Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

Walter wrote:
>> Genesis has a variety of historical markers dating it. Allusions to a flood
>> myth originating with the Sumerians in the 3rd millenium BCE; allusions to
>> cities that did not possess "world-renoun" until after the 10th century
BCE;
>> allusions to nations not known to exist prior to the 7th century BCE like
>> Lydia (at least the Assyrians were not aware of it); allusions to Madai's
>> (Medes) descent from Japheth, which I have ascertained to be a 5th century
>> BCE reworking of the 6th century BCE Athenian Medus myth by the Persian
>> royal court.

Dave responded:
>This seems like more speculation.  We assume we know who 
>Madai was, but this also is far from certain. 

I think Dave is being overly cautious here. While in all other places where
the Madai are mentioned in the OT/HB no-one has any doubts as to the
significance, Dave doesn't feel we can assume we know who Madai was. Why
not, Dave?

>I have yet to see anything that definitively nails down the date of 
>the Pentateuch, early or late.

How about the son of Cush called Sabteca, the name of that son of Kush, the
Kushite king, Shabtaka (697 - 690 BCE)? (But I guess if a simple term like
madai doesn't pass there's not much hope for this either.)


Cheers,


Ian