The really long day

Now we come to an account of what sounds like one of the most awesome (in terms of leaving one awestruck) battles ever. This is the battle of Gibeon.

The Gibeonites were actually Hivites/Amorites, or Canaanite people whom Israel was told to conquer and kill. This was because the Canaanites had engaged in many practices that were abhorrent to the God of Israel. In fact, the Canaanites had engaged in practices that many people today would still find abhorrent: incest, child sacrifice, and bestiality (Deuteronomy 20:17-18; Leviticus 18). But, through trickery, the story goes that Gibeon managed to ally with Israel by passing themselves off as a people from a distant land who (due to distance) would be unlikely to lead Israel astray from the Law of God.

In the end, the alliance of Gibeon with the Israelites did not go over well with the other Canaanite people. So the surrounding Canaanites waged war on Gibeon. Israel honored their new alliance and came to the aid of Gibeon--this was the story of the battle of Gibeon, or as titled above, the battle of the really long day.

So how well is the battle of Gibeon contextually supported in Scripture?


Old Testament References to Gibeon and Aijalon:

• References to Gibeon:
• Joshua 9:3-15, "When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, 'We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us . . .' So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them." 
• Gibeon - portrayed as a historical Canaanite city
• How could a fictional Gibeon have "heard" about the conquests of Jericho and Ai?
• How could fictional Gibeonites send envoys to the real Israelites?
• Why would the Jewish writers note how their people were tricked by fictional Gibeonites?
• Why would the Jewish writers note an unwanted alliance with the very Canaanites Israel was told to conquer, unless that really happened?
• Why else record how Israel failed to seek God's counsel about Gibeon when the whole storyline was that Israel was led by God to conquer Canaan?
• Joshua 10:6-14, "Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, 'Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.' So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The LORD said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.' So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
              'O sun, stand still at Gibeon,
              And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.'
        So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
              Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.
              Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel."
• Gibeon - portrayed as a historical Canaanite city
• Why else write of how Israel fought for the Canaanite Gibeonites? How would this improve the whole conquest story?
• Why name a fictional city in a passage with detailed geographical context?
• Why would a real God speak to Joshua about coming to the aid of a fictional Gibeon?
• Why would a fictional city figure in a battle clearly credited to a real God? How would this really give God credit?
• II Samuel 21:1-2,"Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, 'It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.' So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah)."
• Gibeon - portrayed as a historical Canaanite city
• How else could Israel have had a covenant with Gibeon?
• Why else write how a real God said He was holding Israel to their covenant with the Gibeonites?
• Why else would the Jewish writers criticize the zeal of King Saul for his own people?

• References to Aijalon:
• Joshua 21:20-26, "Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, even to the rest of the sons of Kohath. They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands, and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four cities. From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities."
• Aijalon - portrayed as a historical city in Canaan
• Why else place Aijalon in the territory of the real tribe of Dan?
• Why else name "Aijalon with its pasture lands" as a possession given to real families from the sons of Levi? How could the sons of Levi live a fictional city?
• Why associate a fictional Aijalon with the real, historical city of Shechem?
• I Chronicles 6:1, 66-70, "The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari . . . Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. They gave to them the following cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer also with its pasture lands, Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath."
• Aijalon - portrayed as a historical city in Canaan
• Why associate a fictional Aijalon with the real, historical city of Shechem?
• Why else again assert in the chronicles of the Israelite kings that Aijalon had been given to the sons of Levi, again specifically to the families of Kohath?
• Why else again name Aijalon in context with the same cities of Shechem, Gezer, Beth-horon, and Gath-rimmon?
• II Chronicles 11:5-12, "Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin."
• Aijalon - portrayed as a historical city in Canaan
• Why else place Aijalon in the context of the historical cities of Bethlehem, Gath, and Hebron?
• Why include a fictional Aijalon in a detailed record of defensive fortifications?
• How would a fictional Aijalon help defend the real tribes of Judah and Benjamin?
• II Chronicles 28:16-18, "At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help. For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the Negev of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, and Soco with its villages, and they settled there. For the LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the LORD. So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him."
• Aijalon - portrayed a historical city in Canaan
• Why record a humiliating plea for help to Assyria unless this really happened because Israel was in dire straits from Philistine conquest of cities like Aijalon?
• Why else name Aijalon in a passage with such ethno-geographical context?
• Why else name Aijalon in the chronicles of the Israelite kings?
• Why would Jewish writers name a fictional Aijalon in context with a specific, historical Assyrian king?

