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  • From: "Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Genesis and Gilgamesh
  • Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:25:15 -0500


Here you are confusing the final editing of the text with the origin
of the traditions, or trying to assume that these are contemporaneous.
R. Abraham ibn Ezra was on the right track if he recognised that a few
passages were later editorial revisions. So their dating can only give
us a possible date for the final editing of Genesis, and tell us
nothing about the dating of earlier versions, whether written or oral
tradition.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Genesis and Gilgamesh
Author: <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il> at Internet
Date: 18/01/2000 09:15


Dear Rolf,
You have made some cogent points in your pointing out our ignorance as
to when the actual autographs of various biblical books were written.
But we do have some terminus a quos:
There are several indications in the Torah that it could not have been
written before the First Temple Period. Take, for example, Gen. 36:31:
"And these are the kings who ruled over Edom before there reigned a king
over Israel (or: before their reigned an Israelite King [over Edom]).
This could not have been written before Saul and possibly not before
David.
R. Abraham ibn Ezra, writing in the 12th century, pointed out 12 verses
which were of post-Mosaic origin.
We also have such indications for other books of the Bible.
So you can't make this blanket statement:

"Frankly speaking, we know nothing about the origin of Hebrew Bible
autographs, and I see no compelling reason to reject the possibility
that
such manuscripts existed before the time of the oldest copies of
Athrahasis, Enuma Elish, and Gilgamesh."

-
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office 44905
Israel





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