Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

As Peter pointed out, nobody really seems to be presenting it as "gospel."  
However, the info that Tony supplied would seem to support an early date 
rather than a late one.

On Friday 11 June 2004 11:43, George F. Somsel wrote:
> 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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>
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-- 
Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
Learning about Christianity from a non-Christian
is like getting a kiss over the telephone.