II. KORAH, the Son of Jehar, of the Race of Levi, and Father of Asher, Elkanah and Aliasaph, and Head of the Korites, a celebrated Family among the Levites. Korah being dissatisfied with the Rank he held among the Sons of Levi, and envying the Authority which Moses and Aaron enjoyed, formed a Party against them; wherein he engaged Dathan, Abiram and On, with two Hundred and fifty of the principal Levites. Numb. xvi. 1, 2, 3, &c.Korah at the Head of the Rebels went to Moses and Aaron, and complained that they alone arrogated to themselves all the Authority over the People of the Lord. Moses falling with his Face upon the Earth, answered them: To Morrow in the Morning the Lord will discover who are his. Let every one of you take therefore his Censer, and to Morrow he shall put Incense into them; and offer it before the Lord; and he shall be acknowledged Priest, whom the Lord shall choose and approve.
The next Day Korah with two Hundred and fifty of his Faction, presenting themselves with their Censers before the Lord, the Glory of the Lord appeared visibly over the Tabernacle; and a Voice was heard to say, separate your selves from among this Congregation, that I may consume them in a Moment. Moses and Aaron hereupon falling with their Faces to the Ground, said, O God, the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, shall one Man sin, and wilt thou be Wrath with all the Congregation? And the Lord said unto Moses, command all the People to depart from about the Tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. When therefore the People were retired, Moses said, If these Men dye the common Death of all Men, then the Lord hath not sent me; but if the Earth open and swallow them up quick, then ye shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord. As soon as he had spoken, the Earth opened from under their Feet, and swallowed them up with what belonged to them.
But one Thing there was which added to this surprizing Wonder, and that was, that when Korah was thus swallowed up in the Earth, his Sons were preserved from this Misfortune. We do not know the Year particularly when the Death of Korah and his Companions happened. The Sons of Korah continued as before, to serve in the Tabernacle of the Lord. David appointed them their Office in the Temple, to guard the Doors, and sing the Praises of God. There are several Psalms ascribed to them, which go by the Name of Korah: As the 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and the 83, 84, 86, 87; that is to say, eleven Psalms.
The Mahometans have several Traditions relating to Korah, which it may be proper to produce here, tho’ no great Account is to be made of them: They say, Korah, whom they call Karum, was the Son of Masaab, Cousin German to Moses. Moses seeing he was poor, taught him Chymistry, by which Means he acquired such immense Riches, that forty Camels were necessary to carry his Gold and Silver. There are some who assert, that he had several Camels loaded only with the Keys of his strong Boxes.
Moses having commanded the Israelites to pay the Tythe of all their Fortunes, Korah refused to obey him, he even rebelled against his Benefactor, and spread several Calumnies against him, which had such an Effect, as to destroy almost all his Authority with the People. Moses hereupon made his Complaint to God, who permitted him to punish Korah as he should think proper. He therefore cursed him, and commanded the Earth to open, and swallow him up; which was immediately executed.
The Mahometans have another Tradition, that Korah, seeing his Treasures sunk under Ground, then that his Tent was swallowed up, after that his Family, and lastly discerning himself to be already as high as his Knees in the Earth, begged of Moses four several Times to pardon him, but found him inflexible. Sometime after God appeared to this Prophet, and said to him: Thou couldst not forgive Korah, though he four Times desired it of thee; had he addressed himself to me once only, I should not have refused him my Pardon.