Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jonathan Bailey <jonathan.bailey AT gmx.de>]

---------- Original Message ----------

>Jonathan, you made a number of comments here that were good, I would like
>to throw out few ideas which to me are so simple, yet are ignored. 1. A
>simple reading of the Pent. shows that the author (redactor) attempted to
>present a chronological history. (There are some notable exceptions, but
>this is the rule.) 2. If one looks at the toldot in the begining of Genesis
>they seem to fulfil a literary purpose: They filling the blanks. It is hard
>to tell a story when you jump from Adam of Noah, and you have no idea who
>this Noah is. Likewise it allows for Abraham to be introduced. Later the
>countings of the tribes (which is similar in style to a toldot) fulfills
>that purpose.

>My point being that from a pure literary standpoint had the toldot not been
>there, something else would be needed to fulfil that purpose.

Well, this is good evidence. Better, I think, than Kirk's supposition that 
Moses wouldn't
have carried written records around with him. Still, though, not entirely 
convincing. But
I am reading Genesis right now keeping my eye open for this sort of thing, 
and will see
where it takes me.




Jonathan Bailey
Hochschule für Jüdische Studien
Heidelberg