Common quail

Then, one autumn ërꞋëv, bevies of approaching quail ascended on the northern horizon, flying southward over the Mediterranean Sea on their annual winter migration from Europe. The autumn quail migration was anticipated, setting out bird nets on the beaches and covering the acacia trees and clumps of rimt . Whenever the exhausted quail flew into the nets on the beach or tried to land in a netted tree, they became entangled in the net, unable to extricate themselves. As a result, the camp was practically covered in quail.

Acacia in NëgꞋëv (photo: Roger Gelfand)

When the film of honeydew had been harvested under the acacia trees around the camp, look, minute beads from scaly-insect aphids on the rimt, as minute as frost on the earth.

When Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ saw it, they said to one another, "Mân hū?" Because, being unacquainted with the mi•dᵊbârꞋ, they didn't know what it was.

Mōsh•ëhꞋ, who had lived in the Mi•dᵊbârꞋ Sin•aiꞋ in his earlier years, replied, "It's the lëkhꞋëm that י‑‑ה has given to you to eat."

Acacia close-up

The following morning, there was a film of honeydew under the acacia trees around the camp.

"Here's what י‑‑ה has commanded: 'Harvest more than just for us. According to a man's meal, an ōꞋmër per head; according to the number of nᵊphâsh•otꞋ in your tent shall a man take.' "

So that's what Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ did. Some found and harvested more than others but when they measured out portions of all of the population, it worked out so that there was no excess left over. Those who had harvested little didn't lack. Each harvested toward the goal of feeding the total calculated population.

The Mōsh•ëhꞋ told them, "Don't leave any of it until morning."

So, of course, some disobeyed and saved a portion of unbaked dough overnight for the next day! And it developed worms and putrefied. Unsurprisingly, Mōsh•ëhꞋ was angry with them.

Rimt (Haloxylon salicornium; photo Hebarium)

So they harvested it morning-by-morning, each man according to his families' measured provisions. Toward noon, when the sun grew hot, it evaporated.

On Sixthday, they harvested twice as much lëkhꞋëm – 2 ōꞋmër per head.

When all of the nᵊsiy•imꞋ of the Eid•âhꞋ reported-back to Mōsh•ëhꞋ, he told them,

“This is what י‑‑ה has said: Tomorrow is a Sha•bât•ōnꞋ Sha•bâtꞋ qōꞋdësh to י‑‑ה Bake and stew before Sha•bâtꞋ what you will eat on Sha•bâtꞋ. Let the leftovers rest until morning.”

So they let the leftovers rest overnight like Mōsh•ëhꞋ had told them, and it didn't putrefy; nor was there any worm in it.

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ told them:

“Today you eat the leftovers. For today is a Sha•bâtꞋ to י‑‑ה. Today you shall not go out searching and find it in the field. The six weekdays you may harvest it. But Seventhday is Sha•bâtꞋ. On Sha•bâtꞋ there shall be no [harvesting].”

Nevertheless, on Seventhday some of the am went-out to harvest it… but they found none.

Consequently, Mōsh•ëhꞋ perceived י‑‑ה asking,

“How long are you going to go on refusing to watchguard My mi•tzᵊw•otꞋ and My Tōr•ōtꞋ?”

Don't you see why י‑‑ה gave you Sha•bâtꞋ? So, on 6^thday, He gave you lëkhꞋëm for two days. A person is to sit on his posterior, a person is not to go forth from his mâ•qomꞋ on the 7^thday.

And the am respected shᵊvit•âhꞋ on 7^thday.

So Beit Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ called the stuff "mân". It resembled white coriander seed and, when spread with the honeydew, it was like flatbread dipped in dᵊvâshꞋ.

Early Bronze Age, approx. ōꞋmër, jug (13.5 cm ≈ 5⅜ in, ht = body diam); from Yᵊri•khoꞋ

"Here's something י‑‑ה has commanded," Mōsh•ëhꞋ said. "Fill-up an ōꞋmër of it for a keepsake for your generations; so that they can see the lëkhꞋëm with which I fed you in the mi•dᵊbârꞋ when I enabled your Yᵊtzi•âhꞋ from ërꞋëtz Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim."

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ told A•ha•ronꞋ, "Take one jug and put an ōꞋmër (about a half-gallon) of mân  in it. Then lay it down before י‑‑ה for a keepsake for your generations."

Then A•ha•ronꞋ laid it down before the Eid•utꞋ for a keepsake, as י‑‑ה had commanded Mōsh•ëhꞋ.

So Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ ate mân for bread (with their other food) for 40 years, until they were militarily strong enough to leave the mi•dᵊbârꞋ and return to their family properties in Kᵊna•anꞋ – which had, , while they were confined to Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim, serving corvée, been occupied by squatters.