Why Miriam? Maybe she was the Author...So I was going along reading Numbers, and the footnotes note for Numbers 12:3 says "This verse is an age-old stumbling -block to the belief that Moses wrote the whole Pentateuch." Well... who else in mentioned in this verse, talking amongst themselves w/out Moses' knowing? Miriam and Aaron. Why do I say Miriam must have wrote this, not Aaron? Because In 12:1 it is Miriam who is written first, not Aaron. It could be that Aaron was just being polite, sort of like writing "you and I instead of I and you" yet, looking at the context, that of ancient patriachy, that does not seem likely. Further in the hebrew it is not "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses..." but "She spoke, Miriam and Aaron" or something to that effect! Of course it also can be seen as a anti-feminine piece, see, it was Miriam that spoke against Moses, and Miriam who is punished by God.
Just a little brainstorm/midrash for the morning.