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at the south-eastern corner. With Reuben were Simeon and Gad(the sons of Leah and
of Zilpah, Leah's maid), forming altogether a host of 151,450 men. Thewestern post
was occupied by Ephraim, with the standard of his division, being probably
campednearest to Gad, or at the south-western corner. With Ephraim were Manasseh
and Benjamin (inshort, the three descendants of Rachel), forming altogether a host of
108,100 men. Lastly, thenorthern side was occupied by Dan, with his standard,
camping probably nearest to Benjamin, or atthe north-western corner. With Dan were
Asher and Naphtali (the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah),forming altogether a host of
157,600 men. This was also the order of march, Judah with his divisionleading, after
which came Reuben, with his division, then the sanctuary with the Levites in the
orderof their camping, the rear consisting of the divisions of Ephraim and of Daniel.
The sacred text doesnot specially describe the banners carried by the four leading
tribes. According to Jewish traditionthey bore as emblems "the likeness of the four
living creatures," seen by Ezekiel in his vision of theChariot, (Ezekiel 1:10) the color
of the standard being the same as that of the precious stones on thehigh-priest's
breastplate, on which the names of the standard-bearing tribes were graven.
(Exodus28:15-21) In that case Judah would have had on its standard a lion on a blood-
red ground (thesardian stone or sard); Reuben the head of a man on a ground of dark
red color (the ruby orcarbuncle); Ephraim the head of a bullock on a ground of
hyacinth (the ligury, according to some,Ligurian amber); and Dan an eagle on a
ground of bright yellow, like gold (the ancient chrysolith,perhaps our topaz). This,
supposing the names to have been graven in the order in which the tribescamped. But
Josephus and some of the Rabbis range the names on the breastplate in the same
orderas on the ephod of the high-priest, (Exodus 28:10) that is, "according to their
birth." In that caseReuben would have been on the sardian stone or sard, Judah on the
ruby or carbuncle, Dan on asapphire, or perhaps lapis-lazuli (blue), and Ephraim on an
onyx, or else a beryl, the color of thebanners, of course, in each case corresponding.
Altogether the camp is supposed to have occupiedabout three square miles.
The direction either for marching or for resting was, as explained in a former chapter,
given by theCloud in which the Divine Presence was. But for actual signal to move,
two silver trumpets were tobe used by the sons of Aaron. A prolonged alarm indicated
the commencement of the march. At thefirst alarm the eastern, at the second the
southern part of the camp was to move forward, then camethe Tabernacle and its
custodians, the western, and finally the northern part of the camp, Naphtaliclosing the
rear. On the other hand, when an assembly of the people was summoned, the signal
wasonly one blast of the trumpets in short, sharp tones. In general, and for all times,
the blast of thesesilver trumpets, whether in war, on festive, or on joyous occasions,
had this spiritual meaning: "yeshall be remembered before Jehovah your God."
(Numbers 10:1-10) In other words, Israel was ahost, and as such summoned by blast
of trumpet. But Israel was a host of which Jehovah wasLeader and King, and the
trumpets that summoned this host were silver trumpets of the sanctuary,blown by the
(^)