The Kenite Origin of the Sotah Prescription (Numbers 5.11-31)

The prescription administered to the woman suspected of adultery (Num. 5.11-31) remains an enigma as long as (Greek Passage), the essential component of the potion, is understood as dust or earth. The whole procedure is clarified, however, once (Greek Passage) is identified as copper ore, given that the symptoms of copper intoxication fit the main and side effects of the potion precisely as evoked in this text. The Sotah prescription therefore has nothing to do with ordeal, magic practices or psychosomatic effects. It is a set of instructions administered during the early stages of pregnancy when doubts arise around paternity. The presence of copper ore in the sanctuary, together with the discrepancy between this practice and the Israelite laws and ethics addressing adultery, suggests that the Sotah prescription was borrowed from the Kenite metalworking religious context. Furthermore, its incongruence with the Israelite way of life reveals that this prescription was inserted 'as is' in the book of Numbers.