• Torah (T): Bemidbar (Numbers) 16:1-50 (16:1 – 17:15)
• Prophets (P): 1 Samuel 11:1-15
• Apostolic (A): Jude 1:1-25
• Additional (ADD): Sirach 9:11-18

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Numbers 26:8-11 (T)
• Numbers 27:1-11 (T)
• Deuteronomy 11:1-12 (T)
• Numbers 20:1-13 (T)
• Psalms 106:16-18 (T)
• Leviticus 10:1-3 (T)
• Genesis 37:35 (T)
• Luke 16:19-31 (T)
• 2 Timothy 2:7-21 (T)
• Numbers 3:5-10, 38-39 (T)
• 1 Samuel 12:1-7 (T)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• Enoch 22:1-14 (T, A)
• Numbers 16:1-50 (16:1 – 17:15) from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.2.1 – 4.3.4

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

16:1 Now Qorach, the son of Izhar, the son of Qohath, the son of Levi took, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, son^(LXX)(SP) of Reuben. 2 They rose up before Moses, with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred fifty lifted up ones of the congregation, called to the assembly, and^(LXX) men of name. 3 They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “It is great for you, since all the congregation are holy, all of them, and YHWH is in their midst! Why do you lift yourselves up above the assembly of YHWH?” 4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5 He said to Qorach and to all his company, “In the morning, [Elohim]^(LXX) will show who are his (cf. 2 Timothy 2:19), [and he has brought whomsoever is holy near]^(LXX) to him. The one whom he [has chosen],^(DSS)(LXX) he will cause to come near to him. 6 Do this: have Qorach and all his company take censers, 7 put fire in them, and put incense on them before YHWH tomorrow. It will be that the man whom YHWH chooses, he will be holy. It is great for you sons of Levi!” 8 Moses said to Qorach [and all of his company],^(LXX) “Hear now, you sons of Levi! 9 Is it a small thing to you that the Elohim of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of YHWH, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10 and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against [Elohim]!^(LXX) What is Aaron that you complain against him?” 12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up! 13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a ruler over us? 14 Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.” 15 Moses was very angry, and said to YHWH, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” 16 Moses said to Qorach, “You and all your company go before YHWH, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before YHWH his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.” 18 They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Appointed Tent with Moses and Aaron. 19 Qorach assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Appointed Tent. the glory of YHWH appeared to all the congregation. 20 YHWH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” 22 They fell on their faces, and said, “Elohim, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, if one man sin, will the [anger of YHWH]^(LXX) be upon all the congregation?” 23 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Qorach, Dathan, and Abiram!’ ” 25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!” 27 So they went away from the tent of Qorach, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28 Moses said, “Hereby you will know that YHWH has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then YHWH hasn’t sent me. 30 But if YHWH creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have despised YHWH.” 31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32 The land opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Qorach’s men, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The land closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the land swallow us up!” 35 Fire came out from YHWH, and she devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense. 36 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy, 38 even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before YHWH. Therefore they are holy. They will be a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39 Eleazar [the son of Aaron]^(LXX)(SP) the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40 to be a remembrance to the sons of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the seed of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before YHWH, that he not be as Qorach and as his company; as YHWH spoke to him by Moses. 41 But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of YHWH!” 42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Appointed Tent. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YHWH appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Appointed Tent. 44 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces. 46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from YHWH! The smiting has begun.” 47 Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The smiting had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the smiting was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the smiting were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the word of Qorach. 50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Appointed Tent, and the smiting was stopped.

