Biblical Hebrew Forum

[MarianneLuban AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/27/2004 11:30:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
peterkirk AT qaya.org writes:


> On 27/08/2004 18:18, MarianneLuban AT aol.com wrote:
> 
> > ...
> >
> >>The primary document about the Exodus, the Book of Exodus itself (12:2, 
> >>13:4, 23:15, 34:18), gives a clear date in the 1st month Abib of the 
> >>Hebrew year, and the unbroken Pesach tradition places that in the spring 
> >>i.e. March-April, at the time when Pesach is still celebrated. The 
> >>calendar of 23:14-17 and its elaborations elsewhere in the Torah clearly 
> >>associate the Exodus with springtime.- 
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Peter, I hardly think that is a revelation--especially to the Jews here, 
> >which includes myself.  What is your point?  
> >
> >  
> >
> My point is very simple, that you were apparently ignoring the primary 
> evidence while bringing up some obscure secondary evidence. Of course 
> the primary evidence is well known, although its interpretation is 
> disputed as Michael has stated. But I didn't think it was really quite 
> so obvious to all that it didn't even need to be stated.

What do you mean?  You snipped the part of my post where I explained that the 
eruption of Thera occurred in phases.  That is well-known from the evidence 
found at Akrotiri, a site on Thera that has undergone considerable 
excavation.  
I wrote that Josephus said that *the* exodus, which he believed to have taken 
place in the time of Ahmose I--occurred in the Egyptian month of Pharmouti 
(which coincided with Nisan).  At the time of Ahmose I Pharmouti fell in 
April 
by the Julian calendar.  How does that contradict the BOE?   The final 
cataclysmic eruption of Thera likely did occur in the fall--but why did the 
Hebrews 
have to wait for that one?  Just because it was included in the exodus story 
doesn't mean the Hebrews couldn't have left before the final blast ---or even 
some months later.  Or even that the eruption of the Thera volcano had 
nothing to 
do with the departure at all.  It can have been just another anachronism.  
Since we do not actually have an irrefutable year for this final eruption, 
there 
is little point in quibbling.