Fuzzy math in the Word

December 26, 2009, 10:08 am by dc-agape.

Genesis Chapter 46 – 47:12

In this story from Genesis it is the original Beverly Hillbillies, I used the theme song in the last post from Genesis.  This section is rather long, but after considering it more closely, I believe I can sum it up in one post.  I did not post yesterday, because I was debating how to split this section up, and well, I ran out of time.  My research at UTK is speeding up and I had three consultation yesterday, starting at 11:30 and ending at 5pm.  Maybe one day I will fill you in on the research, after I have published!  Anyway, I ran out of time yesterday to deal with such a large chunk of Genesis.

Israel packs up his family, in the newly minted carts from Pharaoh.  When the family has traveled ~ 40 miles towards Goshen, they stopped at Beersheba.  YHWH speaks to Israel there and tells him that Israel will die there but YHWH will bring him out of Egypt.  Here is the first example of fuzzy math.  “I’m with you”, and “I’ll bring you out of Egypt” are part of the conversation.  YHWH did not bring Israel out of Egypt, Joseph did!  But that’s what fuzzy math is all about.  And the whole:

^{Gen 46:3} “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Well now that is just a hoot!  “Don’t be afraid”, even though YHWH plans on making all of Israel’s descendants slaves for over 430 years (4 generations – Gen 15:16)!  This is the second case of fuzzy math.  400 years is not 4 generations!  It’s closer to 4 full life-times, if you count men’s life at 120 years (Gen 6:3).  That does not work either since all the men named in the Bible lived for at least 147 years (Israel, himself, being the shortest lifespan).  YHWH is not to be trusted.  His math is fuzzy, he is inconsistent, he does not keep his promises, and his plans, in general, are horrific.

The next section is all the fuzzy math you could ever stand!  Here the sons and grandsons of Israel are listed.  First, in no way, shape, or form, can three generations of mankind have only one daughter!  And yes, in Gen 46:8 the author says the “sons of Jacob Israel”, but in Gen 46:26 it claims that this is all the people who went with him to Egypt, plus the slave wives from Shechem.  More fuzzy math is involved with the numbers of men.  In Gen 46:15 it claims that there were 33 sons of Leah, yet 34 names are listed.  This is explained in the study notes that a scribe somewhere in the future added a name by mistake!  YHWH, could you please keep your infallible text, well, infallible!

The total number of people who went with Jacob Israel (I really wish the infallible YHWH would remember that his name is not Jacob!) becomes 70 (Gen 46:27). But to get to this number…all the woman have to be left out, Joseph and his sons (already in Egypt) must be added, and add Er and Onan back in!  Er and Onan died in Gen 38:6-10 and were left out of the Gen 46:26.  As I said, it’s all the fuzzy math you could ever want, and a bit complicated.  This is a great example of Biblical family values: misogyny!

Joseph and Israel are reunited and it is a tearful experience.  Joseph must have lived many years wondering if he would ever see his father again, and Israel had believed his son was dead due to the lie Joseph’s brothers told.  Here is a great Biblical family value: lying!

Now because these men were shepherds, Joseph knew the Egyptians would despise them.  But he coached his brothers on what to say to the Pharaoh about being shepherds.  The Pharaoh gave the sons of Israel the best of the land (during a famine).  I’m sure it was a great place to have herds!  Jacob Israel blesses the Pharaoh twice, once on entering and once upon leaving the Pharaoh’s presence.  During this interview we find out that Israel is already 130 years old.  I guess those that YHWH blesses live longer than anyone else, but of course we have no proof of this because: we don’t know what calendar they used nor do we have any recorded maximum age of non-favored people! 

In the end all of Israel’s family is settled in the best part of the land.  I hope this was not like present day Israel where the Palestinians had to be removed from their ancestral homes.  But since this was the best property in Egypt, I would have to assume that this is exactly what happened.  Then Joseph makes sure that his brothers have enough food, for free, to ensure that they do not starve.  This must include food for the herds as well, since in a famine nothing is growing that is eatable.  I wonder how many Egyptians had to starve to death to ensure that the sons of Israel survived.

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