Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jack Kilmon" <jkilmon AT historian.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jan Britten" <janbritten AT yahoo.com>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 1:42 PM
Subject: Isaiah 7.14 and Matthew


> From: "Jonathan D. safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>
> Subject: Re: Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew
> 
> > The word "racial" has been used twice by Ian
> Hutchesson in two successive
> > postings concerning the Jewishness/non-Jewishness of
> Matthew.
> > Perhaps Ian would like to clarify what he means by
> "racial"? Is he referring
> > to some anthropological or other scientific or
> non-scientific definition?
> > Y-chromosome studies, perhaps? Clarification,
> please.
> 
> and again
> 
> > Let me point out that in the 1st century CE (and
> before and afterwards, for
> > that matter), Jews did not distinguish between their
> nationality and their
> > religion.
> 
> I am sure that in the light of history we would all
> prefer to avoid the word "racial", or to use it only
> with great care.
> 
> The Hebrew Bible however presents the faith of Jews as
> being a special relationship with God on the basis of
> common descent from a single forefather - Abraham, and
> contrasts their position with those not so descended.
> 
> What word would you choose for this - using the words
> very carefully, and fully aware of the long record of
> history, which we all deplore? The modern usage of
> "national" hardly fits. The modern idea of a "nation"
> has very little connection with descent or origins.
> Anyway "nationalism" has an almost equally awful
> history. Perhaps there are some questions which should
> not be raised, even among careful and restrained
> scholars. And yet this issue is at the heart of the
> Bible.

Socio-ethnic

JK