Week 124

• Torah (T): Bemidbar (Numbers) 34:1 – 35:8
• Prophets (P): Ezekiel 45:1-8
• Apostolic (A): Colossians 1:1-14
• Additional (ADD): Genesis Apocryphon 1Q20, Column 21

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Joshua 15:1-63 (T)
• Exodus 23:20-33 (T)
• Joshua 13:1-33 (T)
• Joshua 14:1-15 (T)
• Joshua 21:1-45 (T)
• Deuteronomy 4:41-44; Joshua 20:1-9 (T)
• Ezekiel 45:1-25 (T, H)
• Ezekiel 47:1-23 (T)
• Ezekiel 48:1-30 (T)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• Jubilees 8:8-30; Jubilees 9:14-15; Jubilees 10:28-36 (T, ADD)
• Numbers 34:1 – 35:8  from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.7.4-5 (T)

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)

Numbers 34:1 – 35:8

34:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders, 3 then your south quarter will be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border will be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. 4 Your border will turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it will pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it will go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5 The border will turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it will end at the sea. 6 For the western border, you will have the great sea and its border. This will be your west border. 7 This will be your north border: from the great sea you will mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you will mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border will pass by Zedad. 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron, and it will end at Hazar Enan. This will be your north border. 10 You will mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border will go down, and will reach to the side of the sea of Kinnereth eastward. 12 The border will go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This will be your land according to its borders around it.’ ” 13 Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you will inherit by lot, which YHWH has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.” 16 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 You will take one lifted up one of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the sons of Shimon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Kislon. 22 Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a lifted up one, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a lifted up one, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 Of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a lifted up one, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a lifted up one, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 Of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a lifted up one, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 Of the tribe of the sons of Asher a lifted up one, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a lifted up one, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are they whom YHWH commanded to divide the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.

35:1 YHWH spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You will give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites. 3 They will have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands will be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals. 4 “The pasture lands of the cities, which you will give to the Levites, will be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it. 5 You will measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the [side to the west]^(DSS) two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This will be the pasture lands of their cities. 6 “The cities which you will give to the Levites, they will be the six cities of refuge, which you will give for the man-slayer to flee to. Besides them you will give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities which you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands. 8 Concerning the cities which you will give of the possession of the sons of Israel, from the many you will take many, and from the few you will take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits will give some of his cities to the Levites.”

Prophets Portion (P)

Ezekiel 45:1-8

45:1 “Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you will raise an offering to YHWH, a holy portion of the land. The length will be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the width will be ten thousand. It will be holy in all its border all around. 2 Of this there will be a five hundred by five hundred square for the holy place, and fifty cubits for its pasture lands all around. 3 Of this measure you will measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a width of ten thousand. In it will be the sanctuary, which is most holy. 4 It is a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to YHWH. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width will be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as a possession for themselves, for twenty rooms. 6 You will appoint the possession of the city five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, side by side with the offering of the holy portion. It will be for the whole house of Israel. 7 What is for the lifted up one will be on the one side and on the other side of the holy allotment and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy allotment and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward, and in length corresponding to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 In the land it will be to him for a possession in Israel. My lifted up ones will no more oppress my people, but they will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”

Apostolic Portion (A)

Colossians 1:1-14

1:1 Paul, an emissary of Messiah Yeshua through the will of Elohim, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Messiah at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from Elohim our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 3 We give thanks to Elohim the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, praying always for you, 4 having heard of your faith in Messiah Yeshua and of the love which you have toward all the holy ones, 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News 6 which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of Elohim in truth, 7 even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Messiah on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Elohim, 11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the holy ones in light, 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Reign of the Son of his love, 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

Additional Portion (ADD)

The Genesis Apocryphon (1Q20), also called the Tales of the Patriarchs or the Apocalypse of Lamech and labeled 1QapGen, is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1946 by Bedouin shepherds in Cave 1 near Qumran, a city in the northwest corner of the Dead Sea. Composed in Aramaic, it consists of four sheets of leather. Furthermore, it is the least well-preserved document of the original seven. The document records a conversation between the biblical figure Lamech, son of Methuselah, and his son, Noaḥ, as well as first and third person narratives associated with Abraham. A range of compositional dates for the work have been suggested from the 3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D..