Prophets Portion (P)

11:1 [And it came to pass about a month after this,]^(DSS)(LXX) Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” 2 Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make [a covenant]^(LXX)(mss) with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” 4 Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice and wept. 5 Behold, Shaul came following the oxen out of the field; and Shaul said, “What ails the people that they weep?” They told him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 [YHWH’s]^(LXX) Spirit came mightily on Shaul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, then sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Shaul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen.” The dread of YHWH fell on the people [of Israel],^(DSS)(LXX) and they came out as one man. 8 He counted them in Bezek; and the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 [And he]^(LXX) said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead,^(LXX) ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’ ” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you will do with us all that seems good to you.” 11 On the next day, Shaul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. 12 The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Shaul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!” 13 Shaul said, “No man will be put to death today; for today YHWH has rescued Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the reign there.” 15 All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Shaul king before YHWH in Gilgal. There they offered slaughters of peace offerings before YHWH; and there Shaul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Apostolic Portion (A)

1:1 Judah, a servant of Yeshua the Messiah, and brother of Jacob, to those who are called, [loved]^(mss) by Elohim the Father, and kept for Yeshua the Messiah: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about [our]^(mss) common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the holy ones. 4 For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: impious men, turning the grace of our Elohim into indecency, and denying our only Master, Elohim, and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 5 Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that YHWH, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. 6 Angels who didn’t guard their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and speak evil of glories. 9 But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. 11 Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Qorach’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the root; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved. 14 About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the impious of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an impious way, and of all the hard things which impious sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their coveting—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the emissaries of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own impious coveting.” (cf. 2 Peter 3:3) 19 These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in Elohim’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to eternal life. 22 On some have compassion, making a distinction, 23 and some save, snatching them out of [the fire, and on some have mercy with fear,]^(mss) hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep [you]^(mss) from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the face of his glory in great joy, 25 to the only Elohim our Savior, [through Yeshua Messiah our Lord,]^(mss) be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Additional Portion (ADD)

9:11 Don’t envy the success of a sinner; for you don’t know what his end will be. 12 Don’t delight in the delights of the impious. Remember they will not go unpunished to Hades. 13 Keep yourself far from the man who has power to kill, and you will not be troubled by the fear of death. If you come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away your life. Know surely that you go about in the midst of snares, and walk upon the battlements of a city. 14 As well as you can, aim to know your neighbors, and take counsel with the wise. 15 Let your conversation be with men of understanding. Let all your discourse be in the Torah of the Most High. 16 Let righteous people be companions at your table. Let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord. 17 A work is commended because of the skill of the artisan; so he who rules the people will be considered wise for his speech. 18 A loudmouthed man is dangerous in his city. He who is reckless in his speech will be hated.

Related Scriptures

26:8 The son of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Qorach when they rebelled against YHWH; 10 and the land opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Qorach when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. 11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Qorach didn’t die.

27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noaḥ, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the lifted up ones and all the congregation, at the door of the Appointed Tent, saying, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against YHWH in the company of Qorach, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.” 5 Moses brought their cause before YHWH. 6 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You will surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You will cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 You will speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you will cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you will give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he will possess it. This will be a statute and ordinance for the sons of Israel, as YHWH commanded Moses.’ ”

11:1 Therefore you will love YHWH your Elohim, and guard his instructions, his statutes, his ordinances, and his commandments, always. 2 Know this day—for I don’t speak with your children who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of YHWH your Elohim, his greatness, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm, 3 his signs, and his works, which he did in the middle of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land; 4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued you, and how YHWH has destroyed them to this day; 5 and what he did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place; 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben—how the land opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel; 7 but your eyes have seen all of YHWH’s great work which he did. 8 Therefore you will guard the entire commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land that you go over to possess; 9 and that you may prolong your days in the land which YHWH swore to your fathers to give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land, where you go in to possess isn’t like the land of Egypt that you came out of, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot, as a garden of herbs; 11 but the land that you go over to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water from the rain of the heavens, 12 a land which YHWH your Elohim cares for. YHWH your Elohim’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.

20:1 The sons of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first new moon. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2 There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before YHWH! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of YHWH into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? 5 Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.” 6 Moses and Aaron went from the face of the assembly to the door of the Appointed Tent, and fell on their faces. the glory of YHWH appeared to them. 7 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You will bring water to them out of the rock; so you will give the congregation and their livestock drink.” 9 Moses took the rod from before YHWH, as he commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank. 12 YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the sons of Israel strove with YHWH, and he was sanctified in them.

