Josephus’ Account of the Story of Israel’s Sin with Alien Women in the Country of Midian (Num. 25:1 ff.)

Abstract

This chapter provides a contribution in that direction of much neglected part of Josephus' extensive writings by exploring the ways in which Josephus has handled a particular passage of the Old Testament (O.T.), namely the story of Israel's sin with alien women in the country of Midian. The way in which Josephus framed his narrative enables the reader to make a distinction between the two parts and to treat them separately. This difference makes the reader aware of the fact that Jewish historian must have attached great weight to that occurrence. A conclusion is confirmed by two more observations, which are made on closer examination of Josephus' account. In the first place one notices a most striking fact, viz. that the main substance of this section consists of no less than four speeches, three of which are in the oratio recta and one in the oratio obliqua . Keywords: alien women; Israel's sin; Josephus' account; Midian; Old Testament (O.T.); oratio obliqua ; oratio recta