Genesis Apocryphon 1Q20, Column 21

Column 21 I went to all my old campsites until I reached Bethel, the place where I once built an altar, and then I built another one and offered up burnt offerings and a grain offering to the Elohim of Most High, and invoked the name of the Lord of the Universe there. I praised Elohim’s name and blessed Elohim and gave thanks to Him there for all the flocks and goods and wealth which he has given me, for the good he has done for me, and because He had returned me to this land safely. After this day, Lot left me on the account of our shepherd’s behavior. He went to live in the Valley of Jordan taking all his flocks with him. And I also added greatly to what he had. he pastured his flock and kept moving until he reached Sodom and bought a house there, while I still lived in the mountain of Bethel. It bothered me that Lot and I had separated. Elohim came to me in a dream and said to me: Go up to Ramat Hazor which is north of Bethel, the place you are living now, and look to the east, west, south and to the north. Look at the land which I am giving you and your descendants forever. The next morning I went up to Ramat Hazor and looked at the land from that height, from the river of Egypt up to Lebanon and Senir, and from the Great Sea up to Hauran, and all the land of Gebel to Qadesh, and all the Great Desert, as far as the Euphrates and he said to me: I will give all this land to your descendants; and they will inherit it forever. I will multiply your descendants like the dust of the land that none can count. Your descendants will be numberless. Arise, walk about, go see how long and how wide it is, for I will give it to you and to your descendants after you, forever. Then I, Abraham, went out traveling in a circuit to survey the land. I began the circuit at the Gihon River, I went along the Mediterranean Sea until I reached the Mountain of the Bull (Taurus). I circled from the coast of this great river saltwater sea, skirting the Mount of the Bull, and continued eastward through the breadth of the and until I came to the Euphrates river. I traveled along the side of the Euphrates until I reached the Red Sea toward the east. I continued going along the side of the Red Sea until I reached the inlet (lit. ‘tongue’) of the Sea of Reeds which emerges from the Red Sea. From there I completed the circuit, moving southward to arrive at Gihon River. Then I returned home safely and found all is well with my men. Then I went and settled next to the oaks of Mamre, which is northeast of Hebron. There I built an altar and offered up burnt offering and a grain offering to the Elohim Most High. I ate and drank there, I and all the men of my household, and invited Mamre, Arnem, and Eshkol, three Amorite brothers and my friends. They ate and drank together with me.

Related Scriptures

Joshua 15:1-63 (T)

15:1 The lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south. 2 Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward; 3 and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka; 4 and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This will be your south border. 5 The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the end of the Jordan. 6 The border went up to Beth Hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 7 The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river. The border passed along to the waters of En Shemesh, and ended at En Rogel. 8 The border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem) southward; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the farthest part of the valley of Rephaim northward. 9 The border extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the border extended to Baalah (also called Kiriath Jearim); 10 and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim (also called Chesalon) on the north, and went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed along by Timnah; 11 and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea. 12 The west border was to the shore of the great sea. This is the border of the sons of Judah according to their families. 13 He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the commandment of YHWH to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron). 14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. 15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher. 16 Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” 17 Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 When she came, she had him ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey, and Caleb said, “What do you want?” 19 She said, “Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. 20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families. 21 The farthest cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Be’ersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages. 33 In the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages. 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages. 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. 45 Ekron, with its towns and its villages; 46 from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. 47 Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline. 48 In the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (which is Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages. 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. 58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. 60 Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages. 61 In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities with their villages. 63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah couldn’t drive them out; but the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Exodus 23:20-33 (T)

23:20 “Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him. 22 But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For my angel will go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off. 24 You will not bow down to their elohim, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you will utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars. 25 You will serve YHWH your Elohim, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. 26 No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you. 29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land. 31 I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 32 You will make no covenant with them, nor with their elohim. 33 They will not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their elohim, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Joshua 13:1-33 (T)

13:1 Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years. YHWH said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. 2 “This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites; 3 from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim, 4 on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the sons of Israel. Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” 8 With him the ones of Reuben and the ones of Gad received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of YHWH gave them: 9 from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon; 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the sons of Ammon; 11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; 12 all the reign of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (who was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses attacked these, and drove them out. 13 Nevertheless the sons of Israel didn’t drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day. 14 Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him. 15 Moses gave to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families. 16 Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth, 21 all the cities of the plain, and all the reign of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the lifted up one of Sihon, who lived in the land. 22 The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain. 23 The border of the sons of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages. 24 Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, according to their families. 25 Their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, to Aroer that is near Rabbah; 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Sukkot, and Zaphon, the rest of the reign of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan’s bank, to the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages. 29 Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was for the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their families. 30 Their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the reign of Og king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities. 31 Half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the reign of Og in Bashan, were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, even for the half of the sons of Machir according to their families. 32 These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward. 33 But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.

