Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bill Rea <cctr114 AT its.canterbury.ac.nz>]

>Have you taken time to notice how many sexual
>connotations are made in the HB?  I mean we discuss
>things all the time on this board that we eventually
>bring some kind of sexual meaning onto.  I just
>thought it might be of some interest to watch for that
>and see how often it happens.  We have recently been
>discussing the "uncover nakedness of..." passage and
>the "stones" from Ecc. 3.  These are only two of the
>MANY that we have discussed.  I just think it
>interesting.
>
>Did the ancient Jews really focus so much on sex?  And
>why is it that so much is negative and not as much
>positive (Song of Songs excepted)?  Just interested. 

I suspect the problem lies in the fact that sex is rarely discussed
in clinical terms. Present day people use a lot of metaphors and
euphemisms when dealing with it. When looking back at ancient
literature it is difficult for us to understand their particular
set of figures of speak on this topic. So it to be expected that
passages which deal with it will be difficult to understand and
a lot of questions will arise about how to make sense of what
we read. 

If you want to take other examples, ``feet'' for male genitals
is a known euphemism. When Ruth uncovered the feet of Boaz did
she have sex with him? I know of some people who catagorically
state that she did. I don't think the evidence is that clear cut,
I think she didn't, but maybe she did. Or when the Seraphs in Isaiah
were covering their ``feet'' with their wings where they really 
covering their genitals because they were flying naked?

I'm not sure why you interpret their writings as negative.
Prohibitions on sex with near relatives would seem to be biologically
desirable. In an age when there was, at very best, ineffective
contraception and medication in case of disease, it was pragmatic to
confine your sexual activities to your wife/husband. If you're
looking for passages which say gee sex is fun let's do it lots,
then are some in proverbs as well.


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