• Context for the unparalleled long day:
• Joshua 10:12, "Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
              'O sun, stand still at Gibeon,
              And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.'
        So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
              Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.
              Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel."
• Talking about sunrise/sunset type terms here, not geocentricism.
• [This is not a case of time standing still, since the writers note that the sun "did not go down for about a whole day". Measurement of time like this would not have been possible if time had stopped. Further, Israel continued pursuing and killing their enemies, showing that neither their persons nor their weapons fell into suspended animation, as one would expect if time had stopped in the physical world.]
• [Since there was "no day like that before it or after it", the day could not have been just another day where a man (here Joshua) waxed poetic in a prayer to God for aid. Scripture repeats itself here in Joshua to affirm that Joshua's prayer was indeed answered. The second affirmation takes a different descriptive angle (common in Scripture), reading: "And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for a about a whole day". If the sun appeared to stop in the middle of the sky, that's exactly what Joshua asked, as that would be overhead of Gibeon in whose vicinity they fought.]
• Why record how Joshua specifically asked for the sun to remain over real Gibeon, unless it really did visibly remain in the sky above Gibeon?
• Why record how Joshua specifically asked for the moon to remain over real Aijalon, unless it really did visibly remain in the sky above Aijalon?
• II Chronicles 1:2-7, "Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness . . . Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. Solomon went up there before the LORD to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, 'Ask what I shall give you.'"
• What was so special about Gibeon that God's tent of meeting was placed there?
• Gibeon wasn't specified by God as the city for His tabernacle or temple.
• Gibeon wasn't a city of refuge (Joshua 20).
• Gibeon wasn't where Joshua was buried (Judges 2:9)
• Gibeon wasn't a place where Samuel (I Sam. 3:19-21; I Sam. 7:15-17) or any of the other judges judged (see Judges).
• Gibeon wasn't the hometown of either King Saul or David (I Sam. 11:4; I Sam. 16:1)
• Gibeon was a somewhat central city in Israel, but why for that reason alone overlook the embarrassing heritage of Gibeon for Israel (as the people who tricked them)?
• The only special thing about Gibeon appears to be the battle of Gibeon. If so, was not the outstanding event at that battle (which would put Gibeon on the map) the story of the sun remaining over Gibeon?
• Habakkuk 3:1-13, "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
        LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear.
              O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
              In the midst of the years make it known;
              In wrath remember mercy.
        God comes from Teman [Edom (Jer. 49:7), S. of Canaan],
              And the Holy One from Mount Paran [Seir/Edom (Deut. 33:2; Jos. 24:4)]
  
  Selah.
        His splendor covers the heavens,
              And the earth is full of His praise.
        His radiance is like the sunlight;
              He has rays flashing from His hand,
              And there is the hiding of His power [see Deut. 33:2].
        Before Him goes pestilence,
              And plague comes after Him [on Egypt & later Israel?].
        He stood and surveyed the earth;
              He looked and startled the nations [Egypt & Canaan?].
              Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered,
              The ancient hills collapsed.
              His ways are everlasting.
        I saw the tents of Cushan under distress,
              The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling [Num 22:1-7?] . . .
       The mountains saw You and quaked [Ex. 19:18?];
              The downpour of waters swept by [Ex. 9:33?].
              The deep uttered forth its voice,
              It lifted high its hands [Ex. 14:21-22?].
       Sun and moon stood in their places [only parallel in Jos. 10];
              They went away at the light of Your arrows,
              At the radiance of Your gleaming spear.
        In indignation You marched through the earth;
              In anger You trampled the nations.
        You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
              For the salvation of Your anointed.
              You struck the head of the house of the evil
              To lay him open from thigh to neck [Canaan conquest?]."
  

Covenant Testimony

In view of Scripture, it seems that the Tabernacle of Testimony was real and historical. At the same time, the New Testament writers evidently believed that the nation of Israel had wondered without a land to settle in time past. But might the eyes of modern readers be blind in regard to ancient Judaic writings? Would this be a good, scholarly supposition? I think that the answer to this question lies in considering the author. The Scriptures do not claim human authors, although they were recorded and copied by human hand. No, the Scriptures claim as author the One, True, Omniscient God. This God is said to have no favoritism for the ancients or for the wise:

Psalm 19:1-4, 7-9 (NASB), "The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
            And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

      Day to day pours forth speech,
            And night to night reveals knowledge.

      There is no speech, nor are there words;
            Their voice is not heard.

      Their line has gone out through all the earth,
            And their utterances to the end of the world . . .

 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
            The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
       The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
            The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
      The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
            The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether."

The works of the Lord are not uttered to a few but rather "through all the earth" and "to the end of the world". The sure testimonies of the Lord are not given to the "wise" but rather to the "simple" to make them wise. This being our framework for studying Scripture, well, then onward! All are welcomed to read and seek understanding, and all are offered the opportunity to look upon the "work of His hands".



Facts, customs, and widespread beliefs regarding the Tabernacle of Testimony and Israel's wilderness wandering:

Reconstructed Tabernacle

• Timna Park - Park surrounded by cliffs and centered about Mt. Timna which offers a replica of the Old Testament tabernacle of testimony. The park also boasts the "world's first copper mine", dating back to imperial Egypt.
• Jerusalem Post - Tourist review of Timna Park and the full-size, reconstructed tabernacle of testimony. Article includes a photo of the replica tabernacle and notes its placement in the wilderness that Israel wandered.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica - Jewish history accounts that the tabernacle served as a "portable sanctuary" during a time of their wandering prior to arrival in Canaan. The Biblical account described how the tabernacle sheltered an alter of incense, table of shewbread, and a seven-branched menorah in the "holy place". Within the "holy place", the "Holy of Holies" was said to be indwelt by the presence of the Lord and sheltered the Ark of the Covenant, containing tablets written with the Ten Commandments.

Shiloh

• Israel Ministry of Tourism website - Notes that upon entry into Canaan, the Tabernacle was set up in the territory of the tribe of Ephriam at Tel Shiloh. Scholars have assessed what they deem to be the exact spot that the Tabernacle stood, corresponding also to the place where Hannah came to pray for and dedicated her son Samuel.
• Jewish Press - An alter (2 ft x 2 ft x 16 in.) has been discovered at Shiloh dating to the first kings of Israel.
• Islamic Web - Reinterpretes quite a bit of Scripture from an Islamic viewpoint (site info page), yet affirms that the Tabernacle and ark of the Covenant were placed at the geographical town of Shiloh.
• Islam For Mankind - Appears to copy, come from the same source text, or provide a source text for the Islamic Web website page above as this alternate webpage identically reinterpretes Scripture (for those questioning the acceptability of such exact copy, similar Islamic reasoning regarding Shiloh can be found on The Message of Islam website).
• United with Israel - Ongoing archeology to discover traces of the Tabernacle of Testimony which is noted in Scripture to have rested there.
• Joshua 18:1, "Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them."
• I Samuel 1:24-25, "Now when she [Hannah] had weaned him [Samuel], she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD [the Tabernacle] in Shiloh, although the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli."
• I Kings 8:1-6, "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion . . . Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. They brought up the ark of the LORD and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up . . . Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house [the Temple]. . ."

