I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Numbers 34-36.

    The passage begins by laying out the boundaries of the territory to be divided up among the people of Israel. Even scholars skeptical of the authorship claims made in the Bible and by tradition date the Book of Numbers to the 6th Century BC. In addition, the earliest complete copy of the Book of Numbers still in existence dates to the 4th Century AD. Which means that, despite the claims of many Muslims, the claim of the Jewish people to the land of Palestine predates the existence of Islam (that does not necessarily make their claim binding, that is another argument entirely). From time to time, Muslims attempt to deny that Jews have any historical connection to the land of Palestine. Such claims can be dismissed out of hand based on this passage, and numerous other passages which predate the founding of Islam. The other claim made to deny Jewish claims to the land of Palestine is that modern Jews are not related to the Jews of Biblical times. This claim is difficult to prove untrue, but I am satisfied that there is no evidence proving it true (and much evidence which supports the connection of modern Jews to Biblical Jews). I want to finish by making clear that the Biblical texts do not provide Jews with a legal claim to the land of Palestine (that is provided by the British Mandate for Palestine).