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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Exodus Date (Josephus vs. Manetho)
  • Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 10:10:50 -0500

Dear Walter,

We are told Judah captured Jerusalem and set it on fire, then attacked
Hebron and the Negeb, but this is contradicted by David's capture of
Jerusalem and its Jebusite inhabitants :

Judges 1:8-10 RSV

"And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it
with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. And afterward the men
of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill
country, in the Negeb and in the lowland. And Judah went against the
Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron..."

Joshua 6:24) RSV

"And they burned the city [Jericho] with fire and all within it..."

Contradicting the above verses is the statement that _ONLY Hazor was burnt_
of all the cities conquered by Joshua :

Joshua 11:13 RSV

"But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor
only; that Joshua burned."


HH: Joshua 11:13 does not contradict Judges 1:8-10, since Judges 1:8-10 concerns events that followed Joshua's death (Judges 1:1), while Joshua 11:13 concerns Joshua's efforts. So the burning of Jerusalem in Judges 1:8-10 was years after the events described in Josh 11:13.

Joshua 6:24 does not contradict Joshua 11:13 because Joshua 11:13 is about a specific campaign by Joshua against the northern kings. The description of that campaign begins at Josh 11:1. So the remark in Josh 11:13 concerns these northern kings and their cities. See the comment in 11:12: "these kings," that is, the northern ones mentioned in 11:1-5. The burning of Jericho mentioned in 6:24 happened earlier and is not under consideration in 11:13.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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