Re: Where Did Aaron Die?
Rick Chapman (rchap@en.com)
Mon, 21 Apr 1997 14:44:33 -0400
Farrell Till wrote:
>
> Izz
> What about Aaron in the Bible? Where did he die?
>
> (DAVE 4/20) Izz: Numbers 20:27-28 says that Aaron died "on top of the
> mountain" which we are told in v 27 is named Mount Hor. This is confirmed
> again in Numbers 33:38-39 and Deut 32:50.
> Deut 10:6 states that Aaron died at a place called Moserah.
>
> I can find no information on Moserah, except that it means "a place in the
> desert". In Num 33:30 the Israelites were said to have camped there. And
> in Deut 10:6 they were said to have travelled there (and that Aaron died there).
>
> There also seems to be a lot of "unknowns" concerning the location of Mount
> Hor, from what I can gather. I don't think the exact location of Hor, in
> the context of your question, really matters at this point (although the
> location of Moserah in relation to Mount Hor DOES).
>
> In the account in Numbers 20, it states that Moses and Aaron and eleazar
> went UP the mountain, where he died. And the account in Num 33 says that
> the Israelites encamped at Moserah. It seems logical to assume then, that
> the area they were encamped at was Moserah, and this either bordered on, or
> encompassed Mount Hor.
>
> TILL
> I sent a posting to the list on this subject that showed that the Israelites
> broke camp seven times in traveling from Moserah to Mount Hor, where Aaron
> died, according to the text that lists the encampments (Num. 33:30-38). If
> 2.5 to 3 million people broke camp and moved on seven times in journeying
> from Moserah to Mt. Hor, this would hardly support Dave's assumption that
> Moserah "either bordered on or encompassed Mount Hor." I also point out
> that biblical reference works state that the locations of Moserah and Mt.
> Hor are not known. Thus, it is ridiculous to argue that a specific place
> (Mt. Hor), whose location is unknown, was within a geographical region
> called Moserah, whose location is also unknown.
>
> Furthermore, I pointed out that there is a discrepancy between Numbers
> 33:31, which states that the Israelites left Moserah and traveled to
> Benejaakan, and Deuteronomy 10:6, which states that the Israelites left
> Benejaakan and traveled to Moserah. As usual, Dave has ignored all of this
> in order to stumble along with wild conjectures for which he hasn't a shred
> of supporting evidence.
>
> DAVE COURT
> In Num 20:29, it states that when they "came down from the mountain" (to
> Moserah?), the "whole community learned that aaron had died". This shows
> that there were two different parties who "heard" or "witnessed" Aaron's
> death, and they were in different places: Moses and Eleazar on Mount Hor,
> and the whole community at the base of the mountain - their memories, and
> writings passed down may have been influenced by this fact and could focus
> on the two different spots.
>
> TILL
> Dave conveniently ignores the Xian claim that the Bible was verbally
> inspired by an omni-max deity. If this were true, then what "two different
> parties" may have heard or witnessed would not matter, because omni-max
> Yahweh would have known exactly where Aaron died and would have guided his
> inspired writer to state exactly where this was. Otherwise, what would have
> been the purpose of inspiration?
>
> DAVE COURT
> Since we don't know where Moserah is/was, and don't seem to know where Mount
> Hor is/was, this question can't really be answered conclusively. Based on
> what we know, we cannot know if it is a contradiction or not.
>
> TILL
> Explain how that the Israelites could have broken camp seven times to travel
> on, and yet Mt. Hor bordered on Moserah. Do you have any idea how much area
> an encampment of 2.5 to 3 million people would cover? Furthermore, you need
> to explain why one text states that the Israelites came to Moserah first and
> then went to Benejaakan, whereas another text states that they came to
> Benejaakan first and then went to Moserah.
>
> Farrell Till
> Skepticism, Inc.
> jftill@midwest.net
I think that the ancient Exodus Airlines based all of their trips on a
round trip purchase, and the Hebrews were forced to make a double trip
to get a bargain fare.
Rick