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orion-list 1Chr 27 and 1QM on militia

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To the listmember. Greetings.

We know from 1QM only a few things about the structure of the militia:

1) the light cavalry is divisible through six, but both the heavy cavalry
(the somewhat hidden cataphracts) and the foot are multiples of seven.
2) the four gaps on the four sides of the camp require a number divisible
through four, but that is only met by the light cavalry.
3) The scroll mentions the existence of several camps.

Conclusion:
It follows that the factor seven is a later redaction and the foot on each
side of the camp amounts to 6000 instead of 7000 men plus officers. That
means an army of 24000 foot lead by a "captain of the host" and a militia of
multiples of 24000 foot, e.g. 288000 foot (plus 8980 officers of the
fifties, hundreds, thousands, six thousands and twenty-four thousands). Me
think only the Heavenly Hosts had more (winged) foot and of course - the
Romans.

But now we find a similar story in 1Chr 27 on David's militia. There we see
such hosts of each 24000 foot (= 1,5 Hellenistic phalanges acc. to
Asclepiodotus) lead by "captains of the hosts" (not simply captains but
"chief fathers", i.e. army-generals) serving alternately month by month
throughout the year, presumably in a fortified camp. It is noteworthy that
the structure doesn't follow the expected lunar but the unique luni-solar
("Essene" or whatever) calendar; otherwise they need a thirteenth host in
every third year...
Unfortunately the all-important cavalry is missed here - probably a homage
to David's era and to his "mighty men of war" (the captains of the hosts).
Moreover, scholarly problems occurred to classify and to date the utmost
high-developed passage on organization and structure of the militia. I
recall Yadin's famous but somewhat careful essay and Driver's here-comes-the
bullet-reference to the torsion artillery (i.e. terminus a quo 333 BC acc.
to Tarn).

Conclusion:
Both have used the same source or the one is dependent on the other...


Dierk

For private reply, e-mail to "Dierk" <haGalil@gmx.net>
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