Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT sil.org]

Ian, you can't have it every way! Do you, or do you not, hold that it 
is impossible to date any part of the Hebrew Bible to before the 
second century BCE? You have said that, or very nearly that, before, 
and you have persistently rejected any arguments for any earlier 
datings of any specific books I and others have named.

So when you ask others to provide proof of dating of anything earlier 
than that, it is already clear that you will not accept their 
evidence. So all you are doing is trying to trap them.

See my further comments below.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Re: JEDP (Melchizedek) (JDS)
Author:  <MC2499 AT mclink.it> at Internet
Date:    20/12/1999 19:27

<snip>

.. All you need to do is provide datable exemplars regarding el elyon to any 
period prior to the second century BCE, ...

<snip>

.. I can date *all* datable usage of el elyon to the second century 
(or a little later)...

PK: Of course, because you have already rejected the possibility of 
anything being datable to before the second century. So if anyone 
comes up with a counter-example, whether from 3rd, 14th or 20th 
century, all you do is say "undatable" and resort to your old 
arguments on dating. By your methods, I could say exactly the same of 
all datable usages of YHWH, Elohim, Shaddai etc etc.

<snip>

I think it's quite damning that despite the proposal that Melchizedek refers 
to 
someone from a very early period, there is no speculation on, or use of, the 
mys
tical personage until Hasmonean times -- and then Melchizedek becomes 
relatively
 popular.

PK: Please name some documents in Hebrew which you date to earlier 
times which contain speculation about any person but not about 
Melchizedek. Or for that matter any document of such date, other than 
short inscriptions, which fails to mention Melchizedek.

Cheers,


Ian