Other Attestators

• Feast of Tabernacles:
• Overview of the Feast - Rabbi Jack Zimmerman (a Messianic Jewish Rabbi and an ordained Christian pastor) reviews how the feast of Booths/Tabernacles is called "Sukkot" in Hebrew and was ordained by God as a reminder of how the nation of Israel dwelt in booths in the wilderness. Many Jews yet observe the feast by constructing four-walled booths with roofs of palm branches in which they "dwell" for the seven days of the feast.
• Judaism 101 - Affirms that the feast is still observed by Jewish people as a reminder of how the Children of Israel dwelt in temporary booths while wondering in the wilderness, which also necessitated a Tabernacle for worship.
• Reform Judaism - Affirms the continued observance of the feast by Jewish people in commemoration of Israel's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
• Leviticus 23:33-34, 39-43, "Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD" . . . On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days . . . Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'"
• John 7:1-3, 10, "After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, 'Leave here and go into Judea . . .' But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up . . ."
• Levitical Tabernacle Service:
• Temple Institute - The Temple Institute was founded by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who served in a paratrooper brigade during the 1967 Six Day War to regain the Temple Mount for Israel, and who has written many Hebrew works of scholarship. The Temple Institute website notes that Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, and his sons were appointed the first priests for the nation of Israel.
• Cohen-Levi.org - Modern family of Kohen, or Cohen, claims direct geneological descent from the Aaronic priesthood, with geneticists having identified a "Cohen Model Haplotype" DNA signature on the Y-chromosome. This DNA signature in members of the modern Kohen family shows direct descent from a single paternal ancester, which parallels the Torah description of the Aaronic priesthood and its regulations for priestly marraige.
• Chabad.org - Notes that the dedicated status (in departing from Egypt) of all firstborn sons of Israel was transferred to the tribe of Levi at Mt. Sinai due to the idolatry of all the other tribes with the golden calf. The dedication of the Levites assigned them to service in the Tabernacle and Temple of the Lord, which is yet seen as their role by Jewish people in their hope for a Third Temple.
• Numbers 3:5-13, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.'       Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.'"
• Leviticus 21:10-15, "[the Lord speaking to Moses, who instructed Aaron and his sons] 'The priest who is the highest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes . . . for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the LORD. 'He shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people, so that he will not profane his offspring among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.'"

Two brothers. One people. One God. (Part II)

On to the New Testament writings concerning Aaron and Moses. How were these two figures remembered by the modern (Roman era) Jews? Were Moses and Aaron merely characters useful for theological debate? Was their story of leading the Israelite people up from Egypt merely a parable?

Ok, this will again be difficult. I just scrolled through (on the Bible Hub website) the New Testament references to Moses, and I will definitely need to condense. If the following seems long, well, I still did condense.

"Whom Shall I Fear" by Chris Tomlin

New Testament references to Moses and Aaron:

• Mark 9:2-8, "Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!' All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone."
• Moses - portrayed as a historical man.
• How could Jesus speak to imaginary men?
• Why would Jesus associate with imaginary characters before his disciples? How would that help His credibility?
• Why would Peter suggest building a real tabernacle/tent/dwelling for an imaginary Moses?
• Why would Peter, James, and John be terrified, at the same time, unless they really observed something extraordinary (i.e. the transfiguration of Christ and the appearance of ancestors)?
• Why would Peter identify an imaginary Moses?
• Luke 1:1-7, "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
        In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters [descendents] of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years."
• Aaron - portrayed as a historical man.
• Why would an eyewitness account of Christ begin with reference to descendents (Zacharias and Elizabeth) of an imaginary person Aaron?
• Why would the author profess to teach the "exact truth" and then reference an imaginary Aaron?
• Why retain the priesthood of Aaron from the conquest/settlement of Canaan through to Roman rule, if Aaron was an imaginary figure?
• Why bother with writing out an acount of Christ "in consecutive order" if you're starting with imaginary ancestry which has no place in human history?
• Why note details such as the priestly division of Abijah, when the whole priesthood had fictitious origins in an imaginary Aaron?
  
