Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>]

Liz's remark is on target !!!

In one Mesopotamian myth, man is created by a "rebel" GOD being killed and
slaughtered and his BODY being ground into the clay of the APSU. The
heartbeat in man's body, being called a drum, to remind man that a GOD
dwells within him, giving him life. Rather amazing isn't it ? That is, the
Christian notion that a GOD (Christ) upon being eaten in the Eucharist
"dwells within man" assuring him immortal life.

In the Mesopotamian myths, the ONLY man who gets immortality is Utnapishtim
the Flood hero. He is FLESH AND BLOOD, and does not die (so also his wife
and pilot). It would appear from these myths that the Gods possessed
PHYSICAL BODIES that could be ground into CLAY making Man, and that Gods
could DIE (Gods could also "go hungry" if not fed by sacrifices presented by
Man in the same Flood myth).  Perhaps this Mesopotamian notion of Gods
possessing PHYSICAL BODIES explains the Henrew notion that God appears to
Abraham in a PHYSICAL BODY before his visit to Sodom and Gomorrah (in other
words, the Hebrews may not have understood God to be a Spiritual being, but
a PHYSICAL BEING).

Ergo, perhaps the Hebrew notion that Man is a LIVING FLESH and BLOOD BEING,
and not a Spiritual Being trapped in a physical body that flys away to God
at death like the Greek notion.

Liz, thankyou for pointing out Samuel's resurrection would be as a Flesh and
Blood being, not some bodiless "spirit" or "apparition."

Regards, Walter
Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld, M.A. Ed.
www.bibleorigins.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 8:12 AM
Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] nefesh revisited


> Dear Matthew,
> A nephesh is not breath particularly.
> The nephesh is in the *blood*. IT's correctly
> translated by Latin "anima." It's the thing which
> animates the body, or the animated body.
> God breathed into Adam, and he became a living nephesh,
> meaning he was now animated.
>
> As far as Samuel goes, there is nothing in that text to
> indicate soul or spirit or anything. It was the appearance
> of an old man in a robe.= Ergo, it was a body, physical,
> something that could be seen (tho only by the woman
> apparently). In any case, there is nothing here to imply that
> you do not have your body with you in Sheol.
> This is reminiscent of all the visions of God in the OT,
> there is no concept anywhere of either gods or the dead
> without a physical body.
> Liz