Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

The Case Against a Hellenistic or Hasmonean created Primary History
(Genesis-2 Kings)

30 September 2001


If the Hasmoneans were responsible for writing the Primary History in the
course of the second or first centuries BCE or even the Hellenistic era
(after 332 BCE), how is it possible that NO hamlets, towns, or cities later
than the 7th century BCE exist in the narratives ? One would have thought
that if this was a creation of Hellenistic times, there should be a "few
slips" and some sites attested as being no earlier than the Hellenistic era
would appear in the narratives.

The latest site I could find, coming into existence, was Aroer in the Negeb
(1 Samuel 30:28)

"Ar`arah was excavated between 1975 and 1981 by A. Biran and R. Cohen. They
concluded that this 5-acre site was first settled in the 7th century BC and
was occupied intermittently, until ca. AD 70. Though it is possible that
further excavations might uncover remains from the 11th or 10th centuries
BC, it does not appear that `Ar`arah was occupied in the time of David."(cf.
Vol.1, p. 400, Gerald Mattingly, "Aroer, #4," David Noel Freedman, Editor.
Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York. 1992).

If somone knows of a site founded no earlier than the Hellenistic period,
which appears in the Primary History's biblical narratives, I would
appreciate receiving that information.

All the best, Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany
www.bibleorigins.net