106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, YHWH’s holy one. 17 The land opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 18 A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.

10:1 Nadab and Abihu, the [two]^(DSS)(LXX) sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered [foreign]^(LXX) fire before YHWH, which [YHWH]^(LXX)(DSS) had not commanded them. 2 Fire came out from before YHWH, and devoured them, and they died before YHWH. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what YHWH spoke of, saying, ‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” Aaron held his peace.

37:35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him.

16:19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23 In Sheol, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24 He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”

2:7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. 8 Remember Yeshua the Messiah, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my Good News, 9 in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But Elohim’s word isn’t chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Messiah Yeshua with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him. 12 If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can’t deny himself.” 14 Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord that they don’t argue about words to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear. 15 Give diligence to present yourself approved by Elohim, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. 16 But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, 17 and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus: 18 men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. 19 However, Elohim’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” (cf. Number 16:5) and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor and some for dishonor. 21 If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.

3:5 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They will guard his charges, and the charges of the whole congregation to the face of the Appointed Tent, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They will guard all the furnishings of the Appointed Tent, and the charges of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him on the behalf of the sons of Israel. 10 You will register Aaron and his sons, and they will guard their priesthood, but the stranger who comes near will be put to death.” … 3:38 Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Appointed Tent toward the sunrise, will be Moses, with Aaron and his sons, guarding the watch duty of the holy for the watch duty of the sons of Israel. The outsider who comes near will be put to death. 39 All who were registered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron registered at the commandment of YHWH, by their families, all the males from a son of a new moon and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before YHWH and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 5 He said to them, “YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” They said, “He is witness.” 6 Samuel said to the people, “It is YHWH who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before YHWH concerning all the righteous acts of YHWH, which he did to you and to your fathers.

Related Additional Readings​

The Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch) was written during the second century B.C. The older sections (mainly in the Book of the Watchers) of the text are estimated to date from about 300–200 B.C., and the latest part (Book of Parables) probably to 100 B.C. Various Aramaic fragments found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as Koine Greek and Latin fragments, were proof that The Book of Enoch was known by early Jews and Christians.

22:1 And from there, I went to another place, and he showed me in the west a large and high mountain, and a hard rock, and four beautiful places. 2 And inside, it was deep, wide, and very smooth. How smooth is that which rolls, and deep and dark to look at! (cf. Proverbs 15:24) 3 Then Raphael, one of the Holy Angels who was with me, answered me, and said to me: “These beautiful places are there so that the spirits, the souls of the dead, might be gathered into them. For them they were created; so that here they might gather the souls of the sons of men. (cf. 1 Peter 3:18-20; 1 Peter 4:6; Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8-10) 4 And these places they made, where they will guard them until the Day of Judgment, and until their appointed time, and that appointed time will be long, until the great judgment comes upon them. (cf. 1 Peter 3:18-20; 1 Peter 4:6; Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8-10) 5 And I saw the spirits of the sons of men who were dead and their voices reached Heaven and complained. (cf. Genesis 4:10) 6 Then I asked Raphael, the Angel who was with me, and said to him: “Whose is this spirit, whose voice thus reaches Heaven and complains?” 7 And he answered me, and said to me, saying: “This spirit is the one that came out of Abel, whom Cain, his brother, killed. And he will complain about him until his seed are destroyed from the face of the land, and from amongst the seed of men, his seed perish.” (cf. Genesis 4:3-8; Genesis 4:9-11; Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51; 1 John 3:12; Jude 1:10-11) 8 Then I asked about him, and about judgment on all, and I said: “Why is one separated from another?” 9 And he answered me, and said to me: “These three places where made, in order that they might separate the spirits of the dead. And thus the souls of the righteous have been separated; this is the spring of water, and on it the light. (cf. Revelation 14:13; John 4:14; John 7:38; Revelation 22:1) 10 Likewise, a place has been created for sinners, when they die, and are buried in the earth, and judgment has not come upon them during their life. (cf. Exodus 23:7; Sirach 9:11-12) 11 And here their souls will be separated for this great torment, until the Great Day of Judgment and Punishment and Torment for those who curse, forever, and of vengeance on their souls. And there he will bind them forever. Verily, He is, from the beginning of the world. (cf. Sirach 21:10; Job 24:19-20; Job 7:9-11; Wisdom of Solomon 16:14; Job 14:11-13; Psalm 17:13-15; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) 12 And thus a place has been separated for the souls of those who complain, and give information about their destruction, about when they were killed, in the days of the sinners. 13 Thus a place has been created, for the souls of men who are not righteous, but sinners, accomplished in wrongdoing, and with the wrongdoers will be their lot. But their souls will not be killed on the day of judgment, nor will they rise from here.” (cf. Psalm 1:5-6; Revelation 20:5; Psalm 119:155; Sirach 41:5-11; Wisdom of Solomon 1:16; Wisdom of Solomon 2:21-24; Wisdom of Solomon 3:10; Wisdom of Solomon 4:20; Wisdom of Solomon 5:13-14; Job 8:11-14; Job 27:7-10) 14 Then I blessed the Lord of Glory, and said: “Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of Glory and Righteousness, who rules everything forever.” (cf. 1 Kings 8:32)

