Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Polycarp66 AT aol.com>
To: <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>; <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2000 6:35 PM
Subject: Re: Dating the Pentateuch, Jericho's Anomalies



> Therefore, I ask "What is your objective?"  Are you attempting to bludgeon
> those who chose to accept the historicity of these accounts?  I don't
count
> myself among them; however, I do have sympathy for their dilemma.  I find
> this whole matter rather objectionable since it is a constant barrage of
> negativity.
>
> If you have something positive to say, please get on with it.  Establish,
or
> attempt to  establish, your hypothesis rather than regale us with negative
> comments.
>
> gfsomsel
>

Dear Mr. Somsel,

It is my understanding that one of the purposes of this list is a study of
the historicity behind  the texts, not merely queries about linguistic forms
of verbs and tenses. This list is open to a wide variety of views from
Liberal to Conservative, Jewish to Christian, as well as Agnostics and
Aetheists. You have a delete key on your computer, if you object to
presentations from certain individuals, myself included, just hit delete,
you don't have to read the arguments if they are disturbing to you.

My research is concerned with establishing just when these texts were
written by using archaeologically dated towns and cities whose names appear
in the various books of the Hebrew Bible. There are a variety of scholarly
ideas about the dates of these texts. Scholarly arguments involve refuting a
position and offering another in its place, that is what I am doing. No one
is happy about having their position or understandings challenged, but in
order to advance scholarship and understandings, refuting and advancing new
paradigms is what scholarship is about.

I can see where one would interpret refutations as "all this negativeness,
nothing positive to say," but the purpose of Humanist scholarly inquiry is
about constantly seeking better explanations.

I would say finally, for those who are satisfied with the views they hold,
and who don't want to be disturbed by a challenge to those views, simply use
your delete key when you see anything from me, for I will always be
challenging (I also welcome challenges and rebuttals to my views, that's how
I grow in knowledge).

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany