The Bible Story Vol 2_w.pdf - Herbert W. Armstrong

CHAPTE R T HIRT Y·SIX
ISRAEL BREAKS CAMP
A month had passed from the ti me Moses had the tabernacle built
and put into operation. It was a yea r since the Exodus. God inform ed
Moses that that it was time to find out how man y males of twenty yea rs
and older were among the Israelites. (Exodus 40:17; Numbers 1:1-3.)
The First Ce n sus
It was necessary to have accurat e record of the people so th at orde r
could be mai nt ained, especially when th e people broke camp.
Accord ingly, all males of twent y yea rs and older were required to
register at certain points, and to give inform ation about t hemselves and
their families. (Numbers 1:17-19.) This census wasn't to include strangers,
men of the tribe of Levi, or an y who were too old to go int o battle in
case the Israel ites had to wage war against attacking armies. (Numbers
1:45, 47.)
When all were registered and their numbers adde d, th e able-bodied
male Israelites amou nted to 603,550. (Num bers 1:45-46.) This was qui te
an increase over the seventy males who had gone down into Egypt when
Joseph was ru ler. Together with wome n, children, strangers and the tribe
of Levi, there were at least two millio n people compactly camped nea r
Mt. Sinai! Besides, there were many te ns of thousands of animals to feed.
So much food and wate r were required that there had to be special orde r
and control by God's lead ership through Moses.
Of th e twelve tribes, J udah was the largest with 74,600 men. (Numbers
1:26-27.) It is today one of the smaller. The smallest tr ibe numbere d
at th at time was Man asseh, with 32,200 men, but the tribe multiplied
rapidly in later yea rs and is today one of the largest! In these last days,
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