Beha’alotecha—from the menorah of Numbers 8 to the one displayed in Jerusalem, with a stop in Zechariah 4 to briefly explore the idea of two messiahs. We trace Israel’s departure from Sinai, noting contradictions in the sources and a curious pair of inverted Hebrew nuns in Numbers 10. We examine Passovers past and forgotten, the fiery lust for meat, and the prophetic overflow to seventy elders—details that may reflect multiple versions of the same story. Moses’ father-in-law appears under different names, and Miriam is struck for her complaint about a Cushite woman. Why is Aaron spared? Along the way: silver trumpets, missing Passovers, “holy water,” and manuscript clues that challenge the canon. It’s a critical, curious, and at times comical journey through the text.

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