Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

Walter Mattfeld wrote:
> 
> Contra John Ronning's assertions, that it is impossible that e-Tell could be
> Ai because it doesn't meet the topographical criteria of the biblical
> account, an Israeli scholar did an article on Ai's location in 1985, and was
> "fully satisfied" from his on the site investigations that  Khirbet
> et-Tell's topography  met the biblical criteria.

This is getting nowhere.  John quotes scholars who support his position,
Walter quotes scholars who support his position.  It's obvious, at least
to me, that all of these investigators have begun with certain
presuppositions and are looking at the digs in such a way as to verify
them.  If this discussion doesn't underscore the very tenuous and
inconclusive nature of archaeological "evidence," I don't know what
will.  If one reads enough material interpreting the digs, one can find
support for virtually any viewpoint. Hence, I have to conclude that
basing a viewpoint strictly (or even primarily) on archaeology is
tantamount to leaning on a broken reed, as my father used to say.

-- 
Dave Washburn
dwashbur AT nyx.net
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
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