Arabic Fragments on the Pentateuch 19–25

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

The Israelites struck the land of Moab and killed 40,000 souls there in one day; and they killed Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, and hung his body on a spear in the middle of the Israelites' camp for three days and three nights, and afterwards burned it with fire. Then the Israelites mingled with the daughters of Moab and committed harlotry with them. Then God's wrath grew strong against the Israelites, and suddenly death began to rage among them. And there was in the land of Moab a woman, beautiful of face, named Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; she was the daughter of the brother of the Moabite king Balak the son of Zippor. One day Zimri the son of Salu, the son of Aman, the head of the family of the Simeonites, went in to her. She said to him: My promise is not for you, but for Moses or Aaron or one of his sons or one of the chiefs of the tribes of the Israelites. He said to her: I am mightier than they and of nobler descent, for I am the head of the tribe of Simeon. She answered: How am I to know that you are nobler and greater than they? He answered: All the Israelites who commit sexual immorality do it secretly and hidden; but I have come to you openly, while all the Israelites look on. So Zimri the son of Salu boasted and bragged; he went away from her, but came back and went in to her while Moses watched him and his sin. Then the fire of divine wrath burned in Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, and he seized a spear, went in to the two, pierced them both together with the spear, and carried them both out, impaled on the spear on his shoulders. Then at once the wrath of God was stilled, and God took away the dying from all Israel. And God said to Moses: "Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest has turned back my anger from Israel and has been zealous for my sake; therefore I give him the covenant of peace, and it shall be for him and his descendants a covenant of priesthood." And 24,000 souls of the Israelites died in a single day. And when the dying was over, God commanded Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron to take a census of the Israelites from twenty years old and upward; and this was in the wilderness of Moab, which lies by the Jordan opposite Jericho. Then the tribe of the sons of Reuben numbered 43,730 souls; the tribe of the sons of Simeon numbered 22,200 souls, excepting the family of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, whom God destroyed; the tribe of the sons of Gad numbered 40,500 souls; the tribe of the sons of Judah numbered 46,500 souls; the tribe of the sons of Issachar numbered 64,300 souls; the number of the sons of Zebulun and their family was 60,500; the number of the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, 52,700; the number of the tribe of Ephraim the son of Joseph was 32,500 souls; the number of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was 45,600 souls; the number of the tribe of the sons of Dan was 64,400 souls; the number of the tribe of the sons of Asher was 53,400 souls; and the number of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali was 45,400 souls. And the whole of the Israelites whom Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron counted in the wilderness of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho was 601,730 men, who had come out of the land of Egypt. And the number of the family of the house of Levi was 23,000 souls, from a month old and upward; and these were not counted with the Israelites and their number. And these are the names of the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham (there were five daughters): the name of the first, Mahlah; of the second, Noa; of the third, Hoglah; of the fourth, Milcah; of the fifth, Tirzah. Their father was one of those who had perished together with the followers of Korah. They asked Moses for an inheritance among the Israelites; and he gave them an inheritance among the Israelites. Then Moses made war on the people of Moab and killed its king; and he killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and he killed Og, the king of Matnin and Baisan; and the Israelites plundered their flocks and all their possessions, and killed their women and their men, and left no one alive except the virgins who had not yet known a man. And they killed the five kings. And the number of the Israelites was 12,000 fit for battle, and the commander of the army was Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. And Balaam the son of Beor fell in this battle. This is the booty that the Israelites took in the lands of the five kings: of sheep 675,000, of cattle 72,000 head, of asses 71,000, and of virgin daughters 32,000 daughters. And God's share was of the sheep 6,750, of the cattle 36,000, of the asses 30,500, and of the virgin daughters 16,000 daughters. And Moses took gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, one shekel from every fifty shekels; and the amount of gold belonging to the nobles came to 16,750 shekels. And they put this in the tent of revelation, so that Israel might be remembered before God. And God said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, choose for yourselves six cities, so that everyone who has killed someone may flee into them, and so that every manslayer may remain there until the death of the high priest and be saved. Three of the cities shall be east of the Jordan in enemy territory, the other three in the land of Canaan. These are the commandments and ordinances that God gave the Israelites in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. Praised be God for all eternity. Amen.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