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

4.2.1. That which is usually the case of great armies, and especially upon ill success, to be hard to be pleased, and governed with difficulty, did now befall the Jews; for they being in number six hundred thousand, and by reason of their great multitude not readily subject to their governors, even in prosperity, they at this time were more than usually angry, both against one another and against their leader, because of the distress they were in, and the calamities they then endured. Such a sedition overtook them, as we have not the like example either among the Greeks or the Barbarians, by which they were in danger of being all destroyed, but were notwithstanding saved by Moses, who would not remember that he had been almost stoned to death by them. Nor did Elohim neglect to prevent their ruin; but, notwithstanding the indignities they had offered their legislator and the laws, and disobedience to the commandments which he had sent them by Moses, he delivered them from those terrible calamities which, without his providential care, had been brought upon them by this sedition. So I will first explain the cause whence this sedition arose, and then will give an account of the sedition itself; as also of what settlements made for their government after it was over.

4.2.2. Corah, a Hebrew of principal account, both by his family and by his wealth, one that was also able to speak well, and one that could easily persuade the people by his speeches, saw that Moses was in an exceeding great dignity, and was at it, and envied him on that account, (he of the same tribe with Moses, and of kin to him,) was particularly grieved, because he thought he better deserved that honorable post on account of great riches, and not inferior to him in his birth. So he raised a clamor against him among the Levites, who were of the same tribe, and among his kindred, saying, “That it was a very sad thing that they should overlook Moses, while hunted after and paved the way to glory for himself, and by ill arts should obtain it, under the pretense of Elohim’s command, while, contrary to laws, he had given the priesthood to Aaron, the common suffrage of the multitude, but by his own vote, as bestowing dignities in a way on whom he pleased.” He added, “That this concealed way of imposing on them was harder to be borne than if it had been done by an open force upon them, because he did now not only their power without their consent, but even they were unapprised of his contrivances against them; for whosoever is conscious to himself that he deserves any dignity, aims to get it by persuasion, and not by an arrogant method of violence; those that believe it impossible to obtain honors justly, make a show of goodness, and do not introduce force, but by cunning tricks grow wickedly powerful. That it was proper for the multitude to punish such men, even while they think themselves concealed in their designs, and not suffer them to gain strength till they have them for their open enemies. For what account,” added he, “is Moses able to give, why he has bestowed the priesthood on Aaron and his sons? for if Elohim had determined to bestow that honor on one of the tribe of Levi, I am more worthy of it than he is; I myself being equal to Moses by my family, and superior to him both in riches and in age: but if Elohim had determined to bestow it on the eldest be, that of Reuben might have it most justly; and then Dathan, and Abiram, and [On, the son of] Peleth, would have it; for these are the oldest men of that tribe, and potent on account of their great wealth also.”