• John 5:39-47, "[Jesus speaking to the Jews seeking to kill Him] 'You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?'"
• Moses - portrayed as a historical man.
• How could an imaginary man Moses accuse the Jews seeking to kill Christ?
• Why would the Jews set their hope in an imaginary man?
• How could the Jews possibly "believe" the words/writings of an imaginary man? Yet, Jesus implied that they should.
• Why would Jesus inseverably tie belief in the testimony of an imaginary man Moses to belief in His own real testimony? Wouldn't this be self-defeating?
• Why would Jesus attribute "writings" to Moses, if Moses never lived?
• Acts 7:2-53, "And he said [Stephen speaking before the Jewish Council and the high priest], 'Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran . . . But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH. It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds . . . MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became the father of two sons. After forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai . . . THE LORD SAID TO HIM, "TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT." . . . This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, "GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN." [see also Acts 3:17-24] This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, SAYING TO AARON, "MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT—WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM." At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol . . . Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen . . . You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.'"
• Moses and Aaron - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would Stephen speak of the enslavement of real Jewish forefathers ("our fathers") and then describe their deliverance through an imaginary man Moses?
• How could the birth of an imaginary man Moses answer the "time of promise"?
• Why describe the details of Moses' birth and education, if Moses was merely an imaginary figure, when he wasn't doing anything to save Israel from bondage at that point?
• How could an imaginary man Moses be a "prophet"?
• Why would a real, coming Messiah be likened to an imaginary man? If deliverance through Moses was imaginary, would that not imply imaginary salvation through a coming Messiah?
• How could real Jewish forefathers ("Our fathers") speak to an imaginary Aaron?
• How could an imaginary Aaron lead Israel into real idolatry by fashioning idols?
• What meaning would there be for Stephen to say that his listeners were rebelling in the same manner as imaginary forefathers, such as Aaron?
• How could Israel receive the law and pattern for the tabernacle directly from God, if Moses wasn't there in person to receive God's instructions?
• Hebrews 7:11-14, "Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests."
• Moses and Aaron - portrayed as historical men.
• How could you have the real "order of Aaron", if Aaron, the originator of that order, never lived?
• How could the Levitical priesthood be tied to the real law at the same time as it was tied to an imaginary Aaron?
• If the Jewish genealogies are historically accurate in describing how Jesus was descended from Judah, why would they be merely imaginative in saying that Aaron was descended from Judah's brother Levi?
• How could an imaginary Moses' be the religious authority regarding the real priesthood?
• Why would anyone refer to the speech/writings of an imaginary man Moses?
• Hebrews 11:22-40, "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned . . . And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."
• Moses - portrayed as a historical man.
• How could an imaginary Moses exemplify faith?
• Why such detailed consistency on how Moses was hidden "three months" if the story about Moses is imaginative? Moses was a baby at that point and was doing nothing to save the Israelites.
• Why mention the real Egyptian Pharaohs and speak at the same time of an imaginary Moses?
• How could an imaginary Moses keep the first real Jewish Passover and motivate succeeding generations to do so also?
• How could an imaginary Moses "gain approval" through his faith?
• How could an imaginary Moses be linked to New Testament Christians ("apart from us they would not be made perfect")?

Two brothers. One people. One God.

Exodus 1:1-12, "Now these are the names of the sons of Israel [Jacob] who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, 'Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.' So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel."

According to Exodus, after Joseph and the Pharaoh he ruled alongside died, things changed for the sons of Israel. They first surpassed the Egyptians in either population, possessions, or both. Then, in fear of their power, the current Egyptian Pharaoh enslaved the descendents of Jacob. Yet, in the midst of this narrative, two names stand out--Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 2:1-10, "Now a man from the house of Levi [descendents of Levi] went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months [since the Pharaoh had ordered that newborn Israelite sons be put to death]. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

      The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, 'This is one of the Hebrews’ children.' . . . and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, 'Because I drew him out of the water.'"

Exodus 3:4-4:16, "When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' . . . He said also, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. The LORD said, 'I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings . . . Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt' . . . Then Moses said to God, 'Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you." Now they may say to me, "What is His name?" What shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' . . . Then Moses said to the LORD, 'Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' The LORD said to him, 'Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.' But he said, 'Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.' Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, 'Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you . . ."

What is the siginificance of Moses and Aaron in Scripture outside of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), also called the "Law of Moses" with authorship at least traditionally attributed to Moses?


Moses & Aaron in the context of the Old Testament:

