[b-hebrew] Nephesh Mesopotamian myths

Polycarp66 at aol.com Polycarp66 at aol.com
Sat Feb 8 13:56:57 EST 2003


In a message dated 2/8/2003 1:50:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, Awohili at aol.com 
writes:

> In a message dated 02/08/2003 4:09:19 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
> Polycarp66 at aol.com writes:
> 
> >I know where you're coming from Rolf, and I'm not buying.  This version of 
> 
> >the name of God is not supported by scholars, but is desired by one 
> >particular faith group.  Let's just drop any discussion of what that 
> >vocalization might have been.
> >
> 
> Actually, I fail to see how discussion of the ancient pronunciation of the 
> Name is beyond the pale of a biblical Hebrew discussion list.  The matter 
> is 
> hardly finalized as of this time.  Should research on the matter be 
> discouraged?  Does the ancient matter of using substitutes for the Name 
> brook 
> no dispute, i.e., are they still even valid in the 21st century C.E.?
> 
> Not all scholars agree that the evidence for "Yahweh" is conclusive; even 
> the 
> scholarly Anchor Bible dictionary downgrades it to a "scholarly guess."  
> Scholars such as George Wesley Buchannan have argued for a three-syllable 
> pronunciation as opposed to a two-syllable one.
> 
> How will we ever know unless we continue to investigate?
> 

Just a few points:

1.  I never suggested that it was beyond the pale of discussion on the list.  
What I did suggest was that it would be unprofitable to discuss it on the 
list.

2.  The fact that there is no agreement on the matter of the pronunciation of 
the tetragrammaton after much scholarly consideration is precisely why it 
would be unprofitable to discuss the matter absent any new evidence.

3.  If memory serves me correctly this matter has been previously discussed 
at length here.  Are we to become a forum dedicated to one theme?

gfsomsel


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