Then the bold-faced J story begins, without a beginning. The start of the J story was omitted, in conventional wisdom, as it contradicted the start of P. This bothered me a lot, because it would mean that the redactor R, or the redactor of EJ and P, deleted material. Then I saw this paper by David Frankel, which put my mind at ease. The introduction of the J story comes from Bamidbar 20:
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם: וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ וַלָמָ֤ה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ, מִמִּצְרַיִם, לְהָבִיא אֹתָנוּ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם הָרָע הַזֶּה: לֹא מְקוֹם זֶרַע, וּתְאֵנָה וְגֶפֶן וְרִמּוֹן
This text is the cause of problems in Bamidbar 20, and it belongs in Bamidbar 13 (it seems to be put in Bamidbar 20 because of Hamorim in verse 10; morim is identical to Miriam). Note the change of pronunciation, from הֶעֱלִיתֻנוּ in Bamidbar 20:5, to הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ. We learn that people were complaining about this bad place, Kadesh, the place where Miriam died, a place without figs, vines and pomegranates. Moshe was right to send them to look for themselves whether the place is good or bad. And they came back with a cluster of grapes, some pomegranates and some figs. The broken story is fixed. The answer you get depends on the questions you ask. Yishar Koach to David Frankel.As an added bonus we have the insight that according to J, Miriam died in Bamidbar 13, while she seemed to be fine after the ordeal she went through in Bamidbar 12:15, just before. According to J, she died in Kadesh, confirmed by Bamidbar 13:26, in the beginning of the stay in the Desert. This is an extraordinary change of events in EJ, which was hidden from us by the addition of P. That what was most hidden, is the most valuable. The J story, by the way, continues in my view like this,
וַיֵּלְכוּ קָדֵשָׁה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפְּרוּ-לוֹ, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, בָּאנוּ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר שְׁלַחְתָּנוּ; וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, הִוא--וְזֶה-פִּרְיָהּ. אֶפֶס כִּי-עַז הָעָם, הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ; וְהֶעָרִים, בְּצֻרוֹת גְּדֹלֹת מְאֹד, וְגַם-יְלִדֵי הָעֲנָק, רָאִינוּ שָׁם. עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב, בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב; וְהַחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי, יוֹשֵׁב בָּהָר, וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב עַל-הַיָּם, וְעַל יַד הַיַּרְדֵּן. וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת-הָעָם, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר, עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ--כִּי-יָכוֹל נוּכַל, לָהּ. וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר-עָלוּ עִמּוֹ, אָמְרוּ, לֹא נוּכַל, לַעֲלוֹת אֶל-הָעָם: כִּי-חָזָק הוּא, מִמֶּנּוּ. וְשָׁם רָאִינוּ, אֶת-הַנְּפִילִים בְּנֵי עֲנָק--מִן-הַנְּפִלִים; וַנְּהִי בְעֵינֵינוּ כַּחֲגָבִים, וְכֵן הָיִינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם
The translation of the three bold J texts together is like this:And Miriam died there and was buried there. And the people quarreled with Moshe, and they said: "And why did you bring us up from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It is not a place of seed, and fig and vine and pomegranates." And he said to them, "Go up there in the Negev and you shall go up the mountain and see the land, how it is and the people who live on it, are they strong or weak, are there few or many; and how is the land in which they live, is it good or bad; and how are the cities in which they live, are they in camps or in fortified places; and how is the land, is it fat or meager; does it have trees or not, and exert strength and take some fruit of the land." And it was the days of the first grapes. And they went up and scouted the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rechov at the entrance of Chamath. And they went up in the Negev, and came to Chevron. And Achiman, Shashai, and Talmai, the offspring of the giants, were there. (And Chevron was built seven years before Zoan of Egypt.) And they came to Wadi Eshkol, and they cut a branch and one cluster of grapes from there - and carried it on a pole by two people - and some pomegranates and some figs. That place was called Wadi Eshkol on account of the cluster that the children of Israel cut from there. They went to Kadesh to Moshe. And they told him and said, "We came to the land where you sent us, and also it is flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nonetheless, the people who live in the land are strong. And the cities are fortified, very big. And also we saw the offspring of giants there. Amalek lives in the land of the Negev, and the Chittite and the Jebusite and the Amorite live in the mountains, and the Canaanite lives by the sea and the Jordan." And Calev quieted the people toward Moshe and said: "Let us go up. And we will take possession of it, because we will be able to handle it." And the men who went up with him said, "We won't be able to go up against the people, because they are stronger than we are. And we saw the Nephilim there, sons of giants from the Nephilim, and we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so were we in their eyes."
