Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 04/10/2005 00:36, Karl Randolph wrote:

> ... From this story, I get 
> the picture that this was an outbreak of bubonic plague, 
> typified by many rats coming out and dying, followed by 
> the disease breaking out in people with swellings 
> (buboes) and a high mortality rate 1 Samuel 5:12.
>  

This is an interesting theory, but it raises the interesting suggestion
that the ancient Philistine priests and diviners were aware of the
connection between rats and bubonic plague, something which has been
generally known only since the 19th century CE. Or else is suggests that
some readers of English versions have understood "plague" as referring
specifically to bubonic plague, rather than in its general sense of
"serious epidemic", and have then used their creative imaginations
concerning the model rats.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/