The Israelites resisted the first commandment that God had given them in the second book, and made the calf and served idols. Therefore he repeated this commandment to them a second time, and this is the fifth book, and in it he said again everything that stood in the second book. And the word of Scripture, "Eleven days' journey," is a pointer to Christ, who for eleven hours went out to seek nations and peoples and to save them from the hand of the devils, the adversaries of the gospel. For his sake Scripture mentions five well-known places: Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, Dizahab. These five places lie in the Sinai peninsula opposite the wilderness of Homs and toward Hamath. These five places are the symbol of the five bodily senses. They correspond to the labourer (so!) who went out to hire labourers for the vineyard of his father's house. He went out early in the morning, and he went out at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours. These five hours are, as it were, the symbol of the five places mentioned: early in the morning he hired the company of the prophets; at the third hour he hired the company of the twelve disciples; at the sixth hour he hired the company of the witnesses; at the ninth hour he hired all wanderers and strangers, and made it an hour of salvation for those who stand alone; and at the eleventh hour he hired the company of sinners and urged them in it to repentance. And the one who went out to hire is Christ, who in the evening gave a denarius to all alike; "in the evening" means at the end of the world. Now he cites the holy Gospel mentioned, saying: "And he who was hired in the morning shall receive the same as he who was hired at the eleventh hour; and many of the first will be last, and the last first." That the second book was repeated to the Israelites in the fifth book is a pointer to the new covenant and the chief commandment that Jesus Christ himself brought us. And as Moses did signs and wonders in the second book and recalled them to the Israelites' memory in the fifth book, so Christ, the teacher of Moses, did signs and wonders before the Jews, so that they might remember what was written in the Torah of signs and wonders, and understand that it was he who had freed them from the bondage of Pharaoh through his servant Moses. But they understood nothing of it, and the prophecy of the prophet David was fulfilled in them, who says: "They have eyes but shall not see, and ears but shall not hear, and they do not understand"; and they became wholly like their own deeds.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

The wickedness and injustice of the Israelites had increased, and their hands were bent on killing, and little by little they were killing twenty or more every day. Then God commanded Moses to choose these three cities, so that the manslayer could flee into them and stay alive. This is a pointer to the Holy Trinity; and as the manslayer fled into these three cities and stayed alive, so everyone who has sinned and wishes to flee from the sin that kills should take refuge in the Holy Trinity; then he lives in repentance all his life, just as the manslayer saved himself when he fled. And God said to the Israelites: I give you the land of Ammon and its territories; and this land lies on the border of the land of el-Ghor. We say: God took this land of old from the giants and gave it to the descendants of Lot as an inheritance; and when the descendants of Lot sinned, God took it from them and gave it to the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, as an inheritance; and this is the land of the territory of Shinar. And when the descendants of Esau sinned, he took it from them by force and gave one half of it to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and the other half God gave to the Ammonites. And when these sinned, God took it from them and gave it to the Israelites, and they killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and destroyed the Ammonites and took their land as an inheritance. And this is what the Israelites took possession of from the kingdom of Sihon: they took from him a great number of cattle and sheep; from his treasury they took 195 talents of gold and 643 talents of silver, and of pearls they took more than a talent. But of bronze, iron, and cloth the sum cannot be stated at all. And they took three cities from him, namely es-Salt, el-Karak, and esh-Shaubak; and they took two fortresses from him on the seashore, first the fortress of Gaza, and second that of el-Ashir and es-Saka. This is the story of Sihon; and all this the Israelites took possession of under the leadership of Joshua the son of Nun.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

Moses repeated the ten commandments to the Israelites; then he commanded them to keep the commandments of God, to serve him and live according to his good pleasure, and to keep away from transgressing his commandments and his laws. And God promised the Israelites that he would give them the land flowing with milk and honey. This land of promise lies east and west of the river Jordan, toward the territories of the regions of Palestine. This land was the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan and Matnin. And the five kings of the Amorites were vassals of King Og and used to pay him tribute. And Og made himself a coffin of iron, whose length, reckoned in cubits, was nine cubits, a cubit of eight spans; and the breadth of the coffin was four such cubits, and the height of the coffin four such cubits. And he had subjugated many kings, Persian kings and others.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

God commanded the Israelites to give a tithe of their possessions every year. And he commanded them to gather in all the produce of their land for six years, but in the seventh year to give their crop to the poor. He further commanded them to keep a male or female slave in service for seven years, but in the eighth year to give them their freedom, and not to keep them in service longer than seven years; anyone who transgressed this commandment was to be killed, and his blood would be upon him. Likewise God commanded them that if anyone had a debt outstanding in gold or silver or wheat or barley, and it concerned a debtor unable to pay, he might press him as he pleased, but in the seventh year, the year of the Passover and of release, he should let the insolvent debtor go with all his debts and obligations, and no longer demand from him the remainder that still burdened him. The Israelites used to keep the Passover feast, that is, the feast of release, in the following way: they all fasted for one day and uncovered their heads in the evening. And they went barefoot to the gate of the tent of revelation, and each took with him a male and a female slave who had served them for seven years, and gave them their freedom before God at the gate of the tent of revelation, and brought the offerings for them. But every male or female slave who did not wish to be freed and to leave the house of their masters, they pierced the ear and left them in the house of their masters, and this as permanently free, not as slaves. And he further commanded them to redeem every male of mankind that opens the womb, as well as of the clean cattle and sheep. And he forbade them the birds and wild animals that eat bones, carcasses, and carrion, and of the cattle every animal that does not chew the cud and has no cloven hoof. And he forbade them blood and dead bodies, and what wild beasts had seized and carried off. And he commanded them to sacrifice the Passover in the evening, at sunset, and to keep the feast of tabernacles for seven days. And he commanded them to appoint for themselves judges, men of knowledge, scribes, and experts, who should judge among them justly and impartially, who should not waver, nor show partiality, nor take gifts in judging. And he commanded them that they might not offer a sheep that had a defect, nor a defective ox, nor any offering with a blemish. Further, God commanded them to put to death anyone who practised idolatry or sacrificed to idols or worshipped sun and moon; every such person was to be killed and blotted out from his people and tribe; and to hold an inquiry on the testimony of two or three; and he forbade them false witness and the driving out of strangers from their midst. And he commanded them not to appoint judges or arbiters from a foreign people or from the sorcerers, or such as would take a gift in judging.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

