The number of registered men in the camp of Ephraim during the wilderness journey
The number 108,100 is given in Numbers 2:24 as the total count of fighting men in the camp of Ephraim, which included the tribes of Ephraim (40,500), Manasseh (32,200) and Benjamin (35,400). This camp was positioned on the west side of the tabernacle and was ordered to break camp as the third division during the journey. That Ephraim leads this camp ahead of his older brother Manasseh reflects Jacob's prophetic blessing in Genesis 48:19–20 where the younger is placed before the older. The three tribes in the camp are all descendants of Rachel, which underscores kinship-based organization in the camp arrangement. With 108,100 men, Ephraim's camp was the smallest of the four camps, yet it held a strategic position in the marching and camping order that God prescribed. The camp of Ephraim consisted of the three Rachel tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh (sons of Joseph) and Benjamin (Rachel's youngest son). This grouping by matriarchal lineage is consistent throughout the camp arrangement. That Ephraim was given precedence over Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the firstborn, is confirmed by Jacob's crossed hands during the blessing (Gen 48:13–20). Rabbinic tradition sees this as a sign that God's choice does not always follow natural inheritance rights. The four camps in Numbers 2 – Judah (east), Reuben (south), Ephraim (west), and Dan (north) – formed an ordered square around the tabernacle. This structure has parallels to military camp arrangements known from the ancient Near East.*