72 - The Manna Scroll

A Podcast of Biblical Proportions

The Manna from Heaven story was written during the Babylonian captivity in the 580s BCE, and is is about the destruction of Jerusalem (587 BCE) and the subsequent exile to Babylonia.

Manna from Heaven, Exodus 16:

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness.

3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening, you shall know that it was Yahweh who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of Yahweh, because he has heard your complaining against Him. For what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against Yahweh."

10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the Wilderness, and the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud.

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses,

12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.'"

13 In the evening, quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning, there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?"

16 This is what Yahweh has commanded: Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer per person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents."

17 The Israelites did so.

19 And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning."

20 But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it became wormy and rotten. And Moses was angry with them.

21 Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed, but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,

23 he said to them, "This is what Yahweh has commanded: Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest a holy Sabbath to Yahweh; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning."

24 So they put it aside until morning, just as Moses commanded them, and it did not rot, and there were no maggots in it.

25 Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahweh; today you will not find it in the field.

27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none.

28 Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions?

29 See! Yahweh has given you ... on the sixth day... food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day."

31 The Israelites called it Manna; it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers with honey.

32 Moses said, "This is what Yahweh has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations in order that they may see the food with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt."

33 And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a container (צנצנת), and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before Yahweh, to be kept throughout your generations."

34 Just as Yahweh commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the covenant, for safekeeping.

35 An omer is a tenth of an ephah.

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