When the Israelites became wealthy and their prosperity increased, they gave themselves up to harlotry and ungodliness, and their hypocrisy and wickedness grew ever greater. Then God commanded that these ordinances be laid upon them, and whoever transgressed this law should be killed and stoned. And these are the ordinances that God appointed for them. He said to them: "Life for life, and eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, and hand for hand, and foot for foot"; and vengeance was to be taken for the injured. Further he said to them: if they besieged a city and took it, they should kill with the sword every male in it, and they might never lie with the women. And if they found a slain man lying in the field or in the wilderness whose murderer was unknown, they should make a careful search for his murderer; but if the murderer could not be discovered, the town lying nearest to him should take a heifer that had never been harnessed and had not yet come under the yoke, and slaughter the heifer in an empty waste place; and the inhabitants of the town nearest the slain man should swear that the murderer was unknown to them; and so they would be acquitted of this blood-guilt. Further he said to them: If one of them gains a woman from the booty and the captives of war, and he finds her beautiful, he shall shave the hair of her head and cut her nails, and afterwards he may take her as his wife. But if she does not please him, he shall give her her freedom, and from then on she shall never again be his slave. Further he said to them: If a man has a disobedient and stubborn son who does not listen to father and mother, they shall discipline him; if he still does not leave off his conduct, the whole congregation shall stone him to death. And everyone who has committed a crime that requires the death penalty shall be hanged on the wood; but his body shall not remain on the wood overnight, but he shall be buried the same day; for he is one cursed by God. And if you pass by a road, a tree, or anywhere else and find a bird's nest in which there are young or eggs, and the mother is sitting on the eggs or on the young, you shall not take the mother with her young, but take the young and leave the eggs with the mother. And God lays this upon you so that you may live long. And when you build a new house, make a solid railing around it, so that no one may fall from it. And if a man comes upon an unmarried virgin and comes to love her, and she has no betrothed, and he violates her and deflowers her, this man shall pay her father fifty silver shekels as compensation for the uncovering of her face; then she shall be his wife, and he may not put her away all his life. And no man who commits sexual immorality may enter the house of God, for he is unclean. And he said to them: If you come upon a slave who has fled from his master, you shall not give him up nor put his master on his track; but let him live among you in whatever town he wishes, and demand nothing from him for it. Remove harlotry from your midst, and let no harlot's hire and no dog's price come into the house of God, for it is unclean. Take no interest on gold, silver, wheat, and barley; but from strangers you may take it. And when you have made a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling and paying it, for God will require it of you. And if you have given anyone a promise and cannot keep it, undo it with those to whom you gave it, and set the promise right.

Translated by Claude from H. Achelis's German translation (1897) of the Arabic; neither is shown

The Israelites were a stubborn people, who neither feared God nor were ashamed before men, and full of deceit. So he imposed these ordinances and commandments on them, so that they would submit to them in the land of promise when they had entered it, and would not mix with the foreign nations and adopt their way of life and walk in their footsteps and worship the idols. So he commanded them that whoever transgressed those commandments should be punished with death and be cursed for ever. And he commanded them to guard against the plague of leprosy, and to remove whoever among them was leprous and keep him far from the camp until he was clean again and brought his offering to God. And he commanded them that if anyone had made a loan to another, he should not go into the debtor's house, but take a pledge; and whoever had taken a poor man's garment in pledge should give it back to him in the evening, so that he could put it on. And none of them should withhold his wages from a needy or poor hired labourer, but give them to him day by day. And he commanded them that the father should not be punished with the blood of his children, nor the child with the blood of his father; rather each soul was to be punished according to its desert. And they should take no pledge from a widow. And he commanded them not to forbid the poor and beggars, the orphans and widows, to enter their fields, vineyards, and gardens. And he commanded them to bring their lawsuits before the elders and the judges; and anyone who transgressed the sentences of the judges they should punish with forty strokes. And they should not muzzle the ox on the threshing floor. And if a man died without leaving children, his wife should not leave the house; rather a brother of the dead man should take her and raise up descendants for his brother. And he said to them: If two men are fighting with each other, and the wife of one of them comes up and seizes the man who is fighting with her husband by his private parts, both her hands shall be cut off without mercy. And he commanded them that none of them should have two scales in his house, nor two measures of capacity, nor two weights, a large and a small. And: You shall give God the tithe of your possessions and the tithe of the produce of your land and of your sheep, and give alms to the poor and beggars, orphans and widows, so that God may bless you.