4.2.3. Now Corah, when he said this, had a mind to appear to take care of the public welfare, but in reality he was endeavoring to procure to have that dignity transferred by the multitude to himself. Thus did he, out of a malignant design, but with discourse to those of his own tribe; when these words did gradually spread to more people, and when the hearers still added to what tended to the scandals that were cast upon the whole army was full of them. Now of those that conspired with Corah, there were two hundred and fifty, and those of the principal men also, who were eager to have the priesthood taken away from Moses’s brother, and to bring him into disgrace: nay, the multitude themselves were provoked to be seditious, and attested to stone Moses, wad gathered themselves together after an indecent manner, with confusion and disorder. And now all were, in a tumultuous manner, raising a before the tabernacle of Elohim, to prosecute the tyrant, and to relieve the multitude from their slavery under him who, under color of the Divine laid violent injunctions upon them; for had it been Elohim who chose one that was to the office of a priest, he would have raised person to that dignity, and would not produced such a one as was inferior to many others nor have given him that office; and that in he had judged it fit to bestow it on Aaron, he would have permitted it to the multitude to bestow it, and not have left it to be bestowed by his own brother.

4.2.4. Now although Moses had a great while ago foreseen this calumny of Corah, and had seen the people were irritated, yet was he not affrighted at it; but being of good courage, because given them right advice about their affairs, and knowing that his brother had been made partaker of the priesthood at the command of Elohim, and not by his own favor to him, he came to the assembly; and as for the multitude, he said not a word to them, but spake as loud to Corah as he could; and being very skillful in making speeches, and having this natural talent, among others, that he could greatly move the multitude with his discourses, he said, “O Corah, both thou and all these with thee (pointing to the two hundred and fifty men) seem to be worthy of this honor; nor do I pretend but that this whole company may be worthy of the like dignity, although they may not be so rich or so great as you are: nor have I taken and given this office to my brother because he excelled others in riches, for thou exceedest us both in the greatness of thy wealth; nor indeed because he was of an eminent family, for Elohim, by giving us the same common ancestor, has made our families equal: nay, nor was it out of brotherly affection, which another might yet have justly done; for certainly, unless I had bestowed this honor out of regard to Elohim, and to his laws, I had not passed by myself, and given it to another, as being nearer of kin to myself than to my brother, and having a closer intimacy with myself than I have with him; for surely it would not be a wise thing for me to expose myself to the dangers of offending, and to bestow the happy employment on this account upon another. But I am above such base practices: nor would Elohim have overlooked this matter, and seen himself thus despised; nor would he have suffered you to be ignorant of what you were to do, in order to please him; but he hath himself chosen one that is to perform that sacred office to him, and thereby freed us from that care. So that it was not a thing that I pretend to give, but only according to the determination of Elohim; I therefore propose it still to be contended for by such as please to put in for it, only desiring that he who has been already preferred, and has already obtained it, may be allowed now also to offer himself for a candidate. He prefers your peace, and your living without sedition, to this honorable employment, although in truth it was with your approbation that he obtained it; for though Elohim were the donor, yet do we not offend when we think fit to accept it with your good-will; yet would it have been an instance of impiety not to have taken that honorable employment when he offered it; nay, it had been exceedingly unreasonable, when Elohim had thought fit any one should have it for all time to come, and had made it secure and firm to him, to have refused it. However, he himself will judge again who it will be whom he would have to offer slaughters to him, and to have the direction of matters of religion; for it is absurd that Corah, who is ambitious of this honor, should deprive Elohim of the power of giving it to whom he pleases. Put an end, therefore, to your sedition and disturbance on this account; and tomorrow morning do every one of you that desire the priesthood bring a censer from home, and come hither with incense and fire: and do thou, O Corah, leave the judgment to Elohim, and await to see on which side he will give his determination upon this occasion, but do not thou make thyself greater than Elohim. Do thou also come, that this contest about this honorable employment may receive determination. And I suppose we may admit Aaron without offense, to offer himself to this scrutiny, since he is of the same lineage with thyself, and has done nothing in his priesthood that can be liable to exception. Come ye therefore together, and offer your incense in public before all the people; and when you offer it, he whose slaughter Elohim will accept will be ordained to the priesthood, and will be clear of the present calumny on Aaron, as if I had granted him that favor because he was my brother.”

