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Re: orion-list guilty corpses
Dear all,
I notice in rereading Num. 31, which deals with captives, battle spoil,
etc., that whoever had slain anyone or touched a corpse (probably in
despoiling the dead) were required to remain outside the camp a full seven
days and to undergo the purification rituals involving lustrations on the
third and seventh day (Num. 31:19). The War Scroll doesn't directly address
the issue of the uncleanness incurred by slaying the enemy -- and indeed 1QM
14:3 seems inconsistent with the legal requirement of Num. 31:19. (Indeed,
it would require that the soldiers who had slain the enemy would be excluded
from the ranks for seven days, which seems highly impractical. Does the War
Scroll sidestep this issue? It does envision crucial battles lasting only a
single day... perhaps since a second engagement that same week could not
utilize the best troops from the first battle.) Several tractates of the
Talmud hold that a sword used to slay a man is also subject to seven-day
uncleanness (based on the explicit mention of the sword at Num. 19:16). The
War Scroll also doesn't contain regulations for purifying war weaponry.
4QM(a) 1-3 7 does however mention smelters and metal-smiths accompanying the
legions, which would be helpful not only in repairing weaponry but also in
melting down metallic booty despoiled from the enemy, as required by Num.
31:22-23 and 4Q271=4QD(f) 2 9-10 (as provisionally restored by Baumgarten).
Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin
For private reply, e-mail to RGmyrken@aol.com
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