Unusual and Intriguing facts I found in the Bible.

I’m doing a read-through of the Bible again, and every now and then I run across something that makes me do a double-take, “Huh? I wonder why I didn’t remember that, or Wait? Why ever would they put that in, seeing how it doesn’t seem to contribute to the story? I decided to make a note of these interesting little tidbits every time I ran across one. I’m using a “Narrated Bible” which purports to put all the books in chronological order and sometimes that in itself lends itself to “ah” moments.

1. Moses and the elders saw the throne of God sitting on a sapphire sea—Exodus 24

2. What is the Book of wars? Exodus wars? It is mentioned in Numbers 21:14, 15

3. The angel of the Lord tells Balaam that he would have killed him if the donkey had not turned aside…but he mentions that he would have spared the donkey.

4. Mt. Hermon was once called Sirion. (It sounds like a name from a fantasy world. Or maybe a Japanese car...hmmm.)

5. The land taken by the Ammonites had once been inhabited by a race they called Zamzumites. ( I looked for a picture on Google images, but had no luck with Zamzumites.)

6. King Og was a Rephaite. His bed was made of iron, over 13 ft. long and 6 ft wide.

(He was not an original gangster and did not have a music group--at least I think not.)

7. Any man who hit his slave and blinded them in an eye or knocked out a tooth had to give the slave his freedom.
(Exodus 21)

8. An escaped slave who ran to Israel for sanctuary could not be extradited and handed over to his former master. (Deut. 23:15) All Israelite slaves had to be freed after (at most) six years;

they could not be sent out empty-handed.

9. Leviticus 19:32 says “Rise in the presence of the aged; show respect for the elderly.” (and I wondered where we got that, the standing as a sign of respect, I mean.)

10. Gideon’s servant had a name—Purah. (Judges 7) (Not a name I'd choose...but a name)

11. An inheritance was given in this order: son, daughter, brothers, father’s brothers, nearest relative.

12. The Levites were to receive 48 cities as their inheritance and 1500 feet out from the walls as pasture for their livestock.

13. This last one is really interesting to me. It involves the sacrifice that had to be made for the cleansing of leprosy.

After examination of one who declares that he is now clean, he must make a sacrifice: Take two live birds. One is killed over a bowl of water. The second is dipped into the blood of the first along with a piece of cedar wood, hyssop, and a scarlet yarn. (This is used to sprinkle the patient.) Then the second bird is set free.

It’s a crucifixion analogy: slain bird, cedar wood, hyssop, and the red stripe for healing.
The bird dies, then “flies free again”. His blood cleanses from sin. (leprosy)

I can't believe I never noticed these things before, and I'm sure I'll come up with more as I read along. I think the interesting "asides" are there because the Bible is more of a history than a series of carefully crafted "short stories" which have to have only relevant elements.