Joshua 14:1-15 (T)

14:1 These are the inheritances which the sons of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel, distributed to them, 2 by the lot of their inheritance, as YHWH commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. 4 For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. 5 The sons of Israel did as YHWH commanded Moses, and they divided the land. 6 Then the sons of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the thing that YHWH spoke to Moses the man of Elohim concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of YHWH sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed YHWH my Elohim. 9 Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where you walked will be an inheritance to you and to your sons forever, because you have wholly followed YHWH my Elohim.’ 10 “Now, behold, YHWH has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that YHWH spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today. 11 As yet I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, to go out and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this hill country, of which YHWH spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that YHWH will be with me, and I will drive them out, as YHWH said.” 13 Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed YHWH, the Elohim of Israel wholeheartedly. 15 Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.

Joshua 21:1-45 (T)

21:1 Then the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel. 2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “YHWH commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for our livestock.” 3 The sons of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of YHWH, these cities with their pasture lands. 4 The lot came out for the families of the Qohathites. The sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Shimonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin. 5 The rest of the sons of Qohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 The sons of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 The sons of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. 8 The sons of Israel gave these cities with their pasture lands by lot to the Levites, as YHWH commanded by Moses. 9 They gave out of the tribe of the sons of Judah, and out of the tribe of the sons of Shimon, these cities which are mentioned by name: 10 and they were for the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Qohathites, who were of the sons of Levi; for theirs was the first lot. 11 They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands around it. 12 But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 13 To the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Libnah with its pasture lands, 14 Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 15 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 16 Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands: nine cities out of those two tribes. 17 Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities. 19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 20 The families of the sons of Qohath, the Levites, even the rest of the sons of Qohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They gave them Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the man-slayer, and Gezer with its pasture lands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth Horon with its pasture lands: four cities. 23 Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24 Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: four cities. 25 Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasture lands, and Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands: two cities. 26 All the cities of the families of the rest of the sons of Qohath were ten with their pasture lands. 27 They gave to the sons of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man-slayer, and Be Eshterah with its pasture lands: two cities. 28 Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En Gannim with its pasture lands: four cities. 30 Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands: four cities. 32 Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hammothdor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands: three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 34 To the families of the sons of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, 35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands: four cities. 36 Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands: four cities. 38 Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the man-slayer, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands: four cities in all. 40 All these were the cities of the sons of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities. 41 All the cities of the Levites among the possessions of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. 42 Each of these cities included their pasture lands around them. It was this way with all these cities. 43 So YHWH gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it. 44 YHWH gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. YHWH delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Nothing failed of any good thing which YHWH had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Deuteronomy 4:41-49; Joshua 20:1-9 (T)

Deuteronomy 4:41 Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, 42 that the man-slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, for the ones of Reuben; and Ramoth in Gilead for the ones of Gad; and Golan in Bashan for the ones of Manasseh. 44 This is the Torah which Moses set before the sons of Israel. 45 These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel when they came out of Egypt, 46 beyond the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel struck when they came out of Egypt. 47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise; 48 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even to Mount Zion (also called Hermon), 49 and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even to the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.

Joshua 20:1 YHWH spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses, 3 that the man-slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They will be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He will flee to one of those cities, and will stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They will take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they will not deliver up the man-slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before. 6 He will dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that will be in those days. Then the man-slayer will return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’ ” 7 They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.

Ezekiel 45:1-25 (P)

45:1 “Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you will raise an offering to YHWH, a holy portion of the land. The length will be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the width will be ten thousand. It will be holy in all its border all around. 2 Of this there will be a five hundred by five hundred square for the holy place, and fifty cubits for its pasture lands all around. 3 Of this measure you will measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a width of ten thousand. In it will be the sanctuary, which is most holy. 4 It is a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to YHWH. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width will be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as a possession for themselves, for twenty rooms. 6 You will appoint the possession of the city five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, side by side with the offering of the holy portion. It will be for the whole house of Israel. 7 What is for the lifted up one will be on the one side and on the other side of the holy allotment and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy allotment and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward, and in length corresponding to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 In the land it will be to him for a possession in Israel. My lifted up ones will no more oppress my people, but they will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.” 9 The Lord YHWH says: “Enough you, lifted up ones of Israel! Remove violence and plunder, and execute justice and righteousness! Stop dispossessing my people!” says the Lord YHWH. 10 “You will have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath will be of one measure, that the bath may contain one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer. Its measure will be the same as the homer. 12 The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will be your mina. 13 “This is the offering that you will offer: the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and you will give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley, 14 and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, one tenth of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer, for ten baths are a homer, 15 and one lamb of the flock out of two hundred, from the well-watered pastures of Israel—for a grain offering, for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them,” says the Lord YHWH. 16 “All the people of the land will give to this offering for the lifted up one in Israel. 17 It will be the lifted up one’s part to give the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the libation offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.” 18 The Lord YHWH says: “In the first new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you will take a young bull without defect, and you will cleanse the sanctuary. 19 The priest will take of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the door posts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 So you will do on the seventh day of the new moon for everyone who errs, and for him who is simple. So you will make atonement for the house. 21 In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, you will have the Pesach, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread will be eaten. 22 On that day the lifted up one will prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 23 The seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to YHWH, seven bulls and seven rams without defect daily the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 He will prepare a grain offering, an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah. 25 In the seventh new moon, on the fifteenth day of the new moon, during the feast, he will do like that for seven days. He will make the same provision for sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