4.3.1. When Moses had said this, the multitude left off the turbulent behavior they had indulged, and the suspicion they had of Moses, and commended what he had said; for those proposals were good, and were so esteemed of the people. At that time therefore they dissolved the assembly. But on the next day they came to the congregation, in order to be present at the slaughter, and at the determination that was to be made between the candidates for the priesthood. Now this congregation proved a turbulent one, and the multitude were in great suspense in expectation of what was to be done; for some of them would have been pleased if Moses had been convicted of evil practices, but the wiser sort desired that they might be delivered from the present disorder and disturbance; for they were afraid, that if this sedition went on, the good order of their settlement would rather be destroyed; but the whole body of the people do naturally delight in clamors against their governors, and, by changing their opinions upon the harangues of every speaker, disturb the public tranquility. And now Moses sent messengers for Abiram and Dathan, and ordered them to come to the assembly, and wait there for the holy offices that were to be performed. But they answered the messenger, that they would not obey his summons; nay, would not overlook Moses’s behavior, who was growing too great for them by evil practices. Now when Moses heard of this their answer, he desired the heads of the people to follow him, and he went to the faction of Dathan, not thinking it any frightful thing at all to go to these insolent people; so they made no opposition, but went along with him. But Dathan, and his associates, when they understood that Moses and the principal of the people were coming to them, came out, with their wives and children, and stood before their tents, and looked to see what Moses would do. They had also their servants about them to defend themselves, in case Moses should use force against them.

4.3.2. But he came near, and lifted up his hands to the heavens, and cried out with a loud voice, in order to be heard by the whole multitude, and said, “O Lord of the creatures that are in the heavens, in the land, and in the sea; for thou art the most authentic witness to what I have done, that it has all been done by thy appointment, and that it was thou that affordedst us assistance when we attested any thing, and showedst mercy on the Hebrews in all their distresses; do thou come now, and hear all that I say, for no action or thought escapes thy knowledge; so that thou wilt not disdain to speak what is true, for my vindication, without any regard to the ungrateful imputations of these men. As for what was done before I was born, thou knowest best, as not learning them by report, but seeing them, and being present with them when they were done; but for what has been done of late, and which these men, although they know them well enough, unjustly pretend to suspect, be thou my witness. When I lived a private quiet life, I left those good things which, by my own diligence, and by thy counsel, I enjoyed with Raguel my father-in-law; and I gave myself up to this people, and underwent many miseries on their account. I also bore great labors at first, in order to obtain liberty for them, and now in order to their preservation; and have always showed myself ready to assist them in every distress of theirs. Now, therefore, since I am suspected by those very men whose being is owing to my labors, come thou, as it is reasonable to hope thou wilt; thou, I say, who showedst me that fire at mount Sinai, and madest me to hear its voice, and to see the several wonders which that place afforded thou who commandedst me to go to Egypt, and declare thy will to this people; thou who disturbest the happy estate of the Egyptians, and gavest us the opportunity of flying away from our under them, and madest the dominion of Pharaoh inferior to my dominion; thou who didst make the sea dry land for us, when we knew not whither to go, and didst overwhelm the Egyptians with those destructive waves which had been divided for us; thou who didst bestow upon us the security of weapons when we were naked; thou who didst make the fountains that were corrupted to flow, so as to be fit for drinking, and didst furnish us with water that came out of the rocks, when we were in want of it; thou who didst preserve our lives with [quails, which was] food from the sea, when the fruits of the ground failed us; thou didst send us such food from the heavens as had never been seen before; thou who didst suggest to us the knowledge of thy laws, and appoint to us a of government, – come thou, I say, O Lord of the whole world, and that as such a Judge and a Witness to me as cannot be bribed, and show how I never admitted of any gift against justice from any of the Hebrews; and have never condemned a man that ought to have been acquitted, on account of one that was rich; and have never attested to hurt this commonwealth. I am now and am suspected of a thing the remotest from my intentions, as if I had given the preisthood to Aaron, not at thy command, but out own favor to him; do thou at this time demonstrate that all things are administered by thy providence and that nothing happens by chance, but is governed by thy will, and thereby attains its end: as also demonstrate that thou takest care that have done good to the Hebrews; demonstrate this, I say, by the punishment of Abiram and Dathan, who condemn thee as an insensible Being, and one overcome by my contrivances. This thou do by inflicting such an open punishment on these men who so madly fly in the face of thy glory, as will take them out of the world, not in an manner, but so that it may appear they do die after the manner of other men: let that ground which they tread upon open about them and consume them, with their families and goods. This will be a demonstration of thy power to all and this method of their sufferings will be an instruction of wisdom for those that entertain profane sentiments of thee. By this means I will be a good servant, in the precepts thou hast given by me. But if the calumnies they have raised against me be true, mayst thou preserve these men from every evil accident, and bring all that destruction on me which I have imprecated upon them. And when thou hast inflicted punishment on those that have endeavored to deal unjustly with this people, bestow upon them concord and peace. Save this multitude that follow thy commandments, and preserve them free from harm, and let them not partake of the punishment of those that have sinned; for thou knowest thyself it is not just, that for the wickedness of those men the whole body of the Israelites should suffer punishment.”

