Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG]

The point is simply that Kuntillat Ajrud can tell us absoutely nothing 
about whether or not there was such a minority. Rather, it could in 
principle confirm their existence, but its failure to do so is no 
evidence for their non-existence. As such it is also irrelevant to 
arguments about the date or reliability of the Biblical text (which 
witnesses, reliably at least in this matter, to the existence of such 
sanctuaries). That makes it doubly irrelevant to this list.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Re: b-hebrew digest: February 16, 1999
Author:  mc2499 AT mclink.it at internet
Date:    19/02/1999 07:38


Ian:
>>The Hebrews at Elephantine who were in communication with Jerusalem saw 
>>nothing wrong with their polytheism. The building at Kuntillat Ajrud in 
>>southern Judah from the eighth century BCE was a Yahwistic polytheistic 
>>sanctuary. Yahweh in his divine council in the midst of the gods is 
>>definitely not monotheistic.

Bill:
>You've brought up Kuntillat Ajrud many times, but given what the texts 
>tell us about that time it would be very strange if we never found 
>evidence like this. The texts tell us that the exclusive worship of 
>YHWH alone was a minority position. Time and time again the texts tell 
>us the majority were polytheistic. One only need read Jeremiah to 
>realize how firmly entrenched polytheism was in Judah.

What are your eye witnesses to the existence of that minority position, 
Bill? (The biblical texts cannot be given eye-witness status, as we can 
only get back to the second century BCE with what we have.)

Ian