Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

CENSUS

An official enumeration of a group or groups of people. The census is well attested in the ancient Near East, including Egypt, Mari, Ugarit, and Assyria. The ancient census, however, was unlike a modern one in its lack of completeness. Seldom was an entire nation counted or data collected on age, sex, income, or occupation. The nearest parallel is the “Assyrian Doomsday Book,” which enumerated and ordered people by age and sex, including information on land size and such. This census, however, was restricted to the province of Haran in north Syria.

Exod. 30:11-16 makes the census of the Israelites a fixed part of the Law. In addition, the Bible reports a formal census on three occasions. According to Num. 1, , shortly after the Exodus the fighting men were counted; 603,550 is most likely an exaggerated figure deriving from either embellished tradition or a later period of Israel’s history. This number excludes Levites, women, and children. According to Num. 26, , a census of the Israelites was taken prior to their entrance into Canaan. On this occasion, the males over 20 years of age numbered 601,730. Besides counting the men eligible for military service (Num. 1:3), these two censuses established the maintenance of the tabernacle and emphasized the Levites’ exempt status (1:48-53). Further, the census in Num. 26 would determine the size of land grants for the tribes (vv. 52-56).

As recorded in 2 Sam. 24, , David sent Joab out to count the males who could fight in the army. Again, the figure is exaggerated: 800 thousand men of Israel and 500 thousand of Judah (2 Sam. 24:9). Because of this census, Yahweh sent a plague against Israel and killed 70 thousand people. The reason for the plague is uncertain. Possibly, the census implied military conscription and violated the rules of holy war, subverting Yahweh’s prerogative to lead the army, or perhaps a taboo against numbering the people existed. Most likely, however, cultic concerns were at root. According to Exod. 30:11-15, as part of the census the Israelites had to give a half-shekel as a ransom specifically to avoid a plague. In addition, evidence was found at Mari that a ritual cleansing was required before a census. Therefore, David most likely violated either the half-shekel purity law or another cultic demand, causing the plague.

The NT mentions a census taken during the reign of Augustus requiring the registration of all individuals in the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1). Beginning with Augustus, the Roman administration regularly conducted a census of the provinces to determine the degree of taxation. In Egypt it appears to have been conducted every 14 years. According to Luke, because of this census Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

Paul S. Ash

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

CENSUS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)