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b-hebrew - A 'Thrashing' Floor?

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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: b.gardner AT abdn.ac.uk
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Cc: dependabol AT hotmail.com
  • Subject: A 'Thrashing' Floor?
  • Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 02:10:30 GB


Hi Bill,
May I recommend Jacob Neusner's 'Between Time and Eternity' for just
one alternative way of seeing the biblical accounts? You are correct that the
remarks by Samuel must indicate an underlying philiosophy - doesn't
everything?

However, the approach Samuel represents to you takes account of the text as
it
stands and it doesn't have to posit lost sources and traditions for the which
no evidence is presented it seems, to explain the uncomfortable discrepancies.

Those discrepancies show evolving theological perspectives inside a growing,
overall, Jewish tradition which involves both the editing and canon, and the
Kings/Chronicles analogy is, at least, one clear, logical way of seeing the
HB.

For other examples of theological history revised from different
perspectives,
look at the 'doublets', such as the wife/sister stories in Genesis 12, 20 and
26, and Exodus17/Numbers 20 versions of water from the rock. Genesis 1:1-2:4a
and 2:4bf, roughly-speaking show the update (1:1-2:4a) of a previous
tradition
(2:4bf) judged by the relative sophistication and abstraction of the first
over
the second, with its recognisably priestly concern with sacred numbers inside
a
universal conception of God as Creator of the whole world (cf. Isaiah 40)
which
to me indicates the Exile, Return and after, because the universal world-view
is compatible with the syncretistic approach of the Persians whose victory
over
Babylon set Jews (who chose to be so) free to return to re-establish
Jerusalem.

As a particular example of the uneasy alliance between Judaism and
Mesopotamia,
note there is a duality of number 6/7 in the Creation story. The distinctive
Babylonian number system was based on 60, the wonder of the ancient world,
and
the Jews were focused on their religious number 7. In the Creation narrative,
the Creation is made in 6 days, representing earth's limits in the
achievement
of science and mathematics in Babylon, which could measure the heavens and
had
records of astronomical observation going far back in history. But God rests
on
the seventh day and the Jews show their distinctive relationship to the
Creator
himself by their worship on that day. The duality shows how some Jews learned
the science of Babylon (cf. Daniel 1 which even if not proven to be
historical
nevertheless represents attested Babylonian re-education policy for captives)
while, at the same time, keeping their own religious counsel. The same
Priestly
writer, dealing with the years of Noah and his son Shem, uses another
variation
on the base-number 60: in Noah's 600 years to the Flood mirroring Shem's age.

The Chronicles, in the original Hebrew Bible, do not appear after Kings, as
in
the Christian Bible, but as the conclusion to the whole canon. That is: where
the Bible of Christianity ends with Malachi 4, the Hebrew Bible ends with 2nd
Chron 36 and so the Hebrew Bible ends with the Decree of Cyrus. This gives
the
clear impression (since the Chronicler's history starts with Adam) that, very
like Revelation in the Christian canon, there is a challenge to Israel in
some
sense to 'go up' applying to the Chronicler's age and thereafter to all
Judaism.

Secondly, our Samuel is attempting to see the text as it was in Judaism
rather
than imposing a late Second Temple - even Christian - agenda upon it.
Thirdly,
it is an approach which need not exclude faith, whereas your position seems
to
depends on faith and a particular view of historicity to underpin its
validity.

Finally, I hope - remembering my earlier remarks about the link (unconscious
it
seems to Christians) between very definite 'Christianities' and fascism -
that
there will never be any need, or desire, in any of us, to 'beat' those with a
different view. It may be that as historicism loses credibility even with
those
thinking evangelicals that once defended it, the diehards will turn to force.
I
myself saw a McCarthyite victimisation of a community leader in an
evangelical
part of Scotland because he simply asked a public speaker on Creationism if
the
six days of Genesis 1 could be six epochs. To me, it was non-question in a
way
since Genesis 1 is not OUR science, but even that variation brought a
reaction.

I know there may be many historicist Christians who might not be so
oppressive,
but it does seem to follow where a faith-position refuses to respect any
other.

So, please, no more talk of beating. We are doing our best to get to the
bottom
of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Let's try to show respect where we
disagree.

Yours tolerantly,


Bruce.



> Samuel wrote:-
>
> >There is no need to try to accommodate the two accounts. It is quite
> >obvious
> >what has happened. The writer of Samuel is thinking only of what the GROUND
> >would have been worth, and merely wants to make it clear that David paid a
> >generous price, amply more than it was worth. For the writer of Chronicles
> >this is not enough. He is thinking of what the TEMPLE was worth. Such a
> >paltry sum as a mere 50 shekels of silver as an initial outlay is unworthy
> >of the temple. The price should be a figure that sets a standard for the
> >opulence and slpendour of the temple. So he makes the figure 600 shekels of
> >gold.
> >
> >This is the way religious history is written.
>
> It seems Ian hasn't beaten you for making such statements so I'll do
> his job for him.
>
> This is nothing more than pure conjecture. It tells us more about your
> belief system than it does about the text. It is no more plausible
> than other attempts to harmonize the accounts or the suggestion that
> the original tradition was split in to two at some indeterminate point
> in the past and continued to develope independently. Can you give us
> any other evidence, apart from your personal belief, that your version
> is correct? Can you demonstrate "This is the way religious history is
> written"? Even if you can, how can you be sure you can apply it in this
> particular case?
>
>
>
>
> Bill Rea, Information Technology Dept., Canterbury University \_
> E-Mail b dot rea at it dot canterbury dot ac dot nz </ New
> Phone 64-3-364-2331, Fax 64-3-364-2332 /) Zealand
> Unix Systems Administrator (/'
>
>
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