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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Four Rivers of Eden - Genesis 2

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  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Four Rivers of Eden - Genesis 2
  • Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 13:36:36 -0500

Chris:

As far as I know, there is only one river that splits: the Orinoco in
northern South America splits not too far from its origin, sends some of its
water south to join the Amazon, while the majority flows north to drain into
the Carribbean.

What Genesis 2 describes is a headwaters far different from the present
headwaters of the present Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Either the author
describes an utopia that never existed, or he describes a place that has been
destroyed so thoroughly that even the landmarks leading to it are no longer
extant. Hence, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not the same Tigris and
Euphrates rivers mentioned in Genesis 2.

Attempts to harmonize the Genesis 2 descripton with modern, or even
historical, features never works except in the mind of the harmonizer.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Heard, Christopher" <Christopher.Heard AT pepperdine.edu>
>
> On May 12, 2005, at 7:45 AM, <tladatsi AT charter.net>
> <tladatsi AT charter.net> wrote:
> > The
> > minor detail that the headwaters of these rivers are
> > actually many miles apart and do not share a literal common
> > source would be known to very few and be of interest to
> > even fewer.
>
> Jack: I actually don't think it's a minor point at all, and I thank
> you again for making it. Please see my other post on this subject
> for why I think the narrator describes an impossible geography on
> purpose assuming that readers will know the geography is
> impossible.
>
> Chris
>
> --
> R. Christopher Heard
> Assistant Professor of Religion
> Pepperdine University
> Malibu, California 90263-4352
> http://faculty.pepperdine.edu/cheard
> http://www.iTanakh.org
> http://www.semioticsandexegesis.info

--
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