Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

It may surprise some who have read my comments about mythology and
literary criticism, but I myself consider the texts which form the canon
of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament to be authoritative.  I simply
don't require that they be authoritative for science, history, geography,
cosmogony, etc.  If they are scientifically inaccurate by reflecting the
viewpoints of their time, so what?  If they are historically inaccurate
as being written at a time when the events were no longer well-known, so
what?  Are these things what they are meant to inculcate?  It seems to me
that such a view would reduce faith to a kind of knowledge -- if you
"know" the right things, you're OK.  I view faith as a trusting in God
for all things good which doesn't mean that I need to correctly explain
them.  Thus it is not that anyone who doesn't accept these texts as
historically accurate also doesn't accept them as "authoratative [sic!]
and sacred text."

gfsomsel
________
On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:01:02 -0400 "Tony Costa" <tmcos AT rogers.com>
writes:
> 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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> > > b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
> > >
> > >
> 
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