Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG]

Dear Peter,

Could I prevail upon you to send this last message?  I thought I should say 
something before exiting.  It would save me the trouble of subscribing and 
unsubscribing again.

Thank you.

lmb


Dear All:

I thought that, before I move on, I might informally summarize what has been 
coming out in piece-meal fashion and then offer some unsolicited advice.

At 47 I thought it might be a good idea to consilate and write down my views 
on the Hebrew Bible-Old Testament-Ancient Israel.  I hit upon the idea of 
writing a book in the form of the lectures I would deliver in an upper 
division introductory course.  In the course of doing so I made discovery or 
came to the conclusion that Israelite tradition is essentially syncretistic.  
 More significantly, it was possible to recognize the syncretistic thinking 
in certain traditions, such as genealogy, patriarchal itinerary, cult 
traditions and especially Deut 32:7-9, Ex 3:13-5 and the masterpiece in Ex 
6:2.  How effective have been these strategies were needs no comment.

In terms of sequence, I recognize the dynamic of the tradition only after I 
had determined that I was dealing with two gods of neighboring, but distinct 
peoples.  I came to this conclusion simply by trying to identify in 
historical terms who was the El of Israel mentioned my Merneptah?  I was 
looking for 13th century Semitic deity in worshipped by a people bearing his 
name in Palestine.  The asking of the basic, exegetical question broke the 
spell so skillfully cast so long ago.  Suddenly my eyes were opened an I 
could see the the two, and I could see how the two became intertwined.  It 
all made sense.  Furthermore, I found that I could produce a synthetic and 
coherent story of ancient Israel supported by primary texts--a good intro 
course.  It also became possible to define sub-types of El worship in the 
north and Yahwism in the south.  Ps 29 differs from Deut 32:7-9.  Same basic 
pantheon but the former being more Canaanite while the latter is decidedly 
more Aramean.  Indeed,!
 the worship of El changed with the historical fortunes of the north.  
Although one might gather the impression the El is not in the traditions, 
this would amount the absurd notion that a people who were named for El ever 
ceased to care about him.  El was always the god of Israel as long as it 
existed.  It has to be so.  Bethel remained House of El.

Yahwism is of two types.  The older is Arabic Yahwism--Edom, Sinai. Yahweh is 
a god of war, a fierce, bedouin chieftain, living in a society similar to the 
list of the Chieftain of Edom in Gen 36.  But this would be only a part of 
the Arabic Yahwist who traveled the Sinai Peninsula, more like the 
Midianites.  I think that Sinai was a pilgrimage shrine, serving the entire 
bedouin population.  Recall the tradition that Elijah made such a journey.  I 
think that something of the warrior character of the people came to 
expression with the birth of Islam.  It is the spirit of a fierce warrior.  
"Yahweh is a warrior, Yahweh in his Name!"  When not leading his people into 
battle, he reposed upon a throne or ark within his tent pavilion, ruling over 
his people.

In second millennium, Abram the "Hebrew" "crossed over." from the Negev into 
Canaan, bringing with him other "migrant" clans.  The location of the 
Ishmaelite as dwelling from the border of Egypt eastward indicated that they 
were there closest relations--Isaac and Ishmael.  It is no accident that 
Hagar is an Egyptian.  So we are probably looking at the bedouin groups that 
just bordered the land.  This is where Abraham would have "crossed over" 
from.  Makes sense.

I think that Abram actually did have a vision of some sort from Yahweh 
telling him to migrate north.  When he did, the Arab Yahwist became the 
Hebrew Yahwist.  The new location of Yahwism radically altered it character.  
Yahweh here was not a god of war but of one who promised to show Abram and 
his a new life of prosperity and plenty.  Now the Yahwist has "nationalized" 
this traditions making a place to dwell the whole nation of Israel.  Still, 
the essential characteristic of Hebrew Yahwism come through in the Abrahamic 
traditions.  The account of Lot's rescue  by "Abram the Hebrew" seems to be 
the oldest representation and most accurate description of the patriarch.  I 
noted also the 318 men Abram summoned seems to indicate that he went outside 
of his own to secure the needed aid.  Apparently Abram was the leader of a 
sizeable community of Hebrews, organized as a network of clans that grew to a 
people that after the takeover was administered from in Hebron.  This means 
that H!
ebrew Yahwists had been living among other peoples since Abram second 
millennium migration, a tradition that remained to the Exile.

Syncretistic propaganda emerged with the victorious neighbors being given the 
new name "Israel" to supplement "Jacob."  It is a northern name, but it's 
creation marked the making of a "brotherhood" between north and south.  Also, 
Yahweh was incorporated into El pantheon, becoming the "son of Elyon."  The 
Yahwist has Abraham building and consecration cult sites at Shechem and 
Bethel as soon as he arrives in the land.  This traditions teaches that 
Yahwistic cult sites are officially established and legitimate.  In the 
patriarchal genealogy, the sequence is Abram (Hebrew) - Isaac (Aramean)- 
Jacob (Aramean) - Joseph (Hebrew).  Conclusion: it is a pseudo-kinship with 
syncretistic intention just as is the tracing of all the tribes to one 
patriarch.  As with other examples, we see here an educated and deliberate 
attempt to fuse the identity of different people.  Most significant, however, 
 is we see a fusion of Arameans and Hebrews, each with their own patriarch, 
indeed there own ori!
gins, history, and culture.

As I pondered the syncrestic intention of Ex 3:13-15, it made me think about 
the Name given Moses.  So, as with Israel, I set about to define it 
historically.  If anything, it is odd, elusive foreign.  As I pondered its 
structure, it became obvious that a verb represented the essence of the god.  
Where do you find such a thing?  I knew just enough about Egyptian religion 
to recognize the same tradition.  Then it was attributed to an Egyptian.  In 
that Levi means "to be attached to," I followed a suggestion I read that it 
meant those Egyptians that "attached" themselves to the Hebrew cause, like 
Moses and his siblings and others as well.  The best source of Levitical 
Yahwism is P, particularly his creation account.  It is clearly dependent on 
the Memphite Theology.  It is no more Semitic in thought that is the Name.  
Levitical monotheism goes back to the 28th century.  It appears to have been 
a very stable religion.  I also noted that two priests overseeing the ark at 
Shiloh ha!
d Egyptian names.  Why?  Only one answer.  They were Egyptians, Levites, and 
Levites at their worse.  This shows that the Levitical priesthood descended 
to Shiloh.  An insight into Levitical thought at this time is shown by the 
Song of Hannah, a traditional devotee of Levitical teachings, so much so that 
her son Samuel was given to be raised as a Levitical protege.

Now my advice is this.  Try reading the traditions with these considerations 
in mind.  Basically the components of the tradition are El worship in the 
north, Yahwism in the south, and the Levitical priesthood scattered among 
both.   Read past the syncretism and see if things become more coherent and 
understandable.  If not, move on.

Farewell or  unitl we meet,

L.M. Barre

P.S.  To all teachers, please feel free to available yourself of an outline I 
have produced for didactic purposes.  I know how hard it can be to teach an 
intro course.  In fact, send me back yours if you wish.  And now that I think 
of it, I need someone to help me produce an intro textbook, someone who would 
do at least the writing.  Thanks.

Lloyd M. Barre, Ph.D.
Director
The Ptah Institute
barre AT c-zone.net
www.angelfire.com/ca2/AncientIsrael