Event · Exodus and Wilderness
Miriam dies; water at Meribah
Miriam dies; water at MeribahNumbers 20:1–1315th or 13th century BCE (debated)
Miriam dies at Kadesh; Moses strikes the rock in anger and is told he will not lead Israel into the land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor.
- Main passage Numbers 20:1–13
- Related Numbers 20:22–29
Places named Kadesh Numbers 20:1 · Mount Hor Numbers 20:22
- Place in the order
- Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
- Historical setting
- 15th or 13th century BCE (debated) Disputed date
1 Kings 6:1 counts 480 years from the exodus to Solomon's fourth year, which points to about 1446 BCE in the conventional chronology. Many scholars argue for the thirteenth century from archaeological evidence.
Proposals: About 1446 BCE (from 1 Kings 6:1); About 1260s BCE (archaeological arguments)
Read it
Numbers 20:1–13 WEB
1The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? 5Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.” 6Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them. 7The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.” 9Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank. 12The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.