The Model for his Tribe?
PART OF PROJECT BENJAMIN
Contents:
1. Saul as a Prototype for the Tribe of Benjamin.
2. Introducing Eli the Cohen and the Prophet Samuel.
3. How Many Arks Were There?
4. What Happened to the ARK? Ethiopia or Ireland?
5. Saul - a Messenger on the Run!
6. Benjamin as Athletes, Warriros, and Distinguishable Runners.
7. Saul Bears the Bad Tidings.
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1. Saul as a Prototype for the Tribe of Benjamin.
Eliyahu Yadid wrote a work of value and greatly useful for Project Benjamin,
"Shaul Bechir HaShem" ("Saul the Chosen of God"), Jerusalem, 5764, 2004, (Hebrew Language).
He quotes from Rabbi Tsadok HaCohen from Lublin, "Yisroel Kedoshm," pp.66-67, that the first time someone or some thing is mentioned in the Bible there is to be found an encapsulation of its essential nature.
Rabbi Tsadok HaCohen Rabinowitz, 1823 - Lublin, Poland, 1900, was an original Hasidic thinker.
An example of his line of thought is:
# The Oral Law developed to its full potential after the victory of the Hasmoneans over the Greek culture, a culture characterized by deep analysis and hair-splitting argument. These virtues were converted to a holy nature with the victory of Israel over Greece. This was the fulfillment of the verse 'God will give beauty to Yefet and this beauty will dwell in the tents of Shem' (as per Megillah 9b). After the victory, Jews could begin the successful integration of natural science, logic, and philosophy into the world of the Written Law. Only then could the Oral Law truly begin to flourish. #
Rabbi Tsadok often spoke of the Lost Ten Tribes and of the Messiah son of Joseph who will lead them in the End Times.
The Sages (Midrash Shmeul 11;1) identified Saul with the "Man of Benjamin" mentioned in 1-Samuel 4:12 (see below). This is translated as "a Benjaminite" but the Hebrew says "Ish Binyamin" i.e. a man of Benjamin.
Saul was the "Man of Benjamin."
Saul may be taken to some degree to represent the Tribal Personality of Benjamin.
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2. Introducing Eli the Cohen and the Prophet Samuel.
The story begins in the Book of Samuel with Samuel. Samuel was to play an important part in the early history of Saul. Samuel was the son of Elkanah from the Tribe of Levi and his wife Hanna. Elkanah lived in Ramathaim in the district of Zuph probably in the territory of Ephraim. After years of the couple not having any children Samuel was born. When Samuel was weaned his mother brought him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh. He was placed in the care of Eli the Cohen and High Priest of Israel. Samuel grew up there and was blessed with the Gift of Prophecy. The two sons of Eli the Cohen were not behaving as they should have been. This brought the priesthood and Tabernacle into disrepute and caused a scandal throughout Israel.
Eli, through Samuel, was first warned and then cursed due to the behavior of his sons.
There was a war with the Philistines.
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.
It was decided to send the Ark [sacred box] of the Covenant from Shiloh to the battle scene.
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, 'Why did the LORD bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.'
4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the Covenant of God.
This brings us to a brief digression:
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3. How Many Arks Were There?
(1) There is a minority opinion that there was only one ark (Talmud Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1, Sotah 8:3).
https://jamestabor.com/that-other-ark-of-the-covenant/
the traditional gold-plated 'ark' or chest, with the mysterious twin cherubim, was crafted by Bezalel who was said to have been given special ability to shape such a lovely object (Exodus 36-37). It is consistently called the 'ark of the Testimony,' a dozen times throughout the Priestly traditions of the Torah (beginning in Exodus 25:16 and running through Exodus 25-40) and associated with the Tabernacle and its construction.
The Ark is described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. and the broken tablets that Moses had smashed (Exodus 32:19). The Sages added that it also contained aa jar of manna and the Rod of Aharon the brother of Moses, and first High Priest.
(2) The majority opinion seems to be that there were two arks, the Ark of Testimony and the Ark of the Covenant.