Ezekiel 45:1-25 (T, H)

45:1 “Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you will raise an offering to YHWH, a holy portion of the land. The length will be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the width will be ten thousand. It will be holy in all its border all around. 2 Of this there will be a five hundred by five hundred square for the holy place, and fifty cubits for its pasture lands all around. 3 Of this measure you will measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a width of ten thousand. In it will be the sanctuary, which is most holy. 4 It is a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to YHWH. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width will be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as a possession for themselves, for twenty rooms. 6 You will appoint the possession of the city five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, side by side with the offering of the holy portion. It will be for the whole house of Israel. 7 What is for the lifted up one will be on the one side and on the other side of the holy allotment and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy allotment and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward, and in length corresponding to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 In the land it will be to him for a possession in Israel. My lifted up ones will no more oppress my people, but they will give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.” 9 “ ‘The Lord YHWH says: “Enough you, princes of Israel! Remove violence and plunder, and execute justice and righteousness! Stop dispossessing my people!” says the Lord YHWH. 10 “You will have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath will be of one measure, that the bath may contain one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer. Its measure will be the same as the homer. 12 The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will be your mina. 13 This is the offering that you will offer: the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and you will give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley, 14 and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, one tenth of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer, for ten baths are a homer, 15 and one lamb of the flock out of two hundred, from the well-watered pastures of Israel—for a grain offering, for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them,” says the Lord YHWH. 16 “All the people of the land will give to this offering for the prince in Israel. 17 It will be the prince’s part to give the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the libation offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.” 18 The Lord YHWH says: “In the first new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you will take a young bull without defect, and you will cleanse the sanctuary. 19 The priest will take of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the door posts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 So you will do on the seventh day of the new moon for everyone who errs, and for him who is simple. So you will make atonement for the house. 21 In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, you will have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread will be eaten. 22 On that day the prince will prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 23 The seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to YHWH, seven bulls and seven rams without defect daily the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 He will prepare a grain offering, an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah. 25 In the seventh new moon, on the fifteenth day of the new moon, during the feast, he will do like that for seven days. He will make the same provision for sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

Ezekiel 47:1-23 (T)

47:1 He brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, waters flowed out from under the threshold of the temple eastward, for the front of the temple faced toward the east. The waters came down from underneath, from the right side of the temple, on the south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me around by the way outside to the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looks toward the east. Behold, waters ran out on the right side. 3 When the man went out eastward with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits,* and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand, and caused me to pass through waters that were to the waist. 5 Afterward he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be walked through. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and caused me to return to the bank of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then he said to me, “These waters flow out toward the eastern region and will go down into the Arabah. Then they will go toward the sea and flow into the sea which will be made to flow out; and the waters will be healed. 9 It will happen that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, will live. Then there will be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters have come there, and the waters of the sea will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river comes. 10 It will happen that fishermen will stand by it. From En Gedi even to En Eglaim will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps marshes will not be healed. They will be given up to salt. 12 By the river banks, on both sides, will grow every tree for food, whose leaf won’t wither, neither will its fruit fail. It will produce new fruit every new moon, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary. Its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for healing.” 13 The Lord YHWH says: “This will be the border by which you will divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will have two portions. 14 You will inherit it, one as well as another; for I swore to give it to your fathers. This land will fall to you for inheritance. 15 “This will be the border of the land: “On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazer Hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 The border from the sea will be Hazar Enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. 18 “The east side, between Hauran, Damascus, Gilead, and the land of Israel, will be the Jordan; from the north border to the east sea you will measure. This is the east side. 19 “The south side southward will be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea. This is the south side southward. 20 “The west side will be the great sea, from the south border as far as opposite the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side. 21 “So you will divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You will divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who will father sons among you. Then they will be to you as the native among the sons of Israel. They will have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the stranger lives, there you will give him his inheritance,” says the Lord YHWH.

