Watchtower June 2 through June 8

[Click to read]|[Watchtower, October 2023, Questions from Readers] Did the Israelites have anything to eat in the wilderness besides manna and quail? Manna was the Israelites’ main food during their 40 years in the wilderness.

[Quotation] Exodus 16.35: The Israelites ate the manna for 40 years, until they came to a land that was inhabited. They ate the manna until they came to the frontier of the land of Canaan. [End Quotation]

Jehovah also provided quail on two occasions.

[Quotation] Exodus 16.12 and 13: “I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be satisfied with bread, and you will certainly know that I am Jehovah your God.’” 13 So that evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew was all around the camp. [End Quotation]

[Quotation] Numbers 11.31: Then a wind from Jehovah sprang up and began driving quail from the sea and causing them to fall around the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and they were about two cubits deep on the ground. [End Quotation]

However, the Israelites did have a limited amount of other foods to eat.
For example, Jehovah sometimes led his people to “a resting-place” that provided some natural supplies to help fill their needs.

[Quotation] Numbers 10.33: So they began marching from the mountain of Jehovah for a journey of three days, and the ark of Jehovah’s covenant traveled before them for the three-day journey to search out a resting-place for them. [End Quotation]

One of those places was the oasis at Elim, “where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees”, no doubt date palms.

[Quotation] Exodus 15.27: After that they came to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. So they camped there by the water. [End Quotation]

The book Plants of the Bible states that the date palm, which “has a very extensive geographic range, ... is the chief food plant of the desert, furnishing food, oil, and shelter to millions of people.” The Israelites may also have stopped at the major oasis known today as Feiran, which is part of the Wadi Feiran.* [Footnote] See the May 1, 1992, issue of The Watchtower, pages 24 and 25. [End of footnote] This wadi, or river valley, “is 81 miles [130 kilometers] long and is one of the longest, most beautiful, and most famous wadis in Sinai,” says the book Discovering the World of the Bible. It continues, stating: “In the wadi, about 28 miles [45 kilometers] from its mouth, is the 3-mile-long [4.8 kilometers], beautiful, palm-laden Feiran Oasis, about 2,000 feet [610 meters] above sea level. It is the Eden of Sinai. Thousands of date palms have attracted settlers to this site since ancient times.”

[Image] Date palms in an oasis. An inset shows a cluster of dates on a palm tree.
Caption: Date palms in the oasis of Feiran

When leaving Egypt, the Israelites brought along flour dough, kneading troughs, and possibly some grain and oil. Of course, these things would not have lasted long. The people also brought “flocks and herds, a great number of livestock.”

[Quotation] Exodus 12.34 through 39: So the people carried their flour dough before it was leavened, with their kneading troughs wrapped up in their clothing on their shoulder. 35 The Israelites did what Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and of gold as well as clothing. 36 Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they asked for, and they plundered the Egyptians. 37 Then the Israelites departed from Rameses for Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides children. 38 And a vast mixed company also went with them, as well as flocks and herds, a great number of livestock. 39 They began to bake the dough that they brought from Egypt into round loaves of unleavened bread. It was not leavened, because they had been driven out of Egypt so suddenly that they had not prepared any provisions for themselves. [End Quotation]

Because of the harsh conditions in the wilderness, however, the number of animals would likely have dwindled. Some of them may have served as food for the Israelites. Other animals may have been offered in sacrifice, even to false gods.* [Footnote] The Bible mentions two occasions when animals were sacrificed to Jehovah in the wilderness. The first occasion was at the time of the installation of the priesthood; the second was at the Passover. Both events took place in 1512 B.C.E., the second year of Israel’s departure from Egypt.

