We know about Mount Sinai, the thunder, the lightning, the booming voice... but what about the days that followed?Book of Jasher and see what unfolded.
The story picks up right after the Israelites leave Rephidim. They arrive in the Sinai wilderness in the third month after their exodus from Egypt. It's a significant arrival, marking a pivotal point in their journey, a time ripe for revelation and covenant.
At this very moment, Reuel, Moses' father-in-law—also known as Jethro in other traditions—arrives with Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and their two sons. He’d heard about the miracles God performed in delivering the Israelites from Egypt. Imagine that reunion! According to Jasher, Reuel and his family stayed with the Israelites for quite some time, and from that day forward, Reuel became a believer in God.
Then comes the big moment: the giving of the Ten Commandments on the sixth day of that third month. The text emphasizes that "all Israel heard all these commandments" and rejoiced greatly. The glory of God rested upon Mount Sinai, and Moses ascended the mountain to receive further instructions.
For forty days and forty nights, Moses remained on the mount, fasting and receiving divine teachings. God instructed him in statutes and judgments meant to guide the Israelites. And, of course, God inscribed the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone, which he intended to give to Moses.
But… while Moses is up on the mountain, something terrible is brewing down below.
The Israelites, seeing that Moses was taking a long time to come down, became restless and fearful. They gathered around Aaron and demanded a new god, saying, "As for this man Moses, we know not what has become of him." Talk about impatience!
Aaron, fearing the people, succumbed to their demands. He instructed them to bring him gold, which he then fashioned into a molten calf. This is, of course, the infamous Golden Calf incident.
Before Moses even descended the mountain, God knew what was happening. He told Moses, "Get thee down, for thy people… have corrupted themselves. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have bowed down to it." God, understandably, was furious and threatened to destroy them.
But Moses, ever the intercessor, pleaded with God on behalf of the people. He reminded God of His promises and His reputation. It's a powerful scene of Moses acting as a mediator between God and his people.
Moses finally descends the mountain, holding the two tablets of stone. When he sees the Golden Calf and the people’s idolatry, his anger blazes, and he shatters the tablets at the foot of the mountain. He then destroys the calf, grinding it into dust, mixing it with water, and making the Israelites drink it. A harsh but symbolic act of purification.
The text tells us that about three thousand people died by the swords of each other for their involvement in creating the calf. A devastating consequence of their actions.
The next day, Moses tells the people he will go back up to God, hoping to atone for their sins. He spends another forty days and forty nights with God, entreating Him on behalf of the Israelites. And God, hearing Moses' prayer, relents.
God instructs Moses to hew two new stone tablets, upon which He will rewrite the Ten Commandments. Moses does as he's told, ascends Mount Sinai again, and God inscribes the commandments anew.
Moses remains on the mountain for yet another forty days and forty nights! This time, God instructs him further in statutes and judgments and commands him to have the Israelites build a Mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן), a sanctuary, so that God's name might dwell among them. God even shows him a detailed vision of the sanctuary and all its vessels.
Finally, after this third set of forty days, Moses descends the mountain with the new tablets. He shares all the words of God with the Israelites, teaching them the laws, statutes, and judgments he had learned. He tells them about the sanctuary they are to build.
The people, filled with renewed zeal, rejoice at God's words and pledge to obey. They rise up as one and generously offer materials for the construction of the sanctuary – gold, silver, brass, and everything needed for its service. Skilled artisans come forward and begin to build the sanctuary according to the divine design.
The construction of the sanctuary is completed in just five months. The Israelites present it and all its furnishings to Moses, who confirms that it is built exactly as God had commanded. Moses then blesses the people.
What strikes me most about this chapter is the sheer rollercoaster of emotions. From the joy of receiving the commandments to the despair of the Golden Calf, to the renewed hope and dedication in building the sanctuary. It’s a very human story, full of mistakes, repentance, and ultimately, a renewed commitment to the divine. It reminds us that even after great spiritual highs, there will be challenges, but also opportunities for growth and repair.