4.3.3. When Moses had said this, with tears in his eyes, the ground was moved on a sudden; and the agitation that set it in motion was like that which the wind produces in waves of the sea. The people were all affrighted; and the ground that was about their tents sunk down at the great noise, with a terrible sound, and carried whatsoever was dear to the seditious into itself, who so entirely perished, that there was not the least appearance that any man had ever been seen there, the land that had opened itself about them, closing again, and becoming entire as it was before, insomuch that such as saw it afterward did not perceive that any such accident had happened to it. Thus did these men perish, and become a demonstration of the power of Elohim. And truly, any one would lament them, not only on account of this calamity that befell them, which yet deserves our commiseration, but also because their kindred were pleased with their sufferings; for they forgot the relation they bare to them, and at the sight of this sad accident approved of the judgment given against them; and because they looked upon the people about Dathan as pestilent men, they thought they perished as such, and did not grieve for them.

4.3.4. And now Moses called for those that contended about the priesthood, that trial might be made who should be priest, and that he whose slaughter Elohim was best pleased with might be ordained to that function. There attended two hundred and fifty men, who indeed were honored by the people, not only on account of the power of their ancestors, but also on account of their own, in which they excelled the others: Aaron also and Corah came forth, and they all offered incense, in those censers of theirs which they brought with them, before the tabernacle. Hereupon so great a fire shone out as no one ever saw in any that is made by the hand of man, neither in those eruptions out of the land that are caused by subterraneous burn-rags, nor in such fires as arise of their own accord in the woods, when the agitation is caused by the trees rubbing one against another: but this fire was very bright, and had a terrible flame, such as is kindled at the command of Elohim; by whose irruption on them, all the company, and Corah himself, were destroyed, and this so entirely, that their very bodies left no remains behind them. Aaron alone was preserved, and not at all hurt by the fire, because it was Elohim that sent the fire to burn those only who ought to be burned. Hereupon Moses, after these men were destroyed, was desirous that the memory of this judgment might be delivered down to posterity, and that future ages might be acquainted with it; and so he commanded Eleazar, the son of Aaron, to put their censers near the brazen altar, that they might be a memorial to posterity of what these men suffered, for supposing that the power of Elohim might be eluded. And thus Aaron was now no longer esteemed to have the priesthood by the favor of Moses, but by the public judgment of Elohim; and thus he and his children peaceably enjoyed that honor afterward.