This past weekend, somehow the matter of libations in the Bible came up and someone said there would be a lot in Leviticus; however, it turns out that the book with the most mentions of libations (נסך) is actually the book of Numbers. (For more on libations, you can check out “The Libations Episode” of The Jewish Drinking Show.)
Herein, I present the top ten books of the Bible in which libations appear, according to the most number of appearances (I also include the remainder that don’t make the list):
(1) Numbers – 40 appearances: 4:7, 6:15, 6:17, 15:5, 15:7, 15:10, 15:24, 28:7 (2x), 28:8, 28:9, 28:10, 28:14, 28:15, 28:24, 28:31, 29:6, 29:11, 29:16, 29:18, 29:19, 29:21, 29:22, 29:24, 29:25, 29:27, 29:28, 29:30, 29:31, 29:33, 29:34, 29:37, 29:38, and 29:39
(2) Jeremiah – 18 appearances: 7:18 (2x), 10:14, 19:13 (2x), 32:29 (2x), 44:17 (2x), 44:18 (2x), 44:19 (4x), 44:5 (2x), and 51:17
(3) Isaiah – 8 appearances: 25:7, 29:10, 30:1, 40:19, 41:29, 44:10, and 48:5
(4) Exodus – 6 appearances: 25:29, 29:40, 29:41, 30:9 (2x), and 37:16
(5-T) Leviticus – 3 appearances: 23:13, 23:18, and 23:37
(5-T) Psalms – 3 appearances: 2:6 and 16:4 (2x)
(5-T) Ezekiel – 3 appearances: 20:28 (2x) and 45:17
(5-T) Joel – 3 appearances: 1:9, 1:13, and 2:14
(5-T) Chronicles – 3 appearances: I 11:18, I 29:21, and II 29:35
(5-T) Kings – 3 appearances: II 16:13 (2x) and II 16:15
The only other book in the Bible with multiple appearances of libations is Genesis, with two mentions in 35:14.
There are four books in the Bible with a single appearance of libation:
- Ezra 7:17
- Samuel II 23:16
- Hoshea 9:4
- Proverbs 8:23
