[b-hebrew] theories and standards

George Athas George.Athas at moore.edu.au
Wed May 20 02:55:20 EDT 2009


Gabe, I think we are essentially in agreement. Yes, I would argue that the biblical documents are a mixture of actual history, legend, folklore, myth, and drama. I think the ancients were probably honestly engaging in the task of history, but they didn't have the means or standards that we today use. Therefore, they had to use what was at their disposal: oral tradition, popular memory, the odd document, folklore, personal experience, and imagination. Think about Malory's 'Morte d'Arthur' - seems to work along similar lines.

The objection I have to Karl's phrasing of the situation is that he seems to imply that 'myth' must necessarily mean 'untrustworthy' (Karl, correct me if I'm wrong on this). But myth may well capture the essence of reality (this is what it is meant to do), albeit within a fictional medium. Jesus' parables work on a similar principle: using a fictional medium to convey a real principle or idea.

Finally, I do appreciate the parallels between Deuteronomy and Esarhaddon's vassal treaty. I'm not sure we can attribute direct influence of one over the other, but I can see the plausibility of both coming from a similar milieu.


Regards,

GEORGE ATHAS
Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
www.moore.edu.au



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