Sacred-texts Apocrypha Index Previous Next Book of Jasher, Chapter 82 1 And the children of Israel proceeded from Rephidim and they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the third month from their going forth from Egypt. 2 At that time came Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, with Zipporah his daughter and her two sons, for he had heard of the wonders of the Lord which he had done to Israel, that he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt. 3 And Reuel came to Moses to the wilderness where he was encamped, where was the mountain of God. 4 And Moses went forth to meet his father-in-law with great honor, and all Israel was with him. 5 And Reuel and his children remained amongst the Israelites for many days, and Reuel knew the Lord from that day forward. 6 And in the third month from the children of Israel's departure from Egypt, on the sixth day thereof, the Lord gave to Israel the ten commandments on Mount Sinai. 7 And all Israel heard all these commandments, and all Israel rejoiced exceedingly in the Lord on that day. 8 And the glory of the Lord rested upon Mount Sinai, and he called to Moses, and Moses came in the midst of a cloud and ascended the mountain. 9 And Moses was upon the mount forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water, and the Lord instructed him in the statutes and judgments in order to teach the children of Israel. 10 And the Lord wrote the ten commandments which he had commanded the children of Israel upon two tablets of stone, which he gave to Moses to command the children of Israel. 11 And at the end of forty days and forty nights, when the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, then the Lord gave to Moses the tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. 12 And when the children of Israel saw that Moses tarried to come down from the mount, they gathered round Aaron, and said, As for this man Moses we know not what has become of him. 13 Now therefore rise up, make unto us a god who shall go before us, so that thou shalt not die. 14 And Aaron was greatly afraid of the people, and he ordered them to bring him gold and he made it into a molten calf for the people. 15 And the Lord said to Moses, before he had come down from the mount, Get thee down, for thy people whom thou didst bring forth from Egypt have corrupted themselves. 16 They have made to themselves a molten calf, and have bowed down to it, now therefore leave me, that I may consume them from off the earth, for they are a stiffnecked people. 17 And Moses besought the countenance of the Lord, and he prayed to the Lord for the people on account of the calf which they had made, and he afterward descended from the mount and in his hands were the two tablets of stone, which God had given him to command the Israelites. 18 And when Moses approached the camp and saw the calf which the people had made, the anger of Moses was kindled and he broke the tablets under the mount. 19 And Moses came to the camp and he took the calf and burned it with fire, and ground it till it became fine dust, and strewed it upon the water and gave it to the Israelites to drink. 20 And there died of the people by the swords of each other about three thousand men who had made the calf. 21 And on the morrow Moses said to the people, I will go up to the Lord, peradventure I may make atonement for your sins which you have sinned to the Lord. 22 And Moses again went up to the Lord, and he remained with the Lord forty days and forty nights. 23 And during the forty days did Moses entreat the Lord in behalf of the children of Israel, and the Lord hearkened to the prayer of Moses, and the Lord was entreated of him in behalf of Israel. 24 Then spake the Lord to Moses to hew two stone tablets and to bring them up to the Lord, who would write upon them the ten commandments. 25 Now Moses did so, and he came down and hewed the two tablets and went up to Mount Sinai to the Lord, and the Lord wrote the ten commandments upon the tablets. 26 And Moses remained yet with the Lord forty days and forty nights, and the Lord instructed him in statutes and judgments to impart to Israel. 27 And the Lord commanded him respecting the children of Israel that they should make a sanctuary for the Lord, that his name might rest therein, and the Lord showed him the likeness of the sanctuary and the likeness of all its vessels. 28 And at the end of the forty days, Moses came down from the mount and the two tablets were in his hand. 29 And Moses came to the children of Israel and spoke to them all the words of the Lord, and he taught them laws, statutes and judgments which the Lord had taught him. 30 And Moses told the children of Israel the word of the Lord, that a sanctuary should be made for him, to dwell amongst the children of Israel. 31 And the people rejoiced greatly at all the good which the Lord had spoken to them, through Moses, and they said, We will do all that the Lord has spoken to thee. 32 And the people rose up like one man and they made generous offerings to the sanctuary of the Lord, and each man brought the offering of the Lord for the work of the sanctuary, and for all its service. 33 And all the children of Israel brought each man of all that was found in his possession for the work of the sanctuary of the Lord, gold, silver and brass, and every thing that was serviceable for the sanctuary. 34 And all the wise men who were practiced in work came and made the sanctuary of the Lord, according to all that the Lord had commanded, every man in the work in which he had been practiced; and all the wise men in heart made the sanctuary, and its furniture and all the vessels for the holy service, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 35 And the work of the sanctuary of the tabernacle was completed at the end of five months, and the children of Israel did all that the Lord had commanded Moses. 36 And they brought the sanctuary and all its furniture to Moses; like unto the representation which the Lord had shown to Moses, so did the children of Israel. 37 And Moses saw the work, and behold they did it as the Lord had commanded him, so Moses blessed them. Next: Chapter 83 Sacred Texts | Christianity « Previous: Book of Jasher, Chapter 81 Index Next: Book of Jasher, Chapter 83 »
