Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Tony Costa" <tmcos AT rogers.com>]

George, I guess that is a question that depends on how one approaches the
text. To some it is authoratative and a sacred text, to others, it is only a
literary product of the ancient world that has come to enjoy canonical
status in the Hebrew Bible. The debate of dating the books of the Bible I'm
afraid is one that will continue with us for a long time.

Tony Costa

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>
To: <tmcos AT rogers.com>
Cc: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 1:43 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Re: Job & Sumer


> Oh, I'm quite sure that was the reason the rabbis of the talmudic times
> considered Job to have been written early, but why is it repeated today
> as though it were gospel rather than simply as an historical note?
>
> gfsomsel
> _________
>
> On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 13:15:25 -0400 "Tony Costa" <tmcos AT rogers.com>
> writes:
> >
> >
> >
> > > This has somewhat puzzled me.  Why would one wish to place the
> > > composition of Job at such an early date (assuming for the moment
> > the
> > > reality of the Exodus)?  Even such conservatives as Keil &
> > Delitzsch
> > > thought the work was a product of the exilic period as a M$L
> > LY&R)L.  Is
> > > this simply a general resistance which is to be met with in all
> > cases?
> > > No JEDP but Moses.  No Maccabean apoclalyptist but Daniel.  No
> > wisdom
> > > writer of Job during the Exile but Moses?  What is the basis for
> > wanting
> > > to retroject this back to the time of the origins of Israel?
> > Surely it
> > > reflects a patriarchal scene, but this does not necessitate that
> > it be
> > > composed early.
> > >
> > > gfsomsel
> >
> > George, I believe what probably led the rabbis to maintain that
> > Moses
> > authored the book of Job was perhaps the content of the book.  Job
> > was a
> > Gentile from the land of "Uz", the book doesn't have any particular
> > Jewish
> > elements, it had sacrifices, but these sacrifices in Job are offered
> > up with
> > no Temple which was forbidden to do if the Temple was already
> > standing in
> > Jerusalem. Sacrifices are not necessarily Jewish, since they were
> > offered up
> > to God by Abel and Noah before Abraham. The frequent reference to
> > God as
> > "Shaddai" is reminiscient of the usage of this same title in
> > relation to the
> > patriarchs (eg.Gen.17:1; Exod.6:3) The book of Job never mentions
> > notable
> > Jewish figures such as Moses, or even the patriarchs themselves or
> > even
> > Israel. It comes across as the story of a faithful Gentile who
> > feared God.
> > In Ezek.14:14 (NRSV), "even if Noah, Daniel,  and Job, these three,
> > were in
> > it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness,
> > says the
> > Lord God." Job appears here as a model of a righteous man before
> > God.
> > It was perhaps due to these reasons that the rabbis viewed Job as
> > coming
> > from the patriarchal period.
> >
> > Tony Costa
> >
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> >
> >