Authors James Bejon
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THREAD: Numbers and Multiple Sources in Scripture.
Consider Judges 20’s battle narrative:
400,000 gathered Israelites,
700 Gibeahites defended by 26,000 Benjaminites,
22,000 Israelite casualties,
25,000 Benjaminite casualties, etc., etc.
Why all the numbers, Samuel?
In what follows, I’ll try to offer some suggestions.
(Image from deseret-dot-com.)
Judges 19’s narrative about a Levite and his concubine culminates in one of the bleakest and most horrific scenes in all of Scripture.
@DrPJWilliams has a thread on it (linked below), which is bigly
At the outset of ch. 20, ch. 19’s fallen Levite provides Israel with a highly one-sided version of events—one which says nothing at all about his betrayal/abandonment of his concubine,
and instead lays the blame for her death squarely at the feet of the men of Gibeah.
In response, the Israelites go to war against the Gibeahites, who are defended by their tribesmen, the Benjaminites.
To our surprise, however, the Israelites don’t fare very well.
Consider Judges 20’s battle narrative:
400,000 gathered Israelites,
700 Gibeahites defended by 26,000 Benjaminites,
22,000 Israelite casualties,
25,000 Benjaminite casualties, etc., etc.
Why all the numbers, Samuel?

In what follows, I’ll try to offer some suggestions.
(Image from deseret-dot-com.)
Judges 19’s narrative about a Levite and his concubine culminates in one of the bleakest and most horrific scenes in all of Scripture.
@DrPJWilliams has a thread on it (linked below), which is bigly
THREAD: The Bible\u2019s most gory story
— Peter J. Williams (@DrPJWilliams) August 19, 2019
It\u2019s the disturbing account of the rape & dissection of the Levite\u2019s concubine (Judges 19-21)
With lessons about male violence against women #vawg
At the outset of ch. 20, ch. 19’s fallen Levite provides Israel with a highly one-sided version of events—one which says nothing at all about his betrayal/abandonment of his concubine,
and instead lays the blame for her death squarely at the feet of the men of Gibeah.
In response, the Israelites go to war against the Gibeahites, who are defended by their tribesmen, the Benjaminites.
To our surprise, however, the Israelites don’t fare very well.