SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 13

BOUNDARIES OF THE LAND

HOW THE LAND WAS TO BE DIVIDED

From Numbers 34

Once more Adonai gave Moses special Instructions which he was to share with the people of Israel. [When you enter the land of Canaan, I will give you all of it for your inheritance,] Adonai said. [This will include the entire land within these borders: The southern border, starting at the Dead Sea, will continue past the Ascent of Akrabbim, then to Zin, past a southernmost point below Kadesh-barnea. From there it will go to Hazar-addar, then on to Azmon and from there it will follow the Wadi-el-Arish {the River of Egypt} northward to the Mediterranean Sea. This entire southern section of land will stretch along the border of Edom to the Wilderness of Zin. The western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The northern border will go eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, from which you will draw a line to Hamath, then on to Zedad and Ziphron until you reach Hazar-enan. The eastern border will proceed from Hazar-enan southward to Shepham, then to Riblah on the east side of Ain. Then it will reach down until it touches the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. From there the border will proceed southward along the Jordan River until it ends at the Dead Sea. These are the borders of the land you are to possess. It is to be divided among the nine and a half tribes, except the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, which have already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River.] Adonai also Instructed Moses concerning the leaders who would divide the land. [These are the names of the men I have chosen to divide the land. In addition to Eleazar the priest, one leader from each tribe: Caleb the son of Jephunneh from Judah, Shemuel the son of Ammihud from Simeon, Elidad the son of Chislon from Benjamin, Bukki the son of Jogli from Dan, Hanniel the son of Ephod from Manasseh, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan from Ephraim, Elizaphan the son of Parnach from Zebulun, Paltiel the son of Azzan from Issachar, Ahihud the son of Shelomi from Asher and Pedahel the son of Amminhud from Naphtali.] These were the leaders whom Adonai chose to divide the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, among the people of Israel for their inheritance.

COMMENTARY

LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: EGYPTIAN WARFARE

From the earliest years, Egypt had its own army. As the empire grew, it came to owe much of its power to the strength and effectiveness of the army. It was carefully organized under a chief army commander, who was either the pharaoh or his son, the crown prince. There were officers in charge of supplies, accounts, records, communication and military operations. The basic unit was the foot soldier, who fought with knife, spear, club and the like. The standard bearers and the commander of the archers were higher in rank than the regular soldiers. The charioteers were considered an elite group. Often the Egyptians would lie in hiding and ambush an enemy army, catching it by surprise. Sometimes they would blockade an armed or fortified city and put it under siege, attacking it for days on end until it surrendered. At night soldiers tried to place ladders against the city walls so they could climb into the city. Sometimes they hacked at the wall with axes, trying to break it down. Egyptian strategy was often very clever and successful. For example, they would invade Canaan before the harvest, when stores from the previous year were almost gone. They would surround a town or city and prevent anyone from leaving. Before long the people would surrender because they were starving. The Egyptian army often took the sons of the rulers of the conquered cities as hostages. They were treated well and raised as Egyptians. When they were adults, these men were appointed rulers of their home city. The native people were more willing to accept them than they would someone foreign and these rulers were now friendly to Egypt. Other prisoners were taken too, sometimes hundreds or even thousands. These were handcuffed and marched back to Egypt, where they were usually made into slaves. Before the Egyptian army withdrew from the scene of a successful battle, they built garrisons and forts. They were named in honour of the pharaoh. The ruins of many of these have been discovered in Palestine.