Bible/King James/Documentary Hypothesis/Priestly source/Borders of Canaan

<Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis | Priestly source

According to the documentary hypothesis, the torah was redacted together from a number of earlier source texts. The largest of these is referred to as the "Priestly source", due to its concentration on details which would be of interest to the Aaronid priesthood.

The reconstructed text of this source contains several elements which are separable from the narrative, including several laws, and descriptions of how rituals should be carried out. It is sometimes believed that these were originally separate documents held as priestly records, or simple observations. One of these separable elements is the description of the borders of Canaan (expressed at Numbers 34:2b-12):

The numbering of the text does not necessarily reflect that of the original

The Borders of Canaan
1 The south border:


 * A The outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:


 * B And the border turneth from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin:


 * C And the going forth thereof is from the south to Kadeshbarnea,


 * D And goest on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon:


 * E And the border fetcheth a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it is at the sea.

2 And for the western border, the great sea.

3 And for the north border:


 * A From the great sea unto mount Hor:


 * B From mount Hor unto the entrance of Hamath;


 * C And the goings forth of the border is to Zedad:


 * D And the border goest on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it is at Hazarenan:

4 And the east border


 * A From Hazarenan to Shepham:


 * B And the coast goest down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain;


 * C And the border descendeth, to reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:


 * D And the border goest down to Jordan, and the goings out of it is at the salt sea:

5 This is the land with the coasts thereof round about.