Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

Uri:

It is beyond the charter of this group to insist 
that this is history or that it is not, however 
there are other interpretations of the names for 
the sons that Elimelek and Naomi had. Furthermore, 
the names of Elimelek and Naomi, nor any of the 
other named characters in the book, could by any 
means be understood as cartoon like.

Personally, I take it as history.

Karl W. Randolph.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Uri Hurwitz" <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>
> 
> 
>   While the discussion as to whether Ruth was a princess or not
>     continues, one may ask wehether the author of the book
>     conceived it as history or not. A clue may be found in the
>     names of  Elimelkh and Ruth's children, namely Mahlon and
>     Khilyon.(Already in the seond verse of the first chapter).
>     The English translation of the latter names is, roughly, "Sicky"
>     and "Finito". And indeed in verse 5 both of these unfortunate
>     individuals died. Clearly these are cartoon-like personal
>     names, in contra-distinction to many other symbolic personal
>     names in the HB.
> 
>      Completely apart frtom the intendeed meaning of Ruth,
>     the author is presenting here  a moving historical romance.
>     Whether it is based on real historical background cannot at
>     present be established.
> 
>      Like so much else  pertaining to the HB, other interpretations
>     are of course possible.
> 
>      Uri

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