46 myths · Page 2 of 2
Korah came at Moses through the family gate. When the ground finally tilted it took his tents, his flocks, and a needle he had lent out.
Men were falling in the tents when Moses put the fire-pan in Aaron's hands. Aaron's sons had died by fire. He ran toward the plague anyway.
Two hundred fifty men came forward with censers. Moses reminded them that Nadab and Abihu had died holding pans like those. Korah put fire in his pan anyway.
Moses pleaded like a brother. Take heed, he said. Do not stake your souls on a contest you cannot win. They would not hear him.
Korah measured Kohath's sons and decided Elizaphan's prince-seat belonged to him. From that envy he tried to unmake Moses, Aaron, and the boundaries of light.
Moses came with words meant to pull him back. Korah sealed his mouth so the speech could not bend him. Dathan and Abiram would not even come up.
God orders the whole camp to the Tent. Moses bows to Aaron in public, warns against Korah's path, and Aaron later confesses over a bull that is only his.
The man who once moved the Ark with a word now lay on his face at a closed gate. The land was still in his mouth as a name.
While Korah marched two hundred and fifty princes, On's wife poured wine, unbound her hair, and blocked the door until the earth closed.
The earth had closed over Korah and Rabbi Akiva ruled that they were never coming up. Then a woman at Shiloh stood and sang about a son.
Maacah was the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, and David wanted her while he was out at war. Her son was Absalom, who split the kingdom in two.
At the water jars they asked why it was always his face at the tent door. The ground opened, and mothers pulled their children back from the crack.
Esau packed wives, herds, and shame and left Canaan though no army chased him. The midrash hears the wicked fleeing a pursuer only they can see.
Two hundred fifty censers were still smoking when the dust rose and the screams cut short. A child dropped a jug in the camp and nobody scolded him.
Korah seizes no rope and no staff. Soft speech gathers the great of Israel until a camp walks after a man who never raises his hand.
Jethro brought Zipporah, whom Moses had divorced, and her two sons to a camp the cloud had sealed. He tied his letter to an arrow and shot it inside.
