Korah

Punishment of the Sons of Korah. Fresco by Sandro Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel, 1480–82.

Exodus 6:21 cites Korah as being the son of Izhar, son of Kehath, son of Levi. Exodus 6:24 lists his three sons. Korah's brothers through Izhar were Nepheg and Zichri. Exodus 6:18 connects this Korah with Hebron, Uzziel and Amram, who were his father's brothers (Izhar son of Kohath). 1 Chronicles 6:2,18,38, and 23:12, repeat this genealogy; however, this reference could have been inspired by the Exodus genealogies.

Numbers 16:1 traces this lineage back further to Levi, son of the patriarch Israel. According to Numbers 16:1, his lineage goes: "Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kehath, the son of Levi," making him the great-grandson of the patriarch Levi and the first cousin of Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:1–40 indicates that Korah rebelled against Moses along with Dathan and Abiram and 250 co-conspirators. The 250 co-conspirators were punished for their rebellion when they offered incense to God in fire pans and the heavenly fire from the incense pans consumed all 250 of them. Korah from the tribe of Levi and his allies Dathan and Abiram from the tribe of Reuben were also punished when God caused the ground to split open beneath their feet swallowing them, their families, anyone associated with Korah, and all their possessions.

Furthermore, the Israelites who did not like what had happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram (and their families) objected to Moses, and God then commanded Moses to depart from the multitude. God then smote 14,700 men with plague, as punishment for objecting to Korah's destruction (Numbers 16:41ff.)

"Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not" (Numbers 26:11).

According to the Rabbis, the main cause of Korah's revolt was the nomination of Elizaphan, son of Uzziel, as prince over the Kohathites,[6] Korah arguing thus: "Kohath had four sons.[7] The two sons of Amram, Kohath's eldest son, took for themselves the kingdom and the priesthood. Now, as I am the son of Kohath's second son, I should be made prince over the Kohathites; however Moses gave that office to Elizaphan, the son of Kohath's youngest son".[8]

Korah asked Moses the following questions: "Does a tallit made entirely of tekhelet need fringes?" To Moses' affirmative answer Korah objected: "The blue color of the ṭallit does not make it ritually correct, yet according to your statement four blue threads do so".[9] "Does a house filled with the books of the Law need a mezuzah?" Moses replied that it did; whereupon Korah said: "The presence of the whole Torah, which contains 175 chapters, does not make a house fit for habitation, yet you say that one chapter of it does so. It is not from God that you have received these commandments; you have invented them yourself." He then assembled 250 men, chiefs of the Sanhedrin, and, having clad them in tallitot of blue wool, but without fringes, prepared for them a banquet. Aaron's sons came for the priestly share, but Korah and his people refused to give the prescribed portions to them, saying that it was not God but Moses who commanded those things. Moses, having been informed of these proceedings, went to the house of Korah to effect a reconciliation, but the latter and his 250 followers rose up against him.[10]

Korah consulted also his wife, who encouraged him in the revolt, saying: "See what Moses has done. He has proclaimed himself king; he has made his brother high priest, and his brother's sons priests; moreover, he has made you shave all your hair[11] in order to disfigure you." Korah answered: "But he has done the same to his own sons." His wife replied: "Moses hated you so much that he was ready to do evil to his own children provided the same evil would overtake you".[12]

Modern Jewish reform[13] and secular interpretations of the Korah revolt supply new causes for the revolt to reflect new agendas and concerns of the authors.[14]

Moses and Korah, 1466 manuscript miniature, National Library of Poland.

Korah incited all the people against Moses, arguing that it was impossible to endure the laws Moses had instituted. He told them the following parable: "A widow, the mother of two young daughters, had a field. When she came to plow it, Moses told her not to plow it with an ox and an ass together;[15] when she came to sow it, Moses told her not to sow it with mingled seeds;[16] At the time of harvest she had to leave unreaped the parts of the field prescribed by the Law, while from the harvested grain she had to give the priest the share due to him. The woman sold the field and with the proceeds bought two sheep. But the first-born of these she was obliged to give to Aaron the priest; and at the time of shearing he required the first of the fleece also.[17] The widow said: 'I cannot bear this man's demands any longer. It will be better for me to slaughter the sheep and eat them.' But Aaron came for the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the maw.[18] The widow then vehemently cried out: 'If you persist in your demand, I declare them devoted to the Lord.' Aaron replied: 'In that case the whole belongs to me',[19] whereupon he took away the meat, leaving the widow and her two daughters wholly unprovided for".[20]

The question how it was possible for a wise man like Korah to be so imprudent as to rebel is explained by the fact that he was deceived through his own prophetic ability. He had foreseen that the prophet Samuel would be his descendant, and therefore concluded that he himself would escape punishment. But he was mistaken; for, while his sons escaped, he perished.[21]

At the time of Korah's engulfment, the earth became like a funnel, and everything that belonged to him, even linen that was at the launderer's and needles that had been borrowed by persons living at a distance from Korah, rolled till it fell into the chasm.[22] According to the Rabbis, Korah himself underwent the double punishment of being burned and buried alive.[23] He and his followers continued to sink until Hannah prayed for them;[24] and through her prayer, the Rabbis declare, Korah will ascend to paradise.[25] Rabbah bar bar Hana narrates that while he was traveling in the desert, an Arab showed him the place of Korah's engulfment. There was at the spot a slit in the ground into which he introduced some wool soaked in water. The wool became parched. On placing his ear to the slit, he heard voices cry: "Moses and his Torah are true; and we are liars".[26]