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Re: orion-list 1Chr 27 and 1QM on militia

Dierk van den Berg writes, 

>  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... 

Dear Dierk,

    I discuss the structure of the army of the Sons of Light extensively in 
my article "The War Scroll and Roman Weaponry Reconsidered", DSD 3.2 (1996) 
89-129.  (This article is currently in the mail to you, as per our private 
email correspondence.)  In this article I show it corresponds very closely 
with the Roman legions of the Polybian Era (i.e. second century BCE).  On 
page 107 I point out that the ratio of 6000 cavalry to 28000 infantry in the 
War Scroll army is *exactly* that of the 900 cavalry to 4200 infantry in the 
allied Italian legions of the second century, namely 3:14.  
    Note that the infantry of the Roman legions as described in Polybius is 
4200, a multiple of 7, while the cavalry is not.  Applying your logic to 
these legions, we would infer that the 4200 troops of the Roman legion is 
also a later redaction, which is obviously not the case.
    These legions are arranged in 4 lines of 1200 skirmishers, 1200 hastati, 
1200 principes, and 600 hastati, for 4200 altogether.  The War Scroll has a 
very similatr arrangements of 4 lines of 1000 each (under influence of the 
Biblical model) for a total of 4000 altogether, in close structural and 
numerical agreement with the legions of the second century.  Other details of 
structure, weaponry and tactics also closely correspond.
    I hope this is helpful.

    Best regards,
    Russell Gmirkin
For private reply, e-mail to RGmyrken@aol.com
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