[Quotation] Leviticus 8.14 through 9.24: Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15 Moses slaughtered it and took the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides, and he purified the altar from sin, but the rest of the blood he poured at the base of the altar, in order to sanctify it to make atonement on it. 16 After that he took all the fat that was on the intestines, the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and Moses made them smoke on the altar. 17 Then he had the rest of the bull, its skin, its flesh, and its dung, burned with fire outside the camp, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 18 He now brought the ram of the burnt offering near, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 Moses then slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into its pieces, and Moses made the head, the pieces, and the suet smoke. 21 He washed the intestines and the shanks with water, and Moses made the entire ram smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Jehovah, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 22 Then he brought the second ram, the ram of the installation, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head. 23 Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on their right earlobe and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot; but Moses sprinkled the rest of the blood on all sides of the altar. 25 Then he took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the intestines, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right leg. 26 He took out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before Jehovah one unleavened ring-shaped loaf, one ring-shaped loaf of oiled bread, and one wafer. He then placed them on the pieces of fat and the right leg. 27 After that he put all of them on the palms of Aaron and the palms of his sons and began to wave them back and forth as a wave offering before Jehovah. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and made them smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering. They were an installation sacrifice as a pleasing aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Jehovah. 29 Moses then took the breast and waved it back and forth as a wave offering before Jehovah. From the installation ram it became the portion for Moses, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 30 And Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and spattered it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and the garments of his sons who were with him. Thus he sanctified Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. 31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons: “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and you will eat it there with the bread that is in the installation basket, just as I was commanded, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat it.’ 32 What is left over of the flesh and the bread you will burn with fire. 33 You must not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days for completing your installation are over, because it will take seven days to install you as priests. 34 Jehovah commanded that we do what we have done today in order to make atonement for you. 35 You will stay at the entrance of the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and carry out your obligation to Jehovah, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.” 36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things that Jehovah had commanded by means of Moses. Chapter 9: On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. 2 He said to Aaron: “Take for yourself a young calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, sound ones, and present them before Jehovah. 3 But you will say to the Israelites, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a young ram, each a year old, sound ones, for a burnt offering, 4 and a bull and a ram for communion sacrifices, to sacrifice them before Jehovah, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today Jehovah will appear to you.’” 5 So they took what Moses had commanded before the tent of meeting. Then the whole assembly came forward and stood before Jehovah. 6 And Moses said: “This is what Jehovah has commanded you to do, so that the glory of Jehovah may appear to you.” 7 Then Moses said to Aaron: “Approach the altar and present your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement in your own behalf and in behalf of your house; and present the offering of the people, and make atonement in their behalf, just as Jehovah has commanded.” 8 Aaron immediately approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering that was for him. 9 Then Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 He made the fat and the kidneys and the appendage of the liver from the sin offering smoke on the altar, just as Jehovah had commanded Moses. 11 And he burned the flesh and the skin with fire outside the camp. 12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. 13 They handed him the pieces of the burnt offering along with the head, and he made them smoke on the altar. 14 Further, he washed the intestines and the shanks and made them smoke on the burnt offering on the altar. 15 He then presented the offering of the people and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and slaughtered it and made a sin offering with it like the first one. 16 And he presented the burnt offering and handled it according to the regular procedure. 17 He next presented the grain offering, filling his hand with some of it and making it smoke on the altar, in addition to the burnt offering of the morning. 18 After that he slaughtered the bull and the ram of the communion sacrifice that was for the people. Then Aaron’s sons handed him the blood, and he sprinkled it around on all sides of the altar. 19 As for the pieces of fat of the bull, the fat tail of the ram, the fat covering the internal organs, the kidneys, and the appendage of the liver, 20 they placed all those pieces of fat on the breasts, after which he made the pieces of fat smoke on the altar. 21 But the breasts and the right leg Aaron waved back and forth as a wave offering before Jehovah, just as Moses had commanded. 22 Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them and came down from making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the communion sacrifices. 23 Finally Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting and came out and blessed the people. Jehovah’s glory now appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came out from Jehovah and began consuming the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they started shouting and they fell with their faces to the ground. [End Quotation]

[Quotation] Numbers 9:1 through 5: Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “The Israelites should prepare the Passover sacrifice at its appointed time. 3 On the 14th day of this month at twilight, you should prepare it at its appointed time. According to all its statutes and all its set procedures, you should prepare it.” 4 So Moses told the Israelites to prepare the Passover sacrifice. 5 Then they prepared the Passover sacrifice in the first month, on the 14th day of the month at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did. [End Quotation] [End of footnote]

[Quotation] Acts 7.39 through 43: Our forefathers refused to obey him, but they pushed him aside and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron: ‘Make gods for us to go ahead of us. For we do not know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt.’ 41 So they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol and began to enjoy themselves in the works of their hands. 42 So God turned away from them and handed them over to offer sacred service to the army of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘It was not to me that you made offerings and sacrifices for 40 years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 But it was the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan that you took up, the images that you made to worship them. So I will deport you beyond Babylon.’ [End Quotation]

Still, the Israelites did breed some animals, as noted in Jehovah’s words to the people in response to their gross lack of faith: “Your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness 40 years.”

