101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

274 101 Myths of the Bible
The eleven hundred pieces of silver are metaphors for the eleven tribes that split
from Judah after Solomon died. The two hundred pieces of silver converted into
idols are metaphors for the two tribes that housed Jeroboam’s sanctuaries, Ephraim in
the south and Dan in the north. Micah established an idol in the sanctuary in
Ephraim and later the Levite, in a break from Micah, transferred the idol to a sanctuary
in Dan.
The mother in this story is a metaphor for the nation of Israel before the split
between Judah and Israel. Micah corresponds to Jeroboam, the king who feuded with
the northern Levite priests. The Levite comes from Bethlehemjudah, meaning Bethlehem
in Judah, where King David came from. The Levites were the priestly class, but
this one left Judah because he had no work. Under Judah’s control, the Jerusalem
priesthood diminished the authority of the Levites in the outlying districts. The journey
to Ephraim signified the alliance between Jeroboam and the Shiloh priesthood
against Solomon. The priest received a salary of ten shekels per year, one for each of
the ten non-Levite tribes in the northern kingdom.
The theft of the icons by the Levite and the tribe of Dan shows the split between
the Shilohite priesthood and Jeroboam. The removal of the sanctuary to Dan shows
the division of religious authority in Israel after the split.
The Bible identifies the Levite as“Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh.”
This is the only place where this particular Jonathan and this particular Gershom
are mentioned. And the claim that the Levite is descended from Manasseh
rather than Levi is bizarre on its face, since Levi and Manasseh have separate lines of
tribal descent. However, the Levite’s full name is based on territorial connections
rather than genealogical affiliations.
1 Chronicles 6:62–71 describes the allotment of land to the sons of Gershom during
the conquest of Canaan:
And to the sons of Gershom [the son of Levi] throughout their families out of the
tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and
out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.…Unto the sons of Gershom
were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with
her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs.