A month later in the Desert of Sin the Israelites’ circumstances are so bleak that they voice their desire to return to Egypt, representing their previous estate in rosy colors complete with pots of meat and all the food they want. Their grumbling against Moses and Aaron prompts a response from the Lord; the Israelites will see manifested in the wilderness the glory and power of God in his benevolent provision. They will have meat in the evening and bread in the morning to meet their daily needs. In this context, while both are promised, manna is the focus of the narrative. A year later (Num. 10:11), the quail are prominent. These are not disparate accounts of the same incident. Rather, the year at Mount Sinai, characterized by ongoing rebellion on the part of the people, makes them disda…