Ezekiel 48:1-30 (T)

48:1 “Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath (and they will have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion. 2 “By the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion. 3 “By the border of Asher, from the east side even to the west side, Naphtali, one portion. 4 “By the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one portion. 5 “By the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one portion. 6 “By the border of Ephraim, from the east side even to the west side, Reuben, one portion. 7 “By the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one portion. 8 “By the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, will be the offering which you will offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in width, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 9 “The offering that you will raise to YHWH will be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in width. 10 For these, even for the priests, will be the holy offering: toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in width, and toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length; and the sanctuary of YHWH will be in the middle of it. 11 It will be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept my instruction, who didn’t go astray when the sons of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12 It will be to them an offering from the offering of the land, a most holy, by the border of the Levites. 13 “Alongside the border of the priests, the Levites will have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. All the length will be twenty-five thousand, and the width ten thousand. 14 They will sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor will the first fruits of the land be alienated, for it is holy to YHWH. 15 “The five thousand cubits that are left in the width, in front of the twenty-five thousand, will be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for pasture lands; and the city will be in the middle of it. 16 These will be its measurements: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. 17 The city will have pasture lands: toward the north two hundred fifty, and toward the south two hundred fifty, and toward the east two hundred fifty, and toward the west two hundred fifty. 18 The remainder of the length, alongside the holy offering, will be ten thousand eastward and ten thousand westward; and it will be alongside the holy offering. Its increase will be for food to those who labor in the city. 19 Those who labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, will cultivate it. 20 All the offering will be a square of twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand. You will raise it as a holy offering, with the possession of the city. 21 “The remainder will be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy offering and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the offering toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, alongside the portions, it will be for the prince. The holy offering and the sanctuary of the house will be in the middle of it. 22 Moreover, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the middle of that which is the prince’s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, will be for the prince. 23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion. 24 “By the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Shimon, one portion. 25 “By the border of Shimon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion. 26 “By the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. 27 “By the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion. 28 “By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border will be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea. 29 “This is the land which you will divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord YHWH. 30 “These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure; 31 and the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. 32 “At the east side four thousand five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. 33 “At the south side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Shimon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 “At the west side four thousand five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 “It will be eighteen thousand reeds in circumference; and the name of the city from that day will be, ‘YHWH is there.’

Related Additional Readings​

Jubilees 8:8-30; Jubilees 9:14-15; Jubilees 10:28-36 (T, ADD)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

