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  • From: Banyai AT t-online.de (Michael Banyai)
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Golden Calf & the Hathor Cult of Sinai ?
  • Date: 18 Sep 2004 22:21 GMT

Dear Peter Kirk,

I can hardly understand how you bring under a hat the otherwise not so
shameful attitude of the age of Moses and later versus something like a
golden calf and the treatment given it in the Sinai story.

Furthermore there exists no such divine interdiction to the Israelites to
wear gold jewels to feature as a deuteronomic law. The fact that the
Israelites were a primitive "communist" community is the false assesment of
the situation. The regulation of the whoms and hows the booty for example
has to be partitioned, display a very living society with best knowledge of
the value of gold. Private property, etc. etc. is the same as in all others
in the ANE. There is practically nothing to suggest such a society as you
envision. People are paying, and sometimes even gold prices are mentioned.

Since this appears not to be a law, what is it? It is apparently used in
Genesis too in same context, where one should suppose a reference to a cultic
offering conected with Beth-El (a glimpse is given to the oaks of Schechem
too - the placement of the later temple of Schechem)- in fact does this part
of Genesis answer principally 3 main questions - Who are we, which are our
borders, when have our main temples been founded. In no other instance do the
Israelites dig gold rings, or jewelry. This is no typical Israelite behaviour.

Besides, once one has rejected the current reading of this text, there is no
need to explain how the bible redactor envisioned the posibility to drink
gold. He certainly took Numbers 5,11-31 as a model for a divine ordeal, but
to make this function with gold and on such a scale, one ought have lots of
fantasy. Beg your pardon, I don´t have the fantasy to imagine such a
grotesque scene. I see you all try to make function the practically
impossible.

Do you have an idea how long it would take by artisanal bronze age methods to
transform a gold statue into fine powder instead only molting it (should
somebody just want to destroy it)? Perhaps up to a week or so. The reverse
process would take much lesser.

If you can imagine this - ok.

Till than I can claim my interpretation of the text to be a quite rational.

Best regards,

Bányai Michael





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