Talmud, Tosefta Sotah (7:18): R. Judah ben Lakish says: 'There were two arks. One of them would go out with them to war and the other would remain with them in the camp. The one that went out with them to war had in it the scroll of the Torah, as it says (Numbers 10:33) 'the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD was travelling before them'; the one that remained with them in the camp had in it the tablets and the broken tablets, as it says (Numbers 14:44) 'neither the Ark of the LORD's Covenant nor Moses stirred from the camp.'
(3) A third opinion says that even usually it was the Ark of the Covenant that went out to battle the sons of Eli brought out the stationary ark and not the battle ark, which is what frightened the Philistines (Midrash Baraita deMalechet HaMishkan ch. 6). .
Our opinion tends towards that of most of the Sages:
There were TWO DIFFERENT Arks associated with the Tabernacle, The Ark of the Covenant and the Ark of Testimony.
The Ark of the Covenant was taken out to battle against the Philistines whereas the Ark of Testimony remained in the Tabernacle.
See Also:
The Two Arks: Military and Ritual by Dr. RabbiTzemah Yoreh
The Hebrews were defeated. They lost 30,000 warriors. The Ark was captured by the Philistines. The sons of Eli the Cohen, Hophni and Phinehas were killed.
When Eli was told what had happened, of the defeat of Israel, death of his sons, and capture of the Ark he fell backward, broke his neck, and died.
The Philistines kept the Ark for seven months but suffered severe calamities because of it. They placed it in a carriage drawn by two cows who had recently given birth. The logic was that they would let the cows take the carriage where they wished. Usually the cows would always try and stay near their calves. If however Divine Providence was invovled then the cows would ignore their calves and head straight for the Hebrew ranks. This is what happened.
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.
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4. What Happened to the ARK? Ethiopia or Ireland?
Midrash Tanchuma indicates that the Ark and numerous other appurtenances from the First Temple, even the original Tabernacle, were all hidden away in one of the numerous caverns and tunnels on the Temple Mount. This was done just before the destruction of the First Temple.
There are claims that the Ark (one of the Arks) is somewhere in Ethiopia.
Others say it is in Ireland.
it is possible that, if not one of the two Arks, then some of the Temple treasures did indeed reach Ireland.
cf.
Extract from "The Tribes":
From North Africa the Vandals raided and plundered the city of Rome (Italy) in 445 CE. A tradition states that in their raid on Rome the Vandals "liberated" treasures taken from the Temple in Jerusalem that the Romans had destroyed in 66 CE (Encyclopedia Judaica, "Menorah"). Some of the treasures were retaken by the eastern Roman Byzantines (who ruled from what is now Turkey) and may have been "liberated" again later by the Goths. The possibility also exists that some of the Temple treasures went with the Vandals to Ireland and then to Britain.
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5. Saul - a Messenger on the Run!
Getting back to the story of Samuel and Eli:
After the defeat of the Hebrews, the death of the sons of Eli, and the capture of the Ark:
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 That same day a Benjamite [literally: "A man of Benjamin"] ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head.
Rabbi Mosheh Valley says that the "Man of Benjamin" was Saul and at that momenta the soul of his fore-father Benjamin entered into him.
His clothes were ton and dust was on his head as a sign of mourning over the fate of the Ark. The Commentators said that by virtue of his emotional identification with the Ark he merited to later become the First king of Israel.
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
13 When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, 'What is the meaning of this uproar?'
The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, 'I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.'
Eli asked, 'What happened, my son?'
17 The man who brought the news replied, 'Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.'
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led[b] Israel forty years.
We are told that "A MAN OF BENJAMIN" ran to bring the news to Eli the High Priest in Shiloh. The distance was anywhere from ca.40 to 70 miles. We are not sure of the exact locatrions. The Sages had a
tradition that the "Man of Benjamin" was Saul, the future king of Israel.
The Sages said that not only did Saul bring the news to Eli. He also brought the Tablets! They say that Goliath who was serving with the Philistines took the tablets out of the Ark. Saul seized them from Goliath and ran to Shiloh with them (Midrash Shmuel 1;11).
