Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Niels Peter Lemche <npl AT teol.ku.dk>]

        ...
> To this day, I along with millions of other Jews on Pesah, begin
> recounting
> the story of the exodus with the words, (avadim hayinu, "we used to be
> slaves."  That the biblical story reflects a kernel of some event
> thousands
> of years ago I do not doubt.  But for me, the story is far more than a
> once
> for all, one time only literary artifact to be dusted off once in a while
> and defended against skeptics like Niels.  It is a foundational myth of
> faith that teaches a clear perspective about who YHWH was/is and the
> lengths
> to which we believe He will go to create liberation and defeat oppression.
> No single story, chained to a single point in time and imprisoned in a
> single naturalistic, rationalistic explanation, could function over
> centuries of time as the world's greatest myth about liberation and
> freedom
> wrought by the God of the little guy, YHWH.  Explaining away the story
> destroys it.
> 
> Doffing the cap to Niels, Sign Me,
> Charles David Isbell, a true believer in Baton Rouge.
        [Niels Peter Lemche]  
        Dear Charles,

        exactly as I want the discussion to run. After a lecture about the
foundation myths of the Jewish nation at Bar Ilan a couple of years ago, the
answer from the head of the department of Jewish studies--a rabbi whom I
count as a dear friend--remarked that they--the rabbis would probably have
come to a similar result although along a different route. When we can agree
on the essentials, the importance of the story of the Bible, we can always
start discussing dates of texts and events. This can be done in a very
respectful way, if facts (whatever they are: i.e. documents in stone and on
paper etc.) are respected and not neglected.

        NPL