Biblical Hebrew Forum

[John Ronning <ronning AT nis.za>]

Niels Peter Lemche wrote:
> 
> 
> Because there are few other tells in the neighborhood that will make an Ai.

As you know, only one is needed, like Kirbet el-Maqatir
which is a small site (as Joshua describes it, unlike
et-Tell which is a huge site), and had a late bronze age
fortress with gate, as described in Joshua, and whose
topography matches the descriptions in Joshua (unlike
et-Tell).

> And it is the old game--for people who have in advance decided that the
> Bible must be true as far as historical events go--if a place can not be a
> place--Biblewise--it is in another place. This trick has ben played over and
> over again. bethel is not Bethel (Beitin), because it was founded later than
> Joshua, 

Or is it the old game, that evidence that is taken as being
against the historicity of Joshua cannot be given up no
matter how flimsy - like Bethel = Beitin based on a 19th
century (AD!) tradition, with zero epigraphic evidence for
it, and despite not agreeing with ancient descriptions of
its locations based on Roman mile markers?


Regards,

John Ronning