Jubilees 8:8 And in the sixth year thereof, she bare him a son, and he called his name Peleg; for in the days when he was born the sons of Noaḥ began to divide the land amongst themselves: for this reason he called his name Peleg. 9. And they divided (it) secretly amongst themselves, and told it to Noaḥ. 10. And it came to pass in the beginning of the thirty-third jubilee that they divided the land into three parts, for Shem and Ham and Japheth, according to the inheritance of each, in the first year in the first week, when one of us, who had been sent, was with them. 11. And he called his sons, and they drew nigh to him, they and their sons, and he divided the land into the lots, which his three sons were to take in possession, and they reached forth their hands, and took the writing out of the bosom of Noaḥ, their father. 12. And there came forth on the writing as Shem’s lot the middle of the land which he should take as an inheritance for himself and for his sons for the generations of eternity, from the middle of the mountain range of Râfâ, from the mouth of the water from the river Tînâ. and his portion goeth towards the west through the midst of this river, and it extendeth till it reacheth the water of the abysses, out of which this river goeth forth and poureth its waters into the sea Mê’at, and this river floweth into the great sea. And all that is towards the north is Japheth’s, and all that is towards the south belongeth to Shem. 13. And it extendeth till it reacheth Kârâsô: this is in the bosom of the tongue which looketh towards the south. 14. And his portion extendeth along the great sea, and it extendeth in a straight line till it reacheth the west of the tongue which looketh towards the south; for this sea is named the tongue of the Egyptian Sea. 15. And it turneth from here towards the south towards the mouth of the great sea on the shore of (its) waters, and it extendeth to the west to ‘Afrâ [Africa] and it extendeth till it reacheth the waters of the river Gihon, and to the south of the waters of Gihon, to the banks of this river. 16. And it extendeth towards the east, till it reacheth the Garden of Eden, to the south thereof, [to the south] and from the east of the whole land of Eden and of the whole cast, it turneth to the east, and proceedeth till it reacheth the east of the mountain named Râfâ, and it descendeth to the bank of the mouth of the river Tînâ. 17. This portion came forth by lot for Shem and his sons, that they should possess it for ever unto his generations for evermore. 18. And Noaḥ rejoiced that this portion came forth for Shem and for his sons, and he remembered all that he had spoken with his mouth in prophecy; for he had said: Blessed be the Lord Elohim of Shem, And may the Lord dwell in the dwelling of Shem.” 19. And he knew that the Garden of Eden is the holy of holies, and the dwelling of the Lord, and Mount Sinai the centre of the desert, and Mount Zion–the centre of the navel of the land: these three were created as holy places facing each other. 20. And he blessed the Elohim of Elohim, who had put the word of the Lord into his mouth, and the Lord for evermore. 21. And he knew that a blessed portion and a blessing had come to Shem and his sons unto the generations for ever–the whole land of Eden and the whole land of the Red Sea, and the whole land of the east, and India, and on the Red Sea and the mountains thereof, and all the land of Bashan, and all the land of Lebanon and the islands of Kaftûr, and all the mountains of Sanîr and ‘Amânâ, and the mountains of Asshur in the north, and all the land of Elam, Asshur, and Bâbêl, and Sûsân and Mâ‘ĕdâi and all the mountains of Ararat, and all the region beyond the sea, which is beyond the mountains of Asshur towards the north, a blessed and spacious land, and all that is in it is very good. 22. And for Ham came forth the second portion, beyond the Gihon towards the south to the right of the Garden, and it extendeth towards the south and it extendeth to all the mountains of fire, and it extendeth towards the west to the sea of ‘Atêl and it extendeth towards the west till it reacheth the sea of Mâ’ûk–that (sea) into which everything which is not destroyed descendeth. 23. And it goeth forth towards the north to the limits of Gâdîr, and it goeth forth to the coast of the waters of the sea to the waters of the great sea till it draweth near to the river Gihon, and goeth along the river Gihon till it reacheth the right of the Garden of Eden. 24. And this is the land which came forth for Ham as the portion which he was to occupy for ever for himself and his sons unto their generations for ever. 25. And for Japheth came forth the third portion beyond the river Tînâ to the north of the outflow of its waters, and it extendeth north-easterly to the whole region of Gog and to all the country east thereof. 26. And it extendeth northerly to the north, and it extendeth to the mountains of Qêlt towards the north, and towards the sea of Mâ’ûk, and it goeth forth to the east of Gâdîr as far as the region of the waters of the sea. 27. And it extendeth until it approacheth the west of Fârâ and it returneth towards ‘Afêrâg, and it extendeth easterly to the waters of the sea of Mê’at. 28. And it extendeth to the region of the river Tînâ in a northeasterly direction until it approacheth the boundary of its waters towards the mountain Râfâ, and it turneth round towards the north. 29. This is the land which came forth for Japheth and his sons as the portion of his inheritance which he should possess for himself and his sons, for their generations for ever; five great islands, and a great land in the north. 30. But it is cold, and the land of Ham is hot, and the land of Shem is neither hot nor cold, but it is of blended cold and heat.

Jubilees 9:14 And thus the sons of Noaḥ divided unto their sons in the face of Noaḥ their father, and he bound them all by an oath, imprecating a curse on every one that sought to seize the portion which had not fallen (to him) by his lot. 15. And they all said, “So be it; so be it,” for themselves and their sons for ever throughout their generations till the day of judgment, on which the Lord Elohim will judge them with a sword and with fire, for all the unclean wickedness of their errors, wherewith they have filled the land with transgression and uncleanness and fornication and sin.

Jubilees 10:28 And Ham and his sons went into the land which he was to occupy, which he acquired as his portion in the land of the south. 29. And Canaan saw the land of Lebanon to the river of Egypt that it was very good, and he went not into the land of his inheritance to the west (that is to) the sea, and he dwelt in the land of Lebanon, eastward and westward from the border of Jordan and from the border of the sea. 30. And Ham, his father, and Cush and Mizraim, his brothers, said unto him: “Thou hast settled in a land which is not thine, and which did not fall to us by lot: do not do so; for if thou dost do so, thou and thy sons will fall in the land and (be) accursed through sedition; for by sedition ye have settled, and by sedition will thy children fall, and thou shalt be rooted out for ever. 31. Dwell not in the dwelling of Shem; for to Shem and to his sons did it come by their lot. 32. Cursed art thou, and cursed shalt thou be beyond all the sons of Noaḥ, by the curse by which we bound ourselves by an oath in the face of the holy judge, and in the face of Noaḥ our father.” 33. But he did not hearken unto them, and dwelt in the land of Lebanon from Hamath to the entering of Egypt, he and his sons until this day. 34. And for this reason that land is named Canaan. 35. And Japheth and his sons went towards the sea and dwelt in the land of their portion, and Madai saw the land of the sea and it did not please him, and he begged a (portion) from Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad, his wife’s brother, and he dwelt in the land of Media, near to his wife’s brother until this day. 36. And he called his dwelling-place, and the dwelling-place of his sons, Media, after the name of their father Madai.