• Joshua 1:1-7, "Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 'Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.'"
• Moses - portrayed as a historical man.
• Why add the descriptor "servant of the Lord" following the name of an imaginary character? How could an imaginary person serve the Lord?
• Why would God directly say that an imaginary person had died?
• Why would a real, all-powerful God speak to an imaginary person?
• What encouragement is there for God to say "Just as I have been with" [an imaginary person] "I will be with you"?
• What reason would there be for Joshua to heed the law commanded by an imaginary person? How could an imaginary person even entrust this law to Joshua?
• Why juxtapose reference to an imaginary man with reference to the real Jordan River, the real land of Lebanon, the real Euphrates, and the real Hittite people?
• How could settlement of real land be promised through an imaginary man?
• I Samuel 12:6-9, "Then Samuel said to all Israel, 'Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you' . . . Then Samuel said to the people, 'It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers. When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.'"
• Moses and Aaron - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would an old man tell a fictitious story about imaginary characters named Moses and Aaron to the Israelite people he has led and judged? He would have little personal benefit in old age.
• Why would Samuel "plead"/argue with the people by talking about imaginary characters? How would such an argument be convincing?
• Why would it be said that the ompnipotent God sent imaginary men to bring Israel up from Egypt?
• Why would Samuel, who received direct word from God as a prophet his whole life, indoctrinate Israel with an imaginary story about imaginary characters? Would God blind the eyes of His own people?
• How could the Israelites forget the Lord their God if the tale of their forefathers witnessing God's wonders was merely imaginary?
• I Chronicles 1:1-15, "The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, and Phinehas became the father of Abishua, and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi . . . and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz . . . and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem), and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub . . . and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak; and Jehozadak went along when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar."
• Moses and Aaron - portrayed as historical men.
• Why trace a current priestly line father-to-son from an imaginary character Aaron, brother of an imaginary Moses? One simply cannot justify authority [priestly here] based on an imaginary ancestor, no matter how detailed you are.
• Why reference the real Temple of Solomon in a fictitious genealogy?
• Why reference the real captivity of Judah and Jerusalem under the real Bablyonian King Nebuchadnezzar in a fictitious genealogy?
• I Chronicles 23:1-17, "Now when David reached old age, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites. The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number by census of men was 38,000. Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and 6,000 were officers and judges, and 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were praising the LORD with the instruments which David made for giving praise. David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Of the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei . . . The sons of Kohath were four: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief. The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many."
• Moses and Aaron - portrayed as historical men.
• How could the real King David place the an imaginary man Aaron among the descendents of real Levi, son of real Jacob?
• Why would David divide up the sacred Temple duties of the Levites in part according to the imaginary setting apart of an imaginary Aaron for priesthood?
• How could Aaron and his sons be "forever" set apart for priesthood, if Aaron had never lived?
• How could the sons of an imaginary man Moses be "named" among the real tribe of Levi?
• Why would descendents of an imaginary man be real chiefs?
• Why go into the detail of noting the relative number of grandsons (sons of Eliezer) and greatgrandsons (sons of Rehabiah) of an imaginary man Moses?
• Why take a lengthy real census of the Levites during the beginning of Solomon's reign based on their imagined ancestry from Aaron?
• I Chronicles 24:1-6, "Now the divisions of the descendants of Aaron were these: the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar [descendents of Eleazar] and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices for their ministry. Since more chief men were found from the descendants of Eleazar than the descendants of Ithamar, they divided them thus: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the descendants of Eleazar and eight of the descendants of Ithamar, according to their fathers’ households. Thus they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the descendants of Eleazar and the descendants of Ithamar. Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the priests and of the Levites; one father’s household taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar."
• Aaron - portrayed as a historical man.
• Why note the deaths of two sons of an imaginary Aaron when simply explaining priestly divisions?
• Why link real priests (Zadok and Ahimelech) living during the time of David to the sons of an imaginary man Aaron?
• Why select certain men who simply claimed descent from an imaginary Aaron to hold the privilege of "officers of the sanctuary and officers of God"?
• Why so seriously draw lots for men claiming to be descendents of Aaron in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest, and the heads of the priests and Levites, unless Aaron was their real ancestor?

Ok . . . how important are Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph?

I got a little side-tracked from the broader Biblical story. My excuse is that the facts/customs/beliefs about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph seemed rather closely related (in more ways than one). The textual study of how Abraham is placed in Scripture is back in the March 25th and April 9th posts. But Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are also more than just characters in Genesis. Their names do appear in other Old and New Testament books. So, what was Scripture saying about Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph before the onset of modern archaeology?

Map from Bible History Online of the Twelve Tribe Settlements

Old Testament:

