conversation partners, together with the group of scholars that gathered at Linköping University in May 2023. Furthermore, it was a surprise to see that so little work had been done on the reception of Numbers, meaning that there are several, extensive, gaps to be filled in this area. Examples of these are the reception of the book among the radical reformers of the 16–17th centuries, and the early modern interpretation of Numbers in the 19–20th centuries. An important contact for future research in this area is Samuel Hildebrandt.
Finally, as stated, the contact with James Aitken gave important input for research concerning biblical lexicography and grammar. Part of this is to further analyze the priestly terminology of Numbers. More broadly speaking, there has not been produced a Hebrew lexicon in the Swedish language since 1832 and the latest, more developed Hebrew grammar was published in 1960. Aitken tragically passed away during the spring so that a personal contact is not possible, but the contacts with the research area of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Cambridge University continues, including the wider pool of Hebrew specialists found at the university.