Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>]

Paul, in principle I agree with you. But one reason why I did start to 
get involved with this question is one in which history and Hebrew 
really do intersect. Some of the theories of Hebrew verb forms which I 
have been looking at depend on there being a real distinction between 
"Late Biblical Hebrew" and the Hebrew of most of the Hebrew Bible. 
Indeed surely there is such a distinction. But this distinction is 
ignored and made a mockery of by those who attempt to prove that the 
Bible is a product of the Hellenistic age, and is rather difficult to 
reconcile with the view that the Pentateuch is from the Persian 
period. That was my motivation for getting involved in the discussion.

I accept that Rohl's views are only of marginal relevance to the 
Hebrew language. If list members asked me politely to terminate the 
thread for that reason, I would comply. But I will not do so when they 
ask me to desist because of their prejudices against an author of 
whose arguments they are largely ignorant.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
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Subject: Purpose for discussion
Author:  <zellmer AT digitelone.com> at Internet
Date:    14/02/2000 07:46


Ian (and NPL, et al.),

There is something else that I would like to understand.  What exactly 
are we hoping to accomplish with this extended discussion on 
historiology?  Are you looking for a scholarly discussion of the timing 
of events if they occurred as presented in the Hebrew scriptures?  If 
so, I'm afraid that you are in the wrong forum.

To expand on (and reverse) NPL's previous analogy, you are talking to 
"auto mechanics," for I am convinced that most of us joined this list 
because we wanted further insight into the language of the Hebrew bible. 
We neither have the background nor the inclination to do in-depth 
historical studies unless they can teach us something about the text as 
we have it.  Oh, we do have some understanding about the historical 
questions, but so far you have not demonstrated the smallest 
significance on the language that is caused by holding that the events 
of the Pentateuch actually occurred as written, never occurred, or 
occurred in some "kernel of truth" form.

So please, if you will, inform us as to why you see this as a critical 
study for this forum.  If it is to find a scholarly discussion, I 
believe those scholars live en masse on lists like ANE, but, 
regretably(?), not here.

Paul

----

Paul and Dee Zellmer, Jimmy Guingab, Geoffrey Beltran 
Ibanag Translation Project
Cabagan, Isabela, Rep. of Philippines

zellmer AT digitelone.com