Numbers 34:1 – 35:8  from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 A.D.). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum (translation) of the Torah (Pentateuch) from the land of Israel (as opposed to the eastern Babylonian Targum Onkelos). Its correct title was originally Targum Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Targum), which is how it was known in medieval times. But because of a printer’s mistake it was later labeled Targum Jonathan, in reference to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Some editions of the Pentateuch continue to call it Targum Jonathan to this day. Most scholars refer to the text as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This targum is more than a mere translation. It includes much Aggadic material collected from various sources as late as the Midrash Rabbah as well as earlier material from the Talmud. It is effectively a combination of a commentary and a translation. In the portions where it is pure translation, it often agrees with the Targum Onkelos. The date of its composition is disputed. It cannot have been completed before the Arabic conquest as it refers to Mohammad’s wife Fatimah, but might have been initially composed in the 4th Century A.D.. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 34 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Command the sons of Israel, and say to them: When you have entered into the land of Kenaan, this will be the land that will be divided to you for an inheritance, the land of Kenaan by its limits. Your south border (will be) from the Wilderness of Palms, by the iron mountain, at the confines of Edom, even the south border at the extremities of the Sea of Salt, eastward. And your border will turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbith, and pass on to the palms of the mountain of iron, and the going forth thereof will be southward of Rekem Giah, and will go onward to the tower of Adar, and pass over to Kesam. And the border will wind round from Kesam unto Nilos, of the Mizraee, and its outgoings will be to the west. And for the western border you will have the Great Ocean Sea; its limits are the waters of the beginning with the waters of old which are in its depth; its capes and havens, its creeks and its cities, its islands and ports, its ships and its recesses: this will be your border westward. And this will be your northern border;‑from the Great Sea you will appoint to you unto Mount Umanis. From Mount Umanis you will appoint to you (a line) as thou goest up to the entrance of Tebaria, and the outgoings of the border at its two sides, unto Kadkor Of Bar Zahama, and to Kadkol of Bar Sanigora, and Divakinos and Tarnegola unto Kesarin, where thou goest up to Abelas of Cilicia. And the border will go on unto Keren Zekutha, and to Gibra Hatmona, and its outgoings will be at Keria Bethsekel, and to the midst of the great court (darela rabtha), which is at Mizeha, between the towers of Hinvetha and Darmeshek: this will be your northern limit. And you will appoint your eastern border from the of Hinvetba unto Apamea; and the border will descend from Apamea to Dophne, eastward of Hinvetha; thence the border will go down to the cavern of Panias, and from the cavern of Panias to the mountain of snow, and from the mountain of snow to Henan, and from Henan the border will go down and encompass the plain of the river of Arnon, and arrive at the wilderness and the palms of the mountain of iron, take in the Waters of Contention, and rest at Ginesar, a city of the kings of the Edomites, the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh; and the border will descend and encompass the Sea of Genesar on the east. [JERUSALEM. And your border will be southward, from the wilderness of Rekem, over against the frontier of the Edomaee, and southward will it be to you unto the extremity of the Sea of Salt, eastward. And your South border will go round from the ascent of Akrabim, which passeth over by the mountain of iron, and its outgoings will be from the south unto Rekem Giah, and proceed to the buildings of the threshing floors, and pass on to Kesam. And the border will wind round from Kesam unto Nilos Mizraim, and the going out of it will be at the sea. And the (west) border will be the Great Ocean Sea; its isles, ports, and ships, with the ancient waters that are in it, the waters of the beginning; this will be your western border. And this will be your northern limit: from the Great Sea you will appoint to you unto Mount Manos. From Mount Manos you will extend to the entrance of Antiochia, and the outgoing will be unto Abelas of the Cilicians; and the border will go to Zapherin, and its outgoing be at the dwellings of Hainutha, unto Apamea, unto Dopline, east of Hainutha, and will descend and come down upon the Sea of Ginesar at the west.] And the border will descend to the Jordan, and its outgoing be at the Sea of Salt. Rekem Giah on the south, Mount Umanos on the north, the Great Sea on the west, the Sea of Salt on the east,‑this will be your country, the Land of Israel, by the extent of its borders round about. [JERUSALEM. And it will descend to Jordan, and have its outgoings at the Sea of Salt. This will be your land by its limits round about.] And Mosheh commanded the sons of Israel, saying: This is the land which you are to inherit by lot, which the Lord hath commanded to give to the nine tribes and the half tribe. For the tribe of the sons of Reuben, according to the house of their fathers, and tribe of Gad, and the half tribe of Menasheh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the eastern side. [JERUSALEM. The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance beyond Jordan‑Jericho first. Their border goeth forth on the east from the plain of the Salt Sea to Kinnereth, the city of the reign of the Amorites, and thence to the mountain of snow, and to Hamatha of Lebanon; thence to Hoba, on the northern side of Hainutha, of Damasek, and from Hoba to Divakinos, at the snowy mount of Kisarion, eastward of (the town of) Dan, on the west, and from thence to the Great River, the river Phrat, upon which is the order of the victories of the wars of the Lord, which are to be wrought there. And from the Great River, the Phrat, their border goeth forth to the cities of Zavatha, beyond all the Tarkon (Trechonites), unto Zimra, the royal house of Sihon, king of the Amoraee, and the royal house of Og, king of Mathnan, going to Raphiach and to Shokmezai, until thou comest to the shore of the Salt Sea. This is the portion of the two tribes and the half tribe.] And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: These are the names of the men who will make to you the inheritance of the land: Elazar the priest, and Jehoshua bar Nun, and one prince from each of the tribes you will choose to give you the inheritance of the land. And these are the names of the men. Of the tribe of Jehudah, Kaleb bar Jephunneh; for Shemeon, Shemuel bar Ammihud; Benjamin, Elidad bar Kiselon; Dan, Buki bar Jageli; Joseph,J1enasheh, Haniel bar Ephod; Ephraim, Kemuel bar Shipbtan; Zebulon, Elizaphan bar Parnak; Issakar, Paltiel bar Azan; Asher, Abihud bar Shelomi; Naphtali, Pedahael bar Ammihud. These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance of the land of Kenaan to the sons of Israel.

