SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 15

A POSSESSION FOREVER

KEEPING THE INHERITANCE WITHIN A TRIBE

From Numbers 36

One day some leaders of the clan of Machir, part of the tribe of Manasseh, came to Moses and the leaders of Israel. [Adonai Instructed you to divide the land among the various tribes,] they said. [He also Instructed you to give Zelophehad’s inheritance to his daughters. But there is a problem. If these girls should marry men from another tribe, the land they own would become part of that other tribe’s land. This of course, would change the amount of land a tribe owns. When the Year of Jubilee comes, the land would officially belong to the other tribe and would be lost to the original tribe that owned it.] Then Moses gave these orders, which he received from Adonai, to the people of Israel. [These descendants of Joseph are right,] he said. [Now this is what Adonai says concerning Zelophehad’s daughters. They may choose their husbands, but they must choose them from their own tribe, for their inheritance must remain with the original tribe. Inheritance of land may not pass from one tribe to another; the land must remain with its original tribe. This means that a woman who inherits land in one tribe must marry a husband within that tribe in order to keep the land within her tribe. This prevents land from moving from one tribe to another.] The daughters of Zelophehad did as Adonai Instructed through Moses. The five women, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, married men of their own tribe, members of the families of the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s son. Their inheritance remained in the tribe of Manasseh. These are the rules and regulations which Adonai gave to the people of Israel through Moses while Israel was camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho.

COMMENTARY

LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: EGYPTIAN JEWELRY

When the Israelites fled Egypt, the women carried with them a large amount of jewellery given them by Egyptian women anxious to see them gone. A little while later, much of the same jewellery glowed and sparkled on the clothing of the high priest and in the tabernacle furnishings. The jewellery must have been fabulous and wonderful to see, because wealthy Egyptians always spent a great deal of time and money to acquire it. They wore jewellery whenever they could. Jewellers’ workshops were always filled with the activities of busy craftsmen working with their special skills. First, precious metals and stones were carefully weighed and recorded. Then, the stones were cut and polished by workmen called lapidaries {LAP-eh-dare-ees}. The metallurgists used blowpipes and crucibles to smelt the silver, gold and electrum; a mixture of silver and gold; which they then poured into moulds or sheets that were later hammered thin. Other workmen, the artisans, combined the metal and stones into complicated pieces of jewellery. Sometimes engravers inscribed designs or inscriptions on the metal. Bead makers cut and drilled beads from stones, ivory, bone, sea shells and wood. These were strung into elaborate broad collars and necklaces called {aahs.} Both men and women wore jewellery. They sometimes wore pendants, earrings and finger rings. The finger rings were more often used by males, who were officials, to seal documents. Egyptian women adorned themselves with an endless variety of sparkling jewellery. Their arms were laden with bracelets and armbands. The necks, shoulders and chests were bedecked with necklaces, pendants and jewelled collars. Their hips were covered with wide jewelled belts. They wore toe rings, ankle bracelets and foot ornaments. Jewellery and jewelled buckles appeared on their sandals. Decorative ivory combs appeared in their hair. They wore jewelled headbands on their foreheads and crowns on their heads. Jewellery was worn for the sake of decoration and beauty. But ancient Egyptians wore it as a form of protection, as well. Amulets, which were charms inscribed with a saying thought to have magical powers, were believed to ward off evil. Scarab rings, shaped like a certain beetle, were particularly popular; they were supposed to protect the wearer and bring good luck. The charm bracelets people wear today probably have their origin in the same kind of belief. Owning a large amount of jewellery was a sign of wealth. Given as a gift, it showed the person was held in high esteem. The richer and more respected someone was, the more jewellery that person owned. Egyptian women therefore liked to wear as much jewellery at any one time as they possibly could.