SET-UP OF THE ENCAMPMENT
"V'hachonim" (2,3) Targum Yonoson ben Uziel says that the dimensions of the entire camp were 12 "mil" by 12 "mil." (A mil is measure of distance .914 to 1.16 km) As well, each group of three tribes occupied an area that was 4 "mil" by 4 "mil." Since there were four such groups, this seems problematic since 4x4 four times = 64 square "mil"; yet 12x12 "mil" = 144 square "mil" for total area, or two and a quarter times the area occupied by the tribes.
Perhaps the intention of the Targum Yonoson is as follows: Picture a grid that has nine squares laid out as a 3 by 3, similar to a blank tic-tac-toe board. The central cell is the area of machaneh L'vioh and machaneh Sh'chinoh. The four groups of encamped tribes abutted this square to the right, left, above, and below. The tribes did not occupy the diagonal corner squares. Thus, we have the areas for the tribes as four 4x4 squares, and the outer dimensions are 12x12 "mil." A strong indication to this is in the Yalkut Shimoni parshas P'kudei, remez #426-427, states that the cattle occupied the four diagonal corner areas of the encampment.
4 MIL → “BOX” WHEN ENCAMPED EAST →
4 MIL
→
NAFTOLI
ASHER
DAN
BINYOMIN
MENASHE
EFRAIM
2 MIL→
YEHUDAH
YISSACHAR
ZEVULUN
1
MIL
→
MERARI
GERSHON
MISHKAN
AHARON
AND SONS
KEHAS
REUVEN
SHIMEON
GAD
QUESTIONS:
(Area is determined for a rectangle or square as the product of the two sides):
- What is the entire area of the encampment?
- What is the total area occupied by the 12 tribes?
- What is the total area of the four diagonal corners designated for the animals?
- What is the total area of the center that was set aside for the Mishkan and the Leviim?
