06_Biblica_AN_Ska_Layout 1 01/04/14 12:04 Pagina 108 108 JEAN LOUIS SKA Be that as it may, the third way of proceeding is an attempt to avoid some of the aforementioned dangers 26. The scholars belonging to this third category prefer speaking of Fortschreibung, i.e. modification, rewrit- ing, updating, and reworking of former texts, laws, and narrative tradi- tions. Most of the texts in Numbers could belong to this category 27. Two examples may suffice to illustrate the insight. Num 20,1-13* can be taken as a first clear instance of rewriting. The wonder performed by Moses who makes water gush from a rock is a doublet of the same narrative found in Exod 17,1-7. Both wonders occur at the same place, Meriba. Num 20,1-13* can be easily explained as a “corrected and revised edition” of Exod 17,1-7 28. Num 35,1-34 is another example, this time in the ju- ridical field. The laws on blood revenge and the cities of refuge in Num- bers 35 are meant to correct, modify, and complement laws found elsewhere, namely in Exod 21,12-14; Deut 4,41-43; 19,1-3 29. Numbers 35 is attributed by most exegetes to a late priestly school of thought. Let us add two remarks to this short presentation. First, it has become evident that the authors who pinpoint the presence of later expansions (Fortschreibungen) in the Book of Numbers belong to different exegetical traditions, for instance L. Schmidt, H. Seebass, and Th. Römer, among others. There is a certain consensus on this point. Second, the main prob- lem is — obviously — to determine with more precision what these ex- pansions are, and to explain their origin and their nature. It is also important to distinguish them from the more ancient parts of the Book of Numbers. This is where we find very different opinions. There is a fourth category of works on Numbers that is rarely men- tioned, although well represented in the present-day exegetical world. I have in mind those works that are usually aware of the numerous difficul- ties, but they do not take them into account in their exegesis of the text. They take only the “final form” into consideration. One main representa- 26 Cf., for instance, T. RÖMER, “Israel’s Sojourn in the Wilderness and the Construction of the Book of Numbers”, Reflection and Refraction. Studies in Biblical Historiography in Honour of A. Graeme Auld (eds. R. REZETKO et al.) (SVT 113; Leiden – Boston 2007) 419-445. 27 See the list of texts in RÖMER, “De la périphérie au centre”, 29-32; and in SEEBASS, “Das Buch Numeri”, 238. 28 See, for instance, C. NIHAN, “La mort de Moïse (Nb 20,1-13; 20,22-29; 27,12-23) et l’édition finale du livre des Nombres”, Les dernières rédactions du Pentateuque, de l’Hexateuque et de l’Ennéateuque (eds. T. RÖMER – K. SCHMID) (BETL 203; Leuven 2007) 145-182. 29 For a study on this text’s relationship with Joshua 20 and 21, see L. SCHMIDT, “Leviten- und Asylstädte in Num. xxxv und Jos. xx; xxi 1-42”, VT 52 (2002) 103-121.