[Quotation] Numbers 14.33: Now your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness 40 years, and they will have to answer for your acts of unfaithfulness until the last one of your corpses falls in the wilderness. [End Quotation]

It is possible, therefore, that their flocks provided milk and on occasion meat but certainly not enough to sustain an estimated three million people for 40 years.* [Footnote] Near the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites took hundreds of thousands of animals as the spoils of war.

[Quotation] Numbers 31.32 through 34: The spoils, the rest of the plunder that the people of the expedition had taken, amounted to 675,000 of the flock, 33 72,000 of the herd, 34 and 61,000 donkeys. [End Quotation]

Even so, they continued to eat manna until they entered the Promised Land.

[Quotation] Joshua 5:10 through 12: The Israelites continued to camp at Gilgal, and they observed the Passover on the 14th day of the month, in the evening, on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 And they began to eat the produce of the land the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and roasted grains, on this same day. 12 Then the manna stopped on the day following when they had eaten some of the produce of the land; there was no longer manna for the Israelites, but they began to eat the produce of the land of Canaan in that year. [End Quotation] [End of footnote]

Where did the animals find food and water?* [Footnote] There is no indication that the animals ate manna, since it was allotted in proportion to how much each person would eat.

[Quotation] Exodus 16:15 and 16: When the Israelites saw it, they began to say to one another, “What is it?” for they did not know what it was. Moses said to them: “It is the bread that Jehovah has given you for food. 16 This is what Jehovah has commanded, ‘Each one should gather it according to how much he can eat. You are to take an omer measure for each individual according to the number of the people that each of you has in his tent.’” [End Quotation] [End of footnote]

Back then there may have been a greater amount of rainfall and thus more vegetation in the wilderness. Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1, states that 3,500 years ago, “the water supply in Arabia was to some extent superior to what it is at the present time. The existence of many deep dry wadis, or valleys, which were once riverbeds, gives evidence that at some time in the past there was sufficient rainfall to produce streams of water.” Even so, the wilderness was a barren and fearsome place.

[Quotation] Deuteronomy 8:14 through 16: do not let your heart become proud and cause you to forget Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who caused you to walk through the great and fearsome wilderness, with poisonous serpents and scorpions and with parched ground that has no water. He made water flow out of the flinty rock 16 and fed you with manna in the wilderness, which your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and to put you to the test so as to benefit you in the future. [End Quotation]

Without the water that Jehovah miraculously provided, both the Israelites and their animals would surely have perished.

[Quotation] Exodus 15:22 through 25: Moses later led Israel away from the Red Sea, and they went out to the wilderness of Shur and marched on for three days in the wilderness, but they did not find water. 23 They came to Marah, but they were not able to drink the water from Marah because it was bitter. That is why he named it Marah. 24 So the people began to murmur against Moses, saying: “What are we to drink?” 25 He cried out to Jehovah, and Jehovah directed him to a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became sweet. There He established for them a regulation and a case for judgment, and there He put them to the test. [End Quotation]

[Quotation] Exodus 17:1 through 6: The entire assembly of the Israelites departed from the wilderness of Sin by stages according to the order of Jehovah, and they camped at Rephidim. But there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people began quarreling with Moses and saying: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said to them: “Why are you quarreling with me? Why do you keep putting Jehovah to the test?” 3 But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they kept murmuring against Moses and saying: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our sons and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Finally Moses cried out to Jehovah: “What should I do with this people? A little longer and they will stone me!” 5 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “Go ahead of the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel and your rod with which you struck the Nile River. Take it in your hand and walk on. 6 Look! I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb. You must strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink it.” Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. [End Quotation]

[Quotation] Numbers 20:2: Now there was no water for the assembly, and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. [End Quotation]

[Quotation] Numbers 20:11: With that Moses lifted his hand up and struck the crag twice with his rod, and much water began to pour out, and the assembly and their livestock began to drink. [End Quotation]

Moses told the Israelites that Jehovah had fed them with the manna “in order to make [them] know that man does not live by bread alone but man lives by every expression from Jehovah’s mouth.”

[Quotation] Deuteronomy 8:3: So he humbled you and let you go hungry and fed you with the manna, which neither you had known nor your fathers had known, in order to make you know that man does not live by bread alone but man lives by every expression from Jehovah’s mouth. [End Quotation] [End of Watchtower, October 2023, Questions from Readers] [Click to close]