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  • From: Jim West <jwest AT highland.net>
  • To: Charles David Isbell <cisbell AT home.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: BAR- what rubbish
  • Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:54:35 -0500


At 10:46 AM 2/25/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Jim,
>Thanks for your response. I note your estimate of Whitelam, and confirm
>that you have properly understood my own very different evaluation. I wrote
>privately to Niels that I actually agree with Whitelam's call for a study of
>history of the region free from the categories of biblical scholarship. I
>think, however, that choosing a term that was forced upon a defeated Israel
>by an angry Roman Empire in the 2nd century CE is an inflammatory choice for
>discussing late Bronze and Iron Age evidence.

That is an interesting point Charles. You are right that the term
"Palestine" is problematic because it does have political connotations as
strong as the term "Israel". I am at a loss to find a replacement term for
either. What should we call the place? The people? Canaan?


>My concern is with inflammatory and politically motivated rhetoric on EITHER
>side. As I said, I myself criticized Shanks, but I would think that E. W.
>Said (who is the most often quoted scholarly source in Whitelam's book) has
>certainly presented his views as negatively as anyone I know on the opposite
>side of the political fence.

That is tragic- and regrettable- but even if the facts are presented poorly,
the remain in essence facts.

19 Adar 5760

Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jim West, ThD
jwest AT highland.net
http://web.infoave.net/~jwest






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