# Bible/King James/Documentary Hypothesis/Priestly source/Census

<Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis | Priestly source
According to the documentary hypothesis, the torah was redacted together from a number of earlier source texts. The largest of these is referred to as the "Priestly source", due to its concentration on details which would be of interest to the Aaronid priesthood.
The reconstructed text of this source contains several elements which are separable from the narrative, including several laws, and descriptions of how rituals should be carried out. It is sometimes believed that these were originally separate documents held as priestly records, or simple observations. One of these separable elements is the census data listing the numbers of each tribe and its princes, at different points.
Some of the data appears as the first census at Numbers 1:2-48, 1:54, 2:1-16, 2:17b-34, 3:15-24, 3:27-30, 3:33-35, 3:38-40, 3:42-51, 4:1-3, 4:22-23, 4:29-30, and 4:34-49. More information about names of leaders occurs at Numbers 10:14-16, 10:18-20, 10:22-27, and 13:3b-16a. The remainder of the data, including the genealogies of families, appears as the second census at Numbers 26:1-8 and 26:12-65.
Though based on the relevant passages of Numbers, the following text presents the information in a simplified form, while keeping the same data. The numbering of the text does not necessarily reflect that of the original

## Introduction

1 Of all the congregation of the children of Israel,
    A In the wilderness of Sinai,
       i Take ye the sum,
          a By their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers,
          b With the number of their names, every male by their polls;
          c From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel.
       ii And there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.
          a These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.
       iii Every man of the children of Israel pitched by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house:
    B And in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho,
       i Take the sum,
          a From twenty years old and upward,
          b Throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
       ii And there shall be one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance
          a Save Rueben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for they have received their inheritance.
2 These were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
    A Of the children of Levi, number them:
       i After their families, by the house of their fathers:
       ii Every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
    B And take their sum
       i After their families, by the house of their fathers;
       ii From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them,
       iii Every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

## Locations

| Location | Standard | Tribes far off about the tabernacle | Sum of men far off about the tabernacle | Rank | Families near the tabernacle of testimony |
| On the east side toward the rising of the sun | Judah | Judah.Issachar.Zebulun. | 186,400 | First | Moses and Aaron and his sons. |
| On the south side | Reuben, Israel's eldest son | Reuben. Simeon.Gad. | 151,450 | Second | Families of the sons of Kohath |
| On the west side | Ephraim | Joseph, namely, Ephraim.Manasseh.Benjamin. | 108,100 | Third | Families of the Gershonites |
| On the north side | Dan | Dan.Asher.Naphtali. | 157,600 | Hindmost | Families of Merari |

## Children of the congregation of Israel
### Leaders

| Tribe | Captain in Sinai | Spy in Canaan | Prince in the plains of Moab |
| Judah | Nahshon the son of Amminadab | Caleb the son of Jephunneh | Caleb the son of Jephunneh |
| Issachar | Nethaneel the son of Zuar | Igal the son of Joseph | Paltiel the son of Azzan |
| Zebulun | Eliab the son of Helon | Gaddiel the son of Sodi | Elizaphan the son of Parnach |
| Reuben, Israel's eldest son | Elizur the son of Shedeur | Shammua the son of Zaccur | |
| Simeon | Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai | Shaphat the son of Hori | Shemuel the son of Ammihud |
| Gad | Eliasaph the son of Deuel | Geuel the son of Machi | |
| Ephraim (of Joseph) | Elishama the son of Ammihud | Oshea the son of Nun | Kemuel the son of Shiphtan |
| Manasseh (of Joseph) | Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur | Gaddi the son of Susi | Hanniel the son of Ephod |
| Benjamin | Abidan the son of Gideoni | Palti the son of Raphu | Elidad the son of Chislon |
| Dan | Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai | Ammiel the son of Gemalli | Bukki the son of Jogli |
| Asher | Pagiel the son of Ocran | Sethur the son of Michael | Ahihud the son of Shelomi |
| Napthali | Ahira the son of Enan | Nahbi the son of Vophsi | Pedahel the son of Ammihud |

### Numbers

| Tribe | Families | Number in Sinai | Number in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho |
| Judah | Of Er and of Onan were none for Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.Of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites Of Pharez, the family of the PharzitesOf Hezron, the son of Pharez, the family of the HezronitesOf Hamul, the son of Pharez, the family of the Hamulites.Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. | 74,600 | 76,500 |
| Issachar | Of Tola, the family of the Tolaites.Of Pua, the family of the Punites.Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites.Of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. | 54,400 | 64,300 |
| Zebulun | Of Sered, the family of the Sardites.Of Elon, the family of the Elonites.Of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. | 57,400 | 60,500 |
| Reuben, Israel's eldest son | Of Hanoch, cometh the family of the Hanochites.Of Pallu, the family of the Palluites.And the son of Pallu was Eliab.Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites. Of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. | 46,500 | 43,730 |
| Simeon | Of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites.Of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites.Of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites.Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.Of Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman, the family of the Shaulites. | 59,300 | 22,200 |
| Gad | Of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites. Of Haggi, the family of the Haggites. Of Shuni, the family of the Shunites.Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites. Of Eri, the family of the Erites.Of Arod, the family of the Arodites. Of Areli, the family of the Arelites. | 45,650 | 40,500 |
| Ephraim (of Joseph) | Of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites.Of Eran, son of Shuthelah, the family of the Eranites.Of Becher, the family of the Bachrites.Of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. | 40,500 | 32,500 |
| Manasseh (of Joseph) | Of Machir, the family of the Machirites.Of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Gileadites.Of Jeezer, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Jeezerites.Of Helek, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Helekites.Of Asriel, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Asrielites.Of Shechem, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Shechemites.Of Shemida, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Shemidaites.Of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the family of the Hepherites.Of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, there were no sons, but daughters.And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. | 32,200 | 52,700 |
| Benjamin | Of Bela, the family of the Belaites.Of Ard, son of Bela, the family of the Ardites.Of Naaman, son of Bela, the family of the Naamites.Of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites. Of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites.Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites. Of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. | 35,400 | 45,600 |
| Dan | Of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. | 62,700 | 64,400 |
| Asher | Of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites.Of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites.Of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.Of Heber, son of Beriah, the family of the Heberites.Of Malchiel, son of Beriah, the family of the Malchielites.And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah. | 41,500 | 53,400 |
| Napthali | Of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites.Of Guni, the family of the Gunites.Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites.Of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. | 53,400 | 45,400 |
| In all | | 603,550 | 601,730 |

## Levites

| Son of Levi | Families | Chief | Number of males | Number that entereth into the service |
| Kohath | Of Amran, the family of the Amramites.Of Izehar, the family of the Izeharites.Of Hebron, the family of the Hebronites.Of Uzziel, the family of the Uzzielites. | Elizaphan the son of Uzziel | 8,600 | 2,750 |
| Gershon | Of Libni, the family of the Libnites.Of Shimei, the family of the Shimites. | Eliasaph the son of Lael | 7,500 | 2,630 |
| Merari | Of Mahli, the family of the Mahlites.Of Mushi, the family of the Mushites. | Zuriel the son of Abihail | 6,200 | 3,200 |
| In all | | | 22,000 | 8,580 |

## First born

1 The number of all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, were 22,273.
2 For the Levites, 273 to be redeemed.
3 Five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary
4 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel, 1,365 shekels.