Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yitzhak Sapir <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>]

Chris Watts wrote:

> SOMEONE WROTE:
> 
> Whoa.
> If you think that your statement below has relevance to this list 
> (the subject is Biblical Hebrew, not theology) please provide 
> evidence for your claim.

> Otherwise it is not appropriate to discuss on this list, and I will 
> assume that you are aware it is wildly provocative.
> 
> RESPONSE FROM CHRIS WATTS:
> 
> I am completely taken by surprise by the above reaction. I was 
> very shocked and sorry that an administrator would think that I 
> would behave so.  Allow  me to say this please that I would 
> NEVER KNOWINGLY be provocative or
> insulting on such a formal list.  I value this list!!

That someone is Bearpecs AT aol.com.  As far as I know, he is
not an administrator.  Administrators usually sign their full name
and affiliation at the end of messages, as is common etiquette
for all list participants on academic lists.

The list claims to be the Hebrew Bible list, and I believe that
theology of the Hebrew Bible is within this scope.  However,
my personal view is that theological discussions can get
quickly out of hand.  But I am not an administrator.

See also here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2005-February/022374.html

In the issue under discussion, by the way, I don't understand
how you arrived at the statement you suggested (and to which
unnamed Bearpecs was objecting).   To me, it appears that 
the various examples you cited suggest that the Bible may
sometimes view the otherwise innocent offspring as guilty 
because they were children of a sinner.  And it is also clear to 
me that different parts of the Bible suggest different ideologies 
on this very issue (is the son of a sinner to be punished?)  

I also don't find this statement of yours so objectionable.

Yitzhak Sapir