Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Banyai Michael" <banyai AT t-online.de>]

Peter Kirk wrote:

> Very easy, you go round by the coastal plain. Even the most conservative
> scholars accept that this was never really controlled by Jerusalem. Or you
> go through Moab and round the south of the Dead Sea, the obvious route if
> Moab was under control from Samaria before independence under Mesha. There's
> a nice inscription about that one, so you can't cast too many doubts on it.

Wonderfull. It makes much sense to conquer Moab up to reach such an
important trade destination like Kuntillet...(snip, snip). And besides
Moab (whose controll by Israel is acquainted by tradition) there is still
Edom to pass, which same tradition accord Juda. Israelite controll of Moab
is mentioned quasi in the same sentence (which you find corroborated by
Mesha) with the Judean  controll over Edom.

So make just a big leap over Edom with the important destination
Kuntillet. Isn´t it grotesque? While Kuntillets position makes it
obviously the trade station on the way between Raphia and Eilat.

Besides, who says, that Kuntillet dates to the time of Israelite controll
over Moab?

But all granted, you made the big leap as a Samaritan over Edom, the next
you-ve done is , you already reached Eilat. Than what is the possesion of
Kuntillet usefull for? Furthermore, if it where possible to find such a
site with that concentration of "Samaritan" ceramic, it should be possible
to find at least a couple more of such intermediate stations on the very,
very long trail across Moab, Edom and so on.

The other way round, the coastal way makes of course much more sense,
since it accords some role at least to Kuntillet on the transit way
towards Eilat.

But I ask, since you had to pass the unsubmissive Philistine lands, why
not better directly take the sea way from some Israelite port, till
Raphia, thus bypassing the Philistines and keeping them away from the
benefits of the trade?

Best regards,

Bányai Michael