Parallelism: Wealth of Korah: Difference between revisions

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For the full article with many more examples than are included in this series, see {{Main|Parallelism Between the Qur'an and Judeo-Christian Scriptures}}
===Qur'anic Verse===
===Qur'anic Verse===


The Torah and Mishnah tells the story of Korah (or Korach) and his rebellion against Moses ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2016:1-35&version=KJV; Numbers 16:1-35]). This story is also replicated in the Qur'an where Korah is transliterated to Qaaroon.  
The Torah tells the story of Korah (or Korach) and his rebellion against Moses ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2016:1-35&version=KJV; Numbers 16:1-35]). This story was later embellished by Rabbinic exegetes and replicated in the Qur'an where Korah is transliterated to Qaaroon.  


{{Quote|{{Quran|28|76}}|Korah was surely of the people of Moses, but he oppressed them, and We gave him treasures, so much so that his hoards of wealth would weight down a body of strong men. When his people said to him: Exult not; surely Allah loves not the exultant. }}
{{Quote|{{Quran|28|76}}|Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men; thereupon his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allah does not like the exultant.}}


The parallelism between the Qur'an and the Gemara has not escaped noticed, for instance, [http://www.geocities.com/freethoughtmecca/chartumim.html this site]
===Talmudic Account===


{{Quote||“Well, those certainly sound like some heavy keys! As it turns out, this tale about Korah's heavy keys is not found in the Bible, but it is mentioned in Talmud Bavli. The story is found in both Sanhedrin 110a and Pesachim 119a, with only minor differences. Let us take a look at the version in tractate Sanhedrin:  
Gabriel Said Reynolds in his 2018 academic commentary on the Quran comments regarding this passage, "The reference to Korah's possessions (Num 16:32-33) was taken by Jewish exegetes as a sign that he had grown rich: 'the keys of Korah's treasure house were a load for three hundred white mules' (b. Sanhedrin 110a). One tradition in the Babylonian Talmud (b. Peshahim 119a) attributes Korah's riches to a treasure left by Joseph."<ref>Gabriel Said Reynolds, "The Quran and Bible: Text and Commentary", New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2018, p. 610</ref>
 
''V'amar Rabi Levi: "masoi sh'lsh me'ot pardot l'vanot hayu maftchot shel beyt g'nazaiv shel Qorach, V'khulhu aqlidei v'qilfei d'ghilda."''
 
And Rabbi Levi said: "The keys to Korah's treasure house was a load for 300 white mules and the keys and locks were leather."  
 
It is clear that the Islamic literature, be it the Qur'an or the extracanonical traditions and commentaries, show a great deal of Judeo-Christian influence.” }}
 
===Talmudic Verse===
 
A check of Tractate Sanhedrin 110a shows this to be indeed the case:


{{Quote|[http://www.come-and-hear.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_110.html Talmud: Sanhedrin 110a]|
{{Quote|[http://www.come-and-hear.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_110.html Talmud: Sanhedrin 110a]|
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{{Quote||“Why do the Sages wish to present Korach as extremely wealthy? It is difficult to find a basis for this in the biblical story. There it is written that the mouth of the earth opened in order to swallow Korach and his followers, their homes “and every man that was for Korach and all the property” (Bamidbar 16:32) and there is not enough in these words to find a basis for the assertion that he was extremely wealthy.”<ref>The Jewish Agency for Israel - [http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehardeah/korach.html Nehar Deah: The Sages’ Korach] jafi.org</ref>}}
{{Quote||“Why do the Sages wish to present Korach as extremely wealthy? It is difficult to find a basis for this in the biblical story. There it is written that the mouth of the earth opened in order to swallow Korach and his followers, their homes “and every man that was for Korach and all the property” (Bamidbar 16:32) and there is not enough in these words to find a basis for the assertion that he was extremely wealthy.”<ref>The Jewish Agency for Israel - [http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehardeah/korach.html Nehar Deah: The Sages’ Korach] jafi.org</ref>}}


Thus, it can be seen that there is little or no basis in the Bible for Korah to be assumed a wealthy man, especially since he fled with Moses during the Exodus. It is unlikely, although Jewish tradition has it, that the Hebrews would have fled in haste from a vengeful Pharaoh and his army carrying a load of treasure.  
Thus, it can be seen that there is little or no basis in the Bible for Korah to be assumed a wealthy man, especially since he fled with Moses during the Exodus. It is unlikely, although Jewish tradition has it, that the Hebrews would have fled in haste from a vengeful Pharaoh and his army carrying a load of treasure. Rather this idea, included in the Quran, about Korah being so wealthy that the keys to his treasure house themselves were so heavy that they required a large number of bearers is credited in the Talmud to Rabbi Levi; a third century Haggadist who lived in Palestine.
 
===Conclusion===
 
So where did Muhammad get his idea about Korah being so wealthy that the keys to his treasure house themselves were so heavy that they required the strength of a body of strong men?
 
Apparently, Rabbi Levi; a third century Haggadist who lived in Palestine and who also made up the story of Korah’s keys, was actually none other than Allah in the flesh.


==References==
==References==
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