Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Goldsmith <iangoldsmith1969 AT yahoo.co.uk>]

Ian.

> Given I think enough evidence for an earliest date
> for the writing of Genesis (including the iron
> discussion), I would like to know what evidence puts
> the first writing of Genesis traditions before the
> exile?

Do want to go down the oral tradition route again?
I was only curious really about the possible use of
'iron' pre-iron-age. Personally I take most of the OT
to be reliable as far as the narrative, but also
appreciate that others hold a different view.

Although there may not be any evidence for an oral
form of these texts (well there wouldn't be, would
there!), I still believe that they were capable of
being transmitted nearly entirely intact to successive
generations. People even today have memorised entire
books of the bible, one gentleman even committed the
entire new testament to memory a couple of years back.
I'm sure there a Jewish scholars capable of similar
feats!

This may explain the text being "updated" in areas
where place names etc have fallen out of use, but on
the whole I stick to its reliability. 

If you haven't a TV then histories and stories are a
compelling and valuable resource to entertain and to
pass on valuable information about your ancestors. I'm
sure they would have been considered priceless.

So in summary, however old books like Genesis can be
proved to be, to me they are the oldest stories I know
of and I 'believe' them to be in origin much older
than the later books (in regards of narrative).

Thanks.
Ian.






=====
Ian Goldsmith.
England.

Dibrah Torah kilshone bnei-adam
'The Torah spoke in the language of ordinary men.'
Berakot 31b

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