Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 19/11/2005 19:11, Karl Randolph wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Kirk" <peter AT qaya.org>
>  
>
> > .... Also, as this list is for discussion 
> > of biblical Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible, this cosmology is off 
> > topic and I will not discuss it here. The cosmology of the Hebrew 
> > Bible, as far as I can tell, is rather different, considerably less 
> > explicit, although not contradictroy.
> >
> >    
> The New Testament cosmology is a legitimate 
> commentary on Hebrew cosmology:
> 1) because it was written by first century Jews and reflects 
> their understanding of Hebrew cosmology
>  

Fair enough. But was their understanding of it 1500 years after the 
Exodus, on your chronology, really that much better than ours 3500 years 
afterwards?

> 2) it makes the theological claim that it was animated from 
> the same Spirit that authored Tanakh, thus is makes clear 
> some aspects of Hebrew that were hinted at in Tanakh.
>  

Whatever the merits of this theological claim, it should be clearly 
distinguished from your apparent linguistic claim that the meaning of 
the Hebrew word `olam should be understood in terms of alleged New 
Testament teaching concerning the end of a period which was clearly 
intended by the Hebrew Bible authors as endless.

> ...
>  
>
> > Right. At least I will continue to believe that this is right until 
> > someone provides some evidence to the contrary, instead of 
> > persistent contradiction.
> >
> >    
> This is your best statement yet on this exchange, namely 
> an agreement to disagree.
>
>  
I am not agreeing to disagree. I am saying that, in the absence of any 
evidence to the contrary concerning the meaning of the Hebrew word (to 
the authors, not to someone else centuries later, in fact 1500 years 
later on your understanding at least), I still consider that my original 
statement was right, and your rejection of it was wrong.

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