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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Was Sarah a blonde Viking sex goddess? (was Genesis 20:1)

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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: biblical hebrew <jcr.bhebrew AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Was Sarah a blonde Viking sex goddess? (was Genesis 20:1)
  • Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:52:34 -0400

James,

Abimelech, his pompous name not withstanding, was a mere speck upon the dusty horizon of southern Israel. But the first Hebrew couple had a similarly harrowing experience upon entering Egypt---the America of the ancient world [Genesis 12:11-20]. Her beauty was such that as soon as they crossed the border into the land she was spotted by the national Egyptian GSA [girl spotting agency] who wrote [all in neat little pictures] such a glowing report about her that the mighty Pharaoh himself could not wait to accept her in his chambers. Just Sarah of all the millions of good looking Egyptian girls!
Do you deem it plausible that LABAN HA-)ARAMI was the blondy of Aram?

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Oct 18, 2007, at 4:27 AM, biblical hebrew wrote:

And you point is?...

That Abimelech had a thing for pensioners? Let's not jump to conclusions
based on modern observations of age. It had already been commented on
Sarah's beauty earlier in Abraham's travels and for this reason they agreed
to announce that Sarah was his sister in every place they stopped off. Why
would they continue this practice if Sarah was wrinkly old granny? Was
granny snatching a common practice in the ANE? We need to keep in mind that
people lived a lot longer back then and not make any assumptions about how
withered people were and by what age based on modern observations. All the
text says is that she was shocked she could still bear a child.

The facts remain that Abimelech seized Sarah and that she and Abraham still
felt the need to announce they were brother and sister and Yhwh felt the
need to intervene before Abimelech did anything untoward. How do you
reconcile these facts with your assumption that Sarah was already 'old'?

James Christian Read - BSc Computer Science
http://www.lamie.org/hebrew Thesis 1 - Aleppo codex machine translation
http://www.lamie.org/lad-sim.doc Thesis 2 - language acquisition simulation




On 10/18/07, Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net> wrote:

Sarah was 65 at the time

Shoshanna



Hi Isaac,

while your theory on Sarah is amusing, yet plausable, don't you think your
theory could be subject to criticism that it stems from your own personal
preferences. How do we know that Abimelech didn't