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6. Benjamin as Athletes, Warriros, and Distinguishable Runners
There are three different opinions among the Sages concerning the distance that Saul ran. One says 60 mil ( each "mil" is approximately one mile); another says 120; a third opines 180!
At all events, no matter what the distance it was not a short one and it was achieved in record time.
P. S. Vermaak (a Senior Lecturer in Semitic Languages and Cultures in the Department of Semitics at the University of South Africa) in an article on our website, notes:
# The most impressive example is the feat of the runner from the tribe of Benjamin who ran all the way from Aphek to Shiloh to inform the priest Eli of the defeat of the Israelites at the hands of the Philistines (I Sam. 4). This runner was a messenger performing a military activity. He covered a distance of 35 kilometers starting off from a place located almost at sea-level and he then ascended to a finish at a point approximately 700 meters above sea-level. #
P. S. Vermaak also remarked on the prowess of Benjamin in archery, slingshot firing, and running. He opines that they had their own running style that enabled the onlooker to discern that they were from Benjamin.
He suggests that the superior physicality and training of the Benjaminites was a factor in the selection of Saul as first King of Israel.
# The well-known physical feats of the Benjaminites may have played an important role in the choice of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as the first king of Israel. The people wanted a king "as other nations" (I Sam. 8:5, 20).
See:
Benjamin by Vermaak
THE PROWESS OF THE BENJAMINITES
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/vermak.html
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7. Saul Bears the Bad Tidings
Saul according to the Midrash was the one who brought the bad tidings to Eli the Cohen:
1-Samuel (NIV) 4:
17 The man who brought the news replied, 'Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.'
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led[b] Israel forty years.
Saul related what had happened to Eli. He told him in order of the amount of grief each item would cause stating from the least to the highest. To Eli the loss of the Ark was more disastrous than the defeat of Israel and the death of his sons.
It is also worth noting that on that day or shortly afterwards the Tabernacle of Shiloh and the city/settlement of Shiloh itself was destroyed.
Psalms (NIV) 78: 60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among humans. 61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. 62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was furious with his inheritance. 63 Fire consumed their young men, and their young women had no wedding songs; 64 their priests were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.
The sin of Shiloh evidently had been that they had tolerated idolatry and had not wiped it out when they needed to. Micah had established a Tabernacle of his own with an idol in it at Migron which was only a mile or two away from Shiloh (Judges chapter 17). This idol was appropriated by the traveling Tribe of Dan who took it far to the north and set themselves up with it in the new area they ahd conquered.
Somehow or other this too was associated with Shiloh:
Judges (NIV) 18:
The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. 29 They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel, though the city used to be called Laish. 30 There the Danites set up for themselves the idol, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. 31 They continued to use the idol Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.
The wife of Saul had previously been a resident of Shiloh and had been among the girls who were grabbed by Benjaminites who lacked women. Saul however, unlike his peers, had not kidnapped his bride. She had taken hold of him!
# An enterprising maiden (named Achinoam) amongst the dancing damsels grabbed him! She did this since she saw what noble qualities Saul possessed and she wanted to bear children from such a refined gentleman. #
See:
Wife of Saul. How did Achinoam become Consort of the Future King?
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/achinoam.html
The Tabernacle and the Ark parted ways for a time. All the places that the Tabernacle and Ark were to be in before coming to the Temple area in the time of Solomon were in the Territories of Judah and/or Benjamin.
After the destruction of Shiloh the Tabernacle was set up again in Nob, then in Gibeon, and finally in Jerusalem.
The Ark on the other hand, after being returned by the Philistines was first in Beth-Shemesh, then in Kiriath-Yarim, then in the House of Obed-Edom the Gittite at Perezuzzah, and finally re-united with the Tabernacle (in the form of the Temple which replaced the Tabernacle) in Jerusalem.
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Note: If you are interested in the Rabbis Quoted short biographical sketches are to be found at:
Rabbis Quoted.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/sources/rabbisquoted.html
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