Texts in Conversation
Josephus describes Korah as exceptionally wealthy, a detail not in the Hebrew Bible but also found in Rabbinic tradition, such as the midrash in Exodus Rabbah, where his wealth was described as a significant part of his rebellion and his downfall.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 4.25
Classical
4 Although Moses had foreseen Korah’s slander for some time and was aware that the people had grown agitated, he was not afraid. He was emboldened by the righteousness of his guidance, knowing that Aaron’s priesthood came at God’s command rather than his own indulgence. So he approached the crowd but addressed Korah alone (without speaking to the rest), shouting to him and pointing to the two hundred fifty men: “O Korah, you and these here appear fully qualified for this honor, nor do I deny that the entire group could be equally worthy, whether or not they are as wealthy or notable as you. But I did not grant this position to my brother because of wealth, for you exceed both of us in riches, nor was it due to noble ancestry, for we share the same lineage. And it was certainly not brotherly affection, though that too might be a justifiable reason.
Date: 93-94 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Exodus Rabbah 31:3
Aggadah
Rabbinic
Because there is a rotating wheel in the world; it is not the case that one who is wealthy today is wealthy tomorrow, and one who is poor today is poor tomorrow. Rather, He humbles this one and He elevates that one, as it is stated: “But it is God who is the Judge; He humbles this one and elevates that one” (Psalms 75:8). Come and see: There is wealth that causes harm to its owner, and there is wealth that brings benefit to its owner. [Wealth that] causes harm to its owner, this is the wealth of Koraḥ, who was wealthier than all Israel, and it is written: “They, and everything that was theirs, descended alive into the abyss” (Numbers 16:33). Alternatively, it is the wealth of Haman the wicked, as it is stated: “Haman related to them the honor of his wealth,” (Esther 5:11), and it is written: “They hanged him and his sons on the gallows” (Esther 9:25). [Wealth] that brings benefit to its owner, this is the wealth of Yehoshafat, as it is stated: “Yehoshafat had abundant wealth and honor” (II Chronicles 18:1). What happened to him? “Yehoshafat cried out and the Lord aided him” (II Chronicles 18:31).
Date: 1200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Tags:
Search:
Notes and References
"... The Torah gives no indication that Korah was wealthy, but the rabbis here imagine a charismatic person who has amassed wealth and now wishes to amass power. These various homiletical understandings build upon the unstated assumption that Korah is the villain and build on that. Medieval ancient and modern peshat approaches offer more mundane explanations for the grammatical problem in this verse, without reflecting on Korah’s character ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.