Chapter 35 And the Lord spake with Mosheh in the plains of Moab, by Jordan‑Jericho, saying: Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from their inheritance cities to dwell in, and suburbs (open spaces) to the cities round about will you give to the Levites. [JERUSALEM. And suburbs to the cities round about them will you give to the Levites.] And the cities will be for them to dwell in, and the suburbs for their cattle, their property, and all their needful things. But of the cities which you give to the Levites the suburbs round the city shalt be one thousand cubits without the city round about. [JERUSALEM. But the suburbs.] And you will measure outside the city, on the east side, two thousand cubits; on the South two thousatid, on the west two thousand, and on the north two thousand cubits, with the city in the midst; these will be to you the suburbs of the cities. And of the cities you give to the Levites, six will be for refuges to manslayers, that the manslayer may escape thither. Beside these you will give them forty‑two other cities. All the cities that you give to the Levites will be fortyeiaht cities with their suburbs. But when you give the cities from the inheritance of the Beni Israel, from the tribe wbose people are many you will give many, and from the tribe whose people are few you will diminish; every one will give of his cities to the Levites, according to the inheritance he possesses.

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.7.4-5 (T)

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.).

4.7.4. Moses also now built those ten cities which were to be of the number of the forty-eight [for the Levites;]; three of which he allotted to those that slew any person involuntarily, and fled to them; and he assigned the same time for their banishment with that of the life of that high priest under whom the slaughter and flight happened; after which death of the high priest he permitted the slayer to return home. During the time of his exile, the relations of him that was slain may, by this law, kill the manslayer, if they caught him without the bounds of the city to which he fled, though this permission was not granted to any other person. Now the cities which were set apart for this flight were these: Bezer, at the borders of Arabia; Ramoth, of the land of Gilead; and Golan, in the land of Bashan. There were to be also, by Moses’s command, three other cities allotted for the habitation of these fugitives out of the cities of the Levites, but not till after they should be in possession of the land of Canaan.

4.7.5. At this time the chief men of the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses, and informed him that there was an eminent man of their tribe dead, whose name was Zelophehad, who left no male children, but left daughters; and asked him whether these daughters might inherit his land or not. He made this answer, That if they will marry into their own tribe, they will carry their estate along with them; but if they dispose of themselves in marriage to men of another tribe, they will leave their inheritance in their father’s tribe. And then it was that Moses ordained, that every one’s inheritance should continue in his own tribe.