Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Thomas L. Thompson" <tlt AT teol.ku.dk>]

        forwarded from Philip Davies----------
> Fra:  philip davies[SMTP:P.Davies AT sheffield.ac.uk]
> Sendt:        4. februar 1999 13:01
> Til:  ButhFam AT compuserve.com
> Cc:   Thomas L. Thompson
> Emne:         hurvitz and I
> 
> I jus received a copy of reply to you from Tom Thomspon. Tom has, I think,
> put the relevant points very well. If you wish to get a response from me,
> it's likely to be the same in essence. But by all means send me the
> original mailing. But the issue between Hurvits and I is really very
> simply. We both agree "classical" Hebrew starts in the Iron Age, and we
> both agree that "Late Biblical Hebrew" starts in the Second Temple period.
> All we differ about is when he classical language stopped being used - and
> why. I simply find Hurvitz's explanation incredibly simplistic and naive
> as
> well as dismissive of a great deal of literary-histoical scholarship. If
> he
> can convince me that the writing of classical Hebrew had to cease at some
> fixed point (as he seems to have convinced you - can you tell me why?)
> then
> we shall all be in accord!
>       Perhaps we are also already in accord that Rainey is not an ideal
> reviewer because his obvious expertise is impossible to distinguish from
> his prejudice or the vitriol that he cannot resist throwing fom timeto
> time. What a pity he can't represent a case accurately and then criticize
> it with some objectivity.
> 
> Professor Philip R Davies
> Department of Biblical Studies
> University of Sheffield
> 
>