The Hebrew Bible provides 12 references to “forty years in the wilderness.” How much of this forty-year period is reflected in the narratives of the Pentateuch? Do we have enough chronological and geographical information to determine where and when we are while reading our sources? In this teaching, based upon Torah reading Chukkat (Numbers 19-22), we look at some of the stories in an attempt to identify time and place. We also consider the case of Aaron’s death. Where did he die? When did he die? And what about Israel’s time in the wilderness? Were they wandering the entire time or were they stationary for most of the forty years?
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