Censuses. One can also perceive that the census lists can provide structure to the book, one that is both thematic and chronological. Their locations in the book do provide a sense of structure and continuity, defining the distinction between the exodus generation and the new generation. The problem is that it is difficult to discern when the old generation is gone and when the new generation has come. The last narrative that could involve the old generation is the incident at Baal Peor (Num 25:1–18), and this precedes the second census. However, by combining the geographical notices and wilderness itineraries with the censuses, one can discern a unified movement of the covenant people from Sinai, to the struggles of the 40-year wilderness experience, to the emergence of the new generation ready to undertake the task of taking the promised land. At the heart of this is a concern with the holiness and obedience of God’s people. When they are obedient and dependent on their God, they make good progress toward the promised land, to the point winning battles against those who would bar their way to their goal. To emphasize the requirement for holiness, the narratives associated with the exodus generation’s rebellions usually end with a notice of restoration or forgiveness and a digression into important civil and cultic laws that illustrate and instruct the people on how they should live as God’s chosen people. Milgrom illustrates the alteration of narrative and law as follows: “A striking feature of Numbers is that law and narrative alternate regularly, as follows” (Milgrom, Numbers, xv):

• 1–10:10—Law

• 10:11–14:45—Narrative

• 15—Law

• 16–17—Narrative

• 18–19—Law

• 20–25—Narrative

• 26–27:11—Law

• 27:12–23—Narrative

• 28–30—Law

• 31–33:49—Narrative

• 33:50–56; 34–36—Law

In almost every case, there are hints that they will inherit the land, as if these were instructions by which the people were to live when they entered the land. As Milgrom notes elsewhere, certain literary types demonstrate internally unified structures that are detectable throughout the work, usually in close association with narratives. While this gives the appearance of disunity, the fact of the pattern Milgrom has adduced strongly suggests that it is not mere random dislocation and stitching together of sources from different historical periods. In other words, the proximity of different genres establishes the unity of Numbers rather than arguing against it.