Bible/King James/Documentary Hypothesis/Priestly source/Census

<Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis | Priestly source

According to the documentary hypothesis, the torah was redacted together from a number of earlier source texts. The largest of these is referred to as the "Priestly source", due to its concentration on details which would be of interest to the Aaronid priesthood.

The reconstructed text of this source contains several elements which are separable from the narrative, including several laws, and descriptions of how rituals should be carried out. It is sometimes believed that these were originally separate documents held as priestly records, or simple observations. One of these separable elements is the census data listing the numbers of each tribe and its princes, at different points.

Some of the data appears as the first census at Numbers 1:2-48, 1:54, 2:1-16, 2:17b-34, 3:15-24, 3:27-30, 3:33-35, 3:38-40, 3:42-51, 4:1-3, 4:22-23, 4:29-30, and 4:34-49. More information about names of leaders occurs at Numbers 10:14-16, 10:18-20, 10:22-27, and 13:3b-16a. The remainder of the data, including the genealogies of families, appears as the second census at Numbers 26:1-8 and 26:12-65.

Though based on the relevant passages of Numbers, the following text presents the information in a simplified form, while keeping the same data. The numbering of the text does not necessarily reflect that of the original

Introduction

1 Of all the congregation of the children of Israel,

A In the wilderness of Sinai,

i Take ye the sum,

a By their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

b With the number of their names, every male by their polls;

c From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel.

ii And there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

a These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

iii Every man of the children of Israel pitched by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house:

B And in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho,

i Take the sum,

a From twenty years old and upward,

b Throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.

ii And there shall be one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance

a Save Rueben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for they have received their inheritance.

2 These were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

A Of the children of Levi, number them:

i After their families, by the house of their fathers:

ii Every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.

B And take their sum

i After their families, by the house of their fathers;

ii From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them,

iii Every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Locations

Location	Standard	Tribes far off about the tabernacle	Sum of men far off about the tabernacle	Rank	Families near the tabernacle of testimony
On the east side toward the rising of the sun	Judah	Judah. Issachar. Zebulun.	186,400	First	Moses and Aaron and his sons.
On the south side	Reuben, Israel's eldest son	Reuben. Simeon. Gad.	151,450	Second	Families of the sons of Kohath
On the west side	Ephraim	Joseph, namely, Ephraim. Manasseh. Benjamin.	108,100	Third	Families of the Gershonites
On the north side	Dan	Dan. Asher. Naphtali.	157,600	Hindmost	Families of Merari

Children of the congregation of Israel

Leaders

Tribe	Captain in Sinai	Spy in Canaan	Prince in the plains of Moab
Judah	Nahshon the son of Amminadab	Caleb the son of Jephunneh	Caleb the son of Jephunneh
Issachar	Nethaneel the son of Zuar	Igal the son of Joseph	Paltiel the son of Azzan
Zebulun	Eliab the son of Helon	Gaddiel the son of Sodi	Elizaphan the son of Parnach
Reuben, Israel's eldest son	Elizur the son of Shedeur	Shammua the son of Zaccur
Simeon	Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai	Shaphat the son of Hori	Shemuel the son of Ammihud
Gad	Eliasaph the son of Deuel	Geuel the son of Machi
Ephraim (of Joseph)	Elishama the son of Ammihud	Oshea the son of Nun	Kemuel the son of Shiphtan
Manasseh (of Joseph)	Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur	Gaddi the son of Susi	Hanniel the son of Ephod
Benjamin	Abidan the son of Gideoni	Palti the son of Raphu	Elidad the son of Chislon
Dan	Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai	Ammiel the son of Gemalli	Bukki the son of Jogli
Asher	Pagiel the son of Ocran	Sethur the son of Michael	Ahihud the son of Shelomi
Napthali	Ahira the son of Enan	Nahbi the son of Vophsi	Pedahel the son of Ammihud

Numbers

Tribe	Families	Number in Sinai	Number in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho
Judah	Of Er and of Onan were none for Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. Of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites Of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites Of Hezron, the son of Pharez, the family of the Hezronites Of Hamul, the son of Pharez, the family of the Hamulites. Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.	74,600	76,500
Issachar	Of Tola, the family of the Tolaites. Of Pua, the family of the Punites. Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites. Of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.	54,400	64,300
Zebulun	Of Sered, the family of the Sardites. Of Elon, the family of the Elonites. Of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.	57,400	60,500
Reuben, Israel's eldest son	Of Hanoch, cometh the family of the Hanochites. Of Pallu, the family of the Palluites. And the son of Pallu was Eliab. Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites. Of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.	46,500	43,730
Simeon	Of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites. Of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites. Of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites. Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. Of Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman, the family of the Shaulites.	59,300	22,200
Gad	Of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites. Of Haggi, the family of the Haggites. Of Shuni, the family of the Shunites. Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites. Of Eri, the family of the Erites. Of Arod, the family of the Arodites. Of Areli, the family of the Arelites.	45,650	40,500
Ephraim (of Joseph)	Of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites. Of Eran, son of Shuthelah, the family of the Eranites. Of Becher, the family of the Bachrites. Of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.	40,500	32,500
Manasseh (of Joseph)	Of Machir, the family of the Machirites. Of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Gileadites. Of Jeezer, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Jeezerites. Of Helek, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Helekites. Of Asriel, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Asrielites. Of Shechem, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Shechemites. Of Shemida, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Shemidaites. Of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Hepherites. Of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, there were no sons, but daughters. And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.	32,200	52,700
Benjamin	Of Bela, the family of the Belaites. Of Ard, son of Bela, the family of the Ardites. Of Naaman, son of Bela, the family of the Naamites. Of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites. Of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites. Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites. Of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.	35,400	45,600
Dan	Of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites.	62,700	64,400
Asher	Of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites. Of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites. Of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. Of Heber, son of Beriah, the family of the Heberites. Of Malchiel, son of Beriah, the family of the Malchielites. And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.	41,500	53,400
Napthali	Of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites. Of Guni, the family of the Gunites. Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites. Of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.	53,400	45,400
In all		603,550	601,730

Levites

Son of Levi	Families	Chief	Number of males	Number that entereth into the service
Kohath	Of Amran, the family of the Amramites. Of Izehar, the family of the Izeharites. Of Hebron, the family of the Hebronites. Of Uzziel, the family of the Uzzielites.	Elizaphan the son of Uzziel	8,600	2,750
Gershon	Of Libni, the family of the Libnites. Of Shimei, the family of the Shimites.	Eliasaph the son of Lael	7,500	2,630
Merari	Of Mahli, the family of the Mahlites. Of Mushi, the family of the Mushites.	Zuriel the son of Abihail	6,200	3,200
In all			22,000	8,580

First born

1 The number of all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, were 22,273.

2 For the Levites, 273 to be redeemed.

3 Five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary

4 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel, 1,365 shekels.