Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

> 
> > This kind of attack is as unscholarly as anything I've seen recently. 
> >  "Pinocchio's nose grew when he lied.  You have a big nose.  
> > Therefore you must be lying."  What kind of ridiculous guilt by 
> > association is this?
> > 
>       Of course it is scholarly. If Dave Washburn thinks that it is
> unscholarly, he hereby says that he does not know what scholarship is about.
> It has to do with sifting the evidence, proposing theories, falsifying
> theorues, evaluating the evidence again, proposing new theories etc, etc.
> and ot goes on and on. If there is at the beginning no evidence--and I
> repeat there is no evidence for the claim that Saul belonged to the Amarna
> period, it is a wild shot in the darkness. It cannot be refited because
> there is no evidence, and it cannot be vindicated because there is none. 

Translation: if NPL says there's no evidence, that's scholarly; if 
David Rohl says there is, that's unscholarly.  'Nuff said.

[snip]
>       We have had this discussion about what scholarship is several times
> over the last two months. Remember that it is the scholars who decide the
> rules of their game, not laypersons. The lay can put forward ideas, even
> discuss them but without the basic training that includes the ability to
> distinguish between theory and postulate, there is little chance that the
> layperson can stand up when it comes to a disxcussion with the
> professionals. 

Of course, Niels is assuming that both Rohl and I are lay persons; 
of course we must be, since we disagree with him (and apparently 
this is the only criterion).  He is right about one thing, though: we 
have been down this road before and I don't care to go there again.  
I will conclude simply by saying that it is not enough to define 
one's detractors out of the game.  History will decide.


Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.
                                   Psalm 86:11