Did you know that Paul quotes Jewish traditions, not scripture, in 1 Corinthians 10:4? ⚜️ "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.''⚜️ Paul's description of a 'rock that followed Israel' is not found in the literal text of the Old Testament, but it was a very common tradition in the Jewish Midrash and Targums of Paul's time. In the Biblical account, water is provided from a rock at the beginning of Exodus 17 and again near the end of Numbers 20. Jewish tradition sought to harmonize these events, leading to the belief that it wasn't two different rocks, but one traveling rock that accompanied the Israelites for 40 years. In Rabbinical literature, the rock is known as 'Miriam's rock.' This rock was often associated with Miriam (Moses's sister). It was believed that because of her merit, a miraculous ''well'' followed the camp. Paul, a rabbi trained as a Pharisee under Gamaliel, would have been familiar with these oral traditions. Paul claims that the true source of sustenance wasn't a physical stone or Miriam's merit, but it was Christ. By calling it a 'spiritual rock,' Paul argues that the same Jesus who provides grace to the Corinthian church was the one secretly sustaining Israel in the wilderness.