Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: barre AT access1.com [SMTP:barre AT access1.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, 09 February, 2000 12:55
> To:   Biblical Hebrew
> Subject:      Summary of relevant data so far
> 
> Hypothesis: Jacob was a contemporary of Lab'aya and Hamor.
> 
> Common topic: Shechem in the 14th and 13th centuries.
> 
> 
> - Lab'aya gave up the land of Shechem to the Habiru.
> 
> -  Jacob took Shechem by "his sword and his bow." NPL: I am sorry; did I
> miss something? In Gen 34, Simeon and Levi kills the men of Shechem and
> plunder the city, in Gen 49:5-6, they are accused of having killed people
> and detroyed property (no names given). In Gen 34 Jacob regrets the acts
> of his sons, he does not conquer anything.
> 
> - Hamor the Hurrian ruled Shechem.
        Now, Hamor is not a Hurrian, he is a Hivvite. Maybe the Hivvites are
Hurrians, but we do not know and Hamor's name is Semitic (Amorite/Hebrew).

> - Hamor's son was named Shechem.
> 
> - Hurrian names are attested at El Amarna.
> 
> - Some Hurrian chieftains ruled cities.
> 
> - Hamor is a Semitic name.
> 
> - Semitic Hurrians were ruled by an Indo-European aristocracy.
        What? Hurrians were not Semites, and their language was totally
different. What has the Indo-Iranians to do with this. There are also
Indo-Iranian PN among the nams of rulers in the Amarna archive (e.g. in
Damascu), but did they rule Hurrian speaking or Semitic speaking people? 
> - Shechem suffered destruction in the era intersecting with Lab'aya.
        Wilfull interpretation of the not very safe archaeological evidence.

> -  Lab'aya and Akhenaten were contemporaries.
        Great? 
> - Hamor and Jacob are portrayed as contemporaries.
> 
> - Lab'aya gave up Shechem.
> 
> - Jacob seized Shechem by force.
        No! Even an argument exclusively based on the Bible alone can see
that this is wrong. There is nothing about Jacob having conquered Shechem. 
> - Joshua reportedly too possession of Shechem without conflict.
> 
> 
> 
        I cannot find any evidence here that supports your hypothesis.
        NPL