Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - SV: [b-hebrew] Children bear punishment for sins of fathers ?

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Thomas L. Thompson" <tlt AT teol.ku.dk>
  • To: "Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>, <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: SV: [b-hebrew] Children bear punishment for sins of fathers ?
  • Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:28:25 +0200

We find this theme also in the Hittite story of Telepinu, who not only--like
Ezekiel 18--puts an end to collective guilt and confines punishment to the
murderer, but he also, like Ezekiel, forgives the sinner who repents his
crime and like Isaiah 2; Micah 4 and Joel 3 takes their weapons and gives
them a farm yoke (See my Messiah Myth, p. 168).
Thomas

Thomas L. Thompson
University of Copenhagen




I thank all for the many contributions and insights on this issue. I
recall
that the Classical Greeks had a similar notion. Some histories and
plays
(so-called "Tragedies") mention a curse befalling a "house" and its
"descendants" for the sins of some remote ancestor. Some have
suggested this
notion was developed to reign in the avarice and greed of the sinner.
That
is to say, he might curb his anti-social behavior being aware that it
would
affect not just himself but his "innocent" future descendants who
would
also pay or suffer for his crimes. We know, from archaeology that the
Greeks
have a long connection via trade with the ancient Near East, their
wares
being found in ancient Egypt, Syria, and Canaan from Late Bronze Age
to Iron
Age times. Perhaps this notion of innocent children (descendants)
being
punished for some remote ancestor's trespass or sin, was part of the
religious "baggage" of the Late Bronze Age (1560-1200 BCE) and Iron
Age
(1200-587 BCE) worlds ?

Regards, Walter
Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld y de la Torre, M.A. Ed.
mattfeld12 AT charter.net
www.bibleorigins.net

_______________________________________________
b-hebrew mailing list
b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page