• Exodus 3:3-6, "So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, 'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' He said also, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God."
• Isaac and Jacob - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would you have a God of a historical Abraham who is at the very same time the God of an imaginary Isaac and Jacob?
• God speaking directly to Moses called Himself the God of Isaac and Jacob. Why would a real God identify Himself as the God of imaginary figures?
• Why would Moses be afraid of a God who identified Himself with mythology?
• Joshua 16:4-17:10, "The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim [direct sons--see Genesis 41:50-52--with Manassah being the firstborn], received their inheritance. Now this was the territory of the sons of Ephraim according to their families: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, as far as upper Beth-horon. Then the border went westward at Michmethath on the north, and the border turned about eastward to Taanath-shiloh and continued beyond it to the east of Janoah. It went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, then reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan [River]. From Tappuah the border continued westward to the brook of Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim according to their families, together with the cities which were set apart for the sons of Ephraim in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages . . . Now this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war . . . The border of Manasseh ran from Asher to Michmethath which was east of Shechem; then the border went southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the sons of Ephraim. The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook (these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh), and the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and it ended at the sea. The south side belonged to Ephraim and the north side to Manasseh, and the sea was their border; and they reached to Asher on the north and to Issachar on the east."
• Joseph - portrayed as a historical man.
• How do you have real cities defining the borders of imaginary tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (see the Twelve Tribes Settlement map above, and the following Google Map)?
• Why would the real river Jordan and the real Mediterranean Sea define borders of imaginary tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh?
• How can you say real tribes (Ephraim and Manasseh) are descendents of imaginary people (Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph)?
• Why would firstborn status be important for the tribe of Manasseh, if the story of Manasseh being the firstborn son of Joseph was simply imaginative?

• Joshua 24:2-4, "Joshua said to all the people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt."'"
• Isaac and Jacob - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would Joshua's parting speech to the Israelite people be about imaginary characters?
• How could the descendents of a real Abraham be multiplied through imaginary figures (Isaac and Jacob)?
• How could an imaginary Jacob travel to a real Egypt?
• I Kings 18:36-39, "At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel [Jacob], today let it be known that You are God in Israel [nation] and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.'"
• Isaac and Jacob - portrayed a historical men.
• Why would Elijah call for aid from the God of imaginary figures?
• Why would God respond Elijah's request for real action after Elijah said He was the God of imaginary men?
• How could the people worship the real God of imaginary characters?
• I Chronicles 2:1-2, "These are the sons of Israel [Jacob]: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher."
• Jacob and Joseph - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would the twelve tribes (Many verses interchange Joseph with Ephraim and Manasseh. But Levi held no land, so the land-holding tribes still numbered twelve with Ephraim and Manasseh.) of Israel retain identical names to merely imaginary figures, such as Joseph? Wouldn't this grow old?
• Why would record be kept of the sons of an imaginary man Jacob?
• I Chronicles 29:10-19, "So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, 'Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel [Jacob] our father, forever and ever . . . But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.'"
• Isaac and Jacob - portrayed as historical men.
• Why would David identify the real Israelite people as sojourners just like imaginary forefathers?
• Why would David acknowledge that "all things" come from God based in part on the sojourner status of imaginary forefathers?
• Why would David call an imaginary  Isaac and Jacob fathers of the real nation of Israel?
• How could the God of imaginary forefathers preserve the hearts of a real people and David's own son?
• Why build a temple for the God of imaginary forefathers?
• How did David and the nation of Israel know God's name was holy, if all they ever heard were tales regarding God's involvement in the lives of imaginary forefathers?
• Jeremiah 33:14-26, "'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David [Christ the Messiah] to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth' . . . The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven [stars] cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me."' And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 'Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, "The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them"? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. Thus says the LORD, "If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them."'"
• Isaac and Jacob - portrayed as historical men.
• How can the descendents of an imaginary man, Jacob, be as firmly established as nighttime and daytime?
• Why would the descendents of an imaginary Jacob be identified alongside those of a real King David, who is identified as the forefather of Christ (Branch of David)?
• Why would the name of an imaginary man, Isaac, be placed between those of two historical men, Abraham and Jacob?
• Amos 5:4-6, "For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel,
              'Seek Me that you may live.
        But do not resort to Bethel [Judges 1:22]
              And do not come to Gilgal [I Samuel 11:14-15],
              Nor cross over to Beersheba [II Chronicles 19:4];
              For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
              And Bethel will come to trouble.
        Seek the LORD that you may live,
              Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,
              And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel . . .'"
• Jacob and Joseph - portrayed as a historical men.
• Why say "house of Israel" if Israel/Jacob was an imaginary man?
• Why say "house of Joseph" if Joseph was an imaginary man?
• How could the descendents of an imaginary man Joseph live in real cities and later be taken into captivity?

New Testament: (this is getting a little long, so I'll postpone the New Testament verses)