The P story continues like this,וַיָּשֻׁבוּ, מִתּוּר הָאָרֶץ, מִקֵּץ, אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם. וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶל-מִדְבַּר פָּארָן; וַיָּשִׁיבוּ אֹתָם דָּבָר וְאֶת-כָּל-הָעֵדָה, וַיַּרְאוּם אֶת-פְּרִי הָאָרֶץ. וַיֹּצִיאוּ דִּבַּת הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר תָּרוּ אֹתָהּ, אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֵאמֹר: הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר עָבַרְנוּ בָהּ לָתוּר אֹתָהּ, אֶרֶץ אֹכֶלֶת יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ הִוא, וְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-רָאִינוּ בְתוֹכָהּ, אַנְשֵׁי מִדּוֹת
and the translation of the two parts of the P story is:Amd Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, "Send men and let them scout the land of Canaan that I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send one man for each tribe of his fathers, every one of them a chieftain." And Moshe sent them from the wilderness of Paran by Hashem's word. They were all men who were heads of the children of Israel. And these are their names, for the tribe of Reuven, Shamua son of Zaccur. For the tribe of Shim'on, Shaphat son of Chori. For the tribe of Yehudah, Calev son of Jephunneh. For the tribe of Yissachar, Yigal son of Yoseph. For the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun. For the tribe of Benyamin, Palti son of Raphu. For the tribe of Zevulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi. For the tribe of Yoseph: of the tribe of Menasheh, Gaddi son of Susi. For the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli. For the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael. For the tribe of Naphtali, Nachbi son of Vophsi. For the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi. These are the names of the men whom Moshe sent out to scout the land. And Moshe called Hoshea son of Nun Yehoshua. And they came back from scouting the land at the end of forty days. And they came to Moshe and Aharon and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, and they brought back word to them and all the congregation and showed them the land's fruit. And they brought out a report of the land that they had scouted to the children of Israel, saying, "The land through which we passed to scout it: it is a land that eats those who live in it, and all the people whom we saw in it were people of size!"
Finally, I propose the "Yehudaic version" of the Torah, one of the oldest strata of J. It has the Song of Miriam, and the Waters of Marah, and the Song of Yefunneh. It relates of the success of Calev to convince the people, and is followed by Calev's storming the Land from the South, after Yehudah is attacked (based on Bamidbar 21:1-3):
וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת-יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְלֹא-מָצְאוּ מָיִם. וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה--וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מַיִם מִמָּרָה, כִּי מָרִים הֵם; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמָהּ, מָרָה. וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת יְפֻנֶּה, הַקְּנִזִּי, אֶת-הַתֹּף--בְּיָדָהּ; וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל-הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ, בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת. וַתַּעַן לָהֶם, מִרְיָם: שִׁירוּ לַיהוָה כִּי-גָאֹה גָּאָה, סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם. וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה עֵץ, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל-הַמַּיִם, וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם.
אָז יָשִׁיר-יְפֻנֶּה אֶת-הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת, לַיהוָה,
לֵאמֹר: אָשִׁירָה לַיהוָה כִּי-גָאֹה גָּאָה, סוּס
וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם. עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ, וַיְהִי-לִי
לִישׁוּעָה; זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ, אֱלֹהֵי
אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ. יְהוָה, אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה; יְהוָה,
שְׁמוֹ. מַרְכְּבֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ, יָרָה בַיָּם; וּמִבְחַר
שָׁלִשָׁיו, טֻבְּעוּ בְיַם-סוּף. תְּהֹמֹת, יְכַסְיֻמוּ; יָרְדוּ בִמְצוֹלֹת, כְּמוֹ-
אָבֶן. יְמִינְךָ יְהוָה, נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ; יְמִינְךָ
יְהוָה, תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב. וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ, תַּהֲרֹס
קָמֶיךָ; תְּשַׁלַּח, חֲרֹנְךָ--יֹאכְלֵמוֹ, כַּקַּשׁ. וּבְרוּחַ
אַפֶּיךָ נֶעֶרְמוּ מַיִם, נִצְּבוּ כְמוֹ-נֵד
נֹזְלִים; קָפְאוּ תְהֹמֹת, בְּלֶב-יָם. אָמַר
אוֹיֵב אֶרְדֹּף אַשִּׂיג, אֲחַלֵּק שָׁלָל; תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ
נַפְשִׁי-- אָרִיק חַרְבִּי, תּוֹרִישֵׁמוֹ יָדִי. נָשַׁפְתָּ
בְרוּחֲךָ, כִּסָּמוֹ יָם; צָלְלוּ, כַּעוֹפֶרֶת, בְּמַיִם,
אַדִּירִים. מִי-כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם יְהוָה, מִי
כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ; נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת, עֹשֵׂה
פֶלֶא. נָטִיתָ, יְמִינְךָ--תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ, אָרֶץ. נָחִיתָ
בְחַסְדְּךָ, עַם-זוּ גָּאָלְתָּ; נֵהַלְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ, אֶל-נְוֵה
קָדְשֶׁךָ. שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים, יִרְגָּזוּן; חִיל
אָחַז, יֹשְׁבֵי פְּלָשֶׁת. אָז נִבְהֲלוּ, אַלּוּפֵי
אֱדוֹם-- אֵילֵי מוֹאָב, יֹאחֲזֵמוֹ רָעַד; נָמֹגוּ,
כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי כְנָעַן. תִּפֹּל עֲלֵיהֶם אֵימָתָה
וָפַחַד, בִּגְדֹל זְרוֹעֲךָ יִדְּמוּ כָּאָבֶן: עַד-
יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ יְהוָה, עַד-יַעֲבֹר עַם-זוּ
קָנִיתָ. תְּבִאֵמוֹ, וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ-- מָכוֹן
לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ, יְהוָה; מִקְּדָשׁ, אֲדֹנָי כּוֹנְנוּ
יָדֶיךָ. יְהוָה יִמְלֹךְ, לְעֹלָם וָעֶד
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם:
וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־יְפֻנֶּה, הַקְּנִזִּי, וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ
וַלָמָ֤ה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ, מִמִּצְרַיִם, לְהָבִיא אֹתָנוּ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם הָרָע הַזֶּה: לֹא מְקוֹם זֶרַע, וּתְאֵנָה וְגֶפֶן וְרִמּוֹן.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם, עֲלוּ זֶה בַּנֶּגֶב, וַעֲלִיתֶם, אֶת-הָהָר. וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, מַה-הִוא; וְאֶת-הָעָם, הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ--הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה, הַמְעַט הוּא אִם-רָב. וּמָה הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ--הֲטוֹבָה הִוא, אִם-רָעָה; וּמָה הֶעָרִים, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵנָּה--הַבְּמַחֲנִים, אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים. וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם-רָזָה, הֲיֵשׁ-בָּהּ עֵץ אִם-אַיִן, וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם, וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ; וְהַיָּמִים--יְמֵי, בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים. וַיַּעֲלוּ, וַיָּתֻרוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, מִמִּדְבַּר-צִן עַד-רְחֹב, לְבֹא חֲמָת. וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב, וַיָּבֹא עַד-חֶבְרוֹן, וְשָׁם אֲחִימַן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי, יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק; וְחֶבְרוֹן, שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה, לִפְנֵי, צֹעַן מִצְרָיִם. וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד-נַחַל אֶשְׁכֹּל, וַיִּכְרְתוּ מִשָּׁם זְמוֹרָה וְאֶשְׁכּוֹל עֲנָבִים אֶחָד, וַיִּשָּׂאֻהוּ בַמּוֹט, בִּשְׁנָיִם; וּמִן-הָרִמֹּנִים, וּמִן-הַתְּאֵנִים. לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, קָרָא נַחַל אֶשְׁכּוֹל, עַל אֹדוֹת הָאֶשְׁכּוֹל, אֲשֶׁר-כָּרְתוּ מִשָּׁם בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה.
וַיֵּלְכוּ קָדֵשָׁה אֶל-יְפֻנֶּה
וַיְסַפְּרוּ-לוֹ, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, בָּאנוּ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר שְׁלַחְתָּנוּ; וְגַם זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, הִוא--וְזֶה-פִּרְיָהּ.
אֶפֶס כִּי-עַז הָעָם, הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ; וְהֶעָרִים, בְּצֻרוֹת גְּדֹלֹת מְאֹד, וְגַם-יְלִדֵי הָעֲנָק, רָאִינוּ שָׁם. עֲמָלֵק יוֹשֵׁב, בְּאֶרֶץ הַנֶּגֶב; וְהַחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהָאֱמֹרִי, יוֹשֵׁב בָּהָר, וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב עַל-הַיָּם, וְעַל יַד הַיַּרְדֵּן. וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת-הָעָם, אֶל-יְפֻנֶּה; וַיֹּאמֶר, עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ--כִּי-יָכוֹל נוּכַל, לָהּ
וַיִּשְׁמַע הַכְּנַעֲנִי מֶלֶךְ-עֲרָד, יֹשֵׁב הַנֶּגֶב, כִּי בָּא יְהוּדָה, דֶּרֶךְ הָאֲתָרִים; וַיִּלָּחֶם, בְּיְהוּדָה, וַיִּשְׁבְּ מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁבִי. וַיִּדַּר כָּלֵב נֶדֶר לַיהוָה, וַיֹּאמַר: אִם-נָתֹן תִּתֵּן אֶת-הָעָם הַזֶּה, בְּיָדִי--וְהַחֲרַמְתִּי, אֶת-עָרֵיהֶם. וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה בְּקוֹל כָּלֵב, וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-הַכְּנַעֲנִי, וַיַּחֲרֵם אֶתְהֶם, וְאֶת-עָרֵיהֶם; וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם, חָרְמָה
What likely happened, was that a coalition of five kings attacked Yehudah from the South. Probably this is the background of the death of Miriam. The people panicked, but Calev silenced the panic, and soundly defeated the attackers, with a coalition of four, the Yehudites, the Shimeonites, the Kenazites, and the Kenites, until Chormah.
(This is reminiscent of a war of five kings against four, which is described in Bereshit 14, where Avraham is the pursuer, until Dan. In both cases the war was about a prisoner, Lot in the case of Avraham, the deceased Miriam, possibly, in the case of Calev.)
יַ֝צִּילֵ֗הוּ כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵֽץ בּֽוֹ
