Are numbers in the Hebrew Bible literal? Is it dangerous to adapt God’s laws? Does Israel’s conquest of Canaan justify other historical conquests? In this episode, Tim and Jon explore audience questions about the Numbers scroll. Thanks to our audience for your insightful questions.

View full show notes from this episode →

Timestamps 

• Are Repeated Numbers Literal or Literary Embellishments? (1:20)
• Why Does Israel’s Population Decrease in Numbers? (16:25)
• What Does Jesus’ Title “The Rock” Have to Do with Moses? (21:45)
• Is it Dangerous to Adapt God’s Laws? (34:34)
• Does Israel’s Conquest of Canaan Justify Other Historical Conquests? (47:35)
• What’s With All the 10s and 2s? (52:22)
• What Are Some Resources for Seeing Edenic Themes in the Torah? (01:01:58)

Referenced Resources

• Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and the Thirteen Principles of Faith, Joshua Berman
• A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation of Numbers in the Old Testament, David M. Fouts
• Deuteronomy 1-11 (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries), Moshe Weinfeld
• Jesus and the Land: The New Testament Challenge to "Holy Land" Theology, Gary M. Burge
• Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, Mark Charles, Soong-Chan Rah
• The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race, William James Jennings
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience the literary themes and movements we’re tracing on the podcast in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS

Show produced by Cooper Peltz with Associate Producer Lindsey Ponder. Edited by Dan Gummel, Tyler Bailey, and Frank Garza. Podcast annotations for the BibleProject app by Hannah Woo. Audience questions compiled by Christopher Maier.

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