Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re[2]: Dating the Pentateuch- Ai and a-Tell

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Ruthy & Baruch" <alster AT comandcom.com>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Dating the Pentateuch- Ai and a-Tell
  • Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 19:22:20 +0200


Shavua` Tov!

I sent this message yesterday, but it got sent back to me by Lyris. I hope
it gets through this time (and is still relevant ...)

>
> Shalom!
>
> I wrote:
> > > However, there is at least one great difference between a-Tell and
the
> Ai
> > > narrative that puts this theory in doubt: the size of Ai according to
> > > Joshua. Both in chap. 7, and in chap. 9, Ai is referred to as a
small
> > > city, smaller than Gibeon or Jericho. However, a-Tell is one of the
> > > largest tells in Israel. So we cannot say that a later writer used
the
> > > conquest story to explain the ancient ruin.
>
> to which NPL responded:
> > How??? The Israelite force that is beaten off counts 30.000 men
> > (Josh 8:3), the killing of people in Ai count 12.000 persons (Josh
8:25).
> I
> > will say that this counterargument has little to do with the narrative,
> some
> > may say eisegesis and not exegesis.
>
> But in 7:3, the Israelites thought they could conquer Ai with 2 or 3
> thousand men.
>
> NPL:
> And there is nothing in Josh 9 about the
> > size of Gibeon.
>
> Sorry, of course you're right. It's in 10:2.
>
>
> NPL:
> > The only thing that would probably be needed is to check
> > Finkelstein's Samaria survey to see whether he has been around the tell
> > proposed as Ai during this exchange.
>
> I'll check as soon as I can get to a library, God willing, sometime this
> week.
>
> Kol Tuv,
> Baruch Alster
> Kochav Ya`akov, Israel





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page