Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dora Smith" <villandra AT austin.rr.com>]

Thanks- I actually found a reference to that last night.

On the other hand, two other people, noticing conveniently temporarily that
Hebrew verses commonly pair concepts as a poetic device, argues taht since
the first part of Deuteronomy 23:7-18 (just one verse, not sure which one)
refers to the price of a female harlot, the word dog in the second part
refers to a male harlot.    This is the justification, I guess, by one
theory of what he is talking about, for Robert Gagnon arguing that the
passage in Revelation about outer darkness with dogs and whores and whatnot
refers to homosexuals.

I'm inclined to think that literal dogs have some cultic significance, and
the page I was reading last night mentioned Inanna/ Asherah and a cult of
healing symbolized by dogs.

But I wonder if this is the whole story.

I vaguely remember that dogs as well as donkeys could be sacrificed and cut
in half and buried in a temple to ratify a covenant - but I'm having trouble
confirming it.

Did dogs have other cultic significance?

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas
villandra AT austin.rr.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Heard, Christopher" <Christopher.Heard AT pepperdine.edu>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] What was it with the dogs? Cult objects or
maleprostitutes?


> In an article in BAR (I think) and then again in Life in Biblical
> Israel, Larry Stager (writing with Philip King in the book) argues that
> "dog" in Deut 23:19 should be taken literally. He cites the presence of
> "dog cemeteries" at certain cultic sites and suggests that
> dogs--literal canines--were believed at those sites to have healing
> powers. For whatever that's worth. The BAR article is referenced in the
> brief section in Life in Biblical Israel, for those interested in
> tracking it down.
>
> On Feb 17, 2005, at 1:00 PM, Dora Smith wrote:
>
> >
> > In Revelation is mentioned people who don't make the cut being stuck
> > outside
> > the city with dogs, fornicators,  and other unsavory characters.
> > Robert
> > Gagnon read this statement to include homosexuals, and some think he
> > gets
> > there from the mention of dogs.
> >
> > Deuteronomy 23:7-18 includes a passage saying you shall not bring the
> > price
> > of a whore or of a dog to the temple.
> >
> > All other mentions of dogs I can find appear to refer to less than
> > savory
> > creatures who get your bones when you are dead - and you don't want to
> > be
> > called one if you are a warrior.    Yet sometimes it is better to be
> > one
> > than a lion.
> >
> > The word used is KELEB.   I don't know if there is more than one word
> > in the
> > OT for dog.
> >
> > Strong's says that dog can mean a male prostitute.
> >
> > The passage in Deuteronomy appears as nearly as I can tell to mean some
> > uncooth thing that was done to make money for the temple among other
> > things - particularly something cultic.
> >
> > I vaguely remember that Hurrians sacrificed dogs and donkeys to ratify
> > a
> > covenant.
> >
> > Did dogs have some particular cultic significance in Israel?
> >
> > Yours,
> > Dora Smith
> > Austin, Texas
> > villandra+AEA-austin.rr.com
> >
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> >
> --
> R. Christopher Heard
> Assistant Professor of Religion
> Armstrong Fellow in Religion
> Pepperdine University
> 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263-4352
>
> Personal web page: http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/cheard
> For Hebrew Bible studies on the web: http://www.iTanakh.org
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