Fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah, covering most of the 40 years that Israel spent in the desert.
Numbers, Book Of
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Five Books of Moses. The title reflects the two censuses taken— at the beginning and ending of the book. The Hebrew title for the book translates as "In the Wilderness" which describes more the narrative arc of the book. Numbers also contains sections of law interwoven between its narratives.
The narrative of Numbers begins with Israel still at Mount Sinai. Leaving Sinai, the people prepare to enter the Promised Land. Almost immediately, though, the journey goes awry when the people murmur against God. And when they do arrive at the land, the people refuse to enter it and are punished as a result with forty years of wandering in the wilderness. During this time, the people rebel against God ten times, but by the end of book they arrive again at the plains of Moab and a new census is taken of the new generation who will enter the Promised Land. The book ends with Moses making preparations for the people to enter the land, including the appointment of Joshua as a new leader for the people.
This tag applies to the book. If you're looking for the more general concept of "numbers", see numerology.
