Tanakh & the Ancient Near East Index – Parashat Bemidbar

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Overview

Knowledge of the history, law, cultic practices and realia of the Ancient Near East can often shed much light on Tanakh. This index contains a list of links to articles which touch on the connections between Tanakh and ancient cultures.

Censuses

  • See Census and Ritual Expiation in Mari and Israel, by E.A. Speiser, for analysis of how evidence from Mari may shed light on both practical and religious aspects of census-taking in Tanakh, and vice versa. He explores the usage of the verb "פקד" and its Akkadian equivalent paqadum, used in both contexts to describe the census-taking.  He notes that both terms refer to being "called to account" and how this connects to the fact that, in ancient times, census taking was considered an ominous event.
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