Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

This is primitive Wellhausenism. We have the Hebrew Geza Calender from the 
10th
century. We have a Phonecian alphabetic tradition even earlier. We have a 13th
century Ugaritic tradition. Alphabetic writing certainly precedes David. And 
who said
the texts had to be preserved alphabetically? We have cuneiform back to the 
3rd
millenium. And I am no egyptologist, but I think heiroglyphics are proven to 
go way
back.

The notion that writing is young, therefore government is young, therefore 
the texts
are young, is wacky 19th century fantasy born out of pure ignorance. Writing 
is OLD.
Alphabetic or otherwise. And so is government.




"If there are many wisemen in a city, this means that the city will soon 
fall."
Babylonian proverb

Jonathan Bailey
Hochschule für Jüdische Studien
Heidelberg
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Column/9707/index.html
---------- Original Message ----------

>In relation to the Evolution of texts and the theory of a Mosaic, or
>contemporary, authorship, what are the opinions about the existence or
>non-existence of a scribal school that had to have existed in order to pass
>on the words of Moses, and to continue the history as the events happened.
>in other words who wrote these texts?  For example 'during David's reign we
>have no sure evidence of either the Egyptian system or of alphabetic
>writing' (ABD vi 1005)  Surely in order to promulgate the texts then a
>literary tradition of schools etc had to have existed and this would imply
>organized state structures.  There appears to be some evidence of schooling
>in 8th-7th century B.C. but this would have been when a semblance of a state
>existed.  What about the proceeding 700 years.  Who wrote recorded and added
>to these stories?

>It seems logical to think that literacy is tied to state which sees a
>terminus a quo of at least the 8th century for the texts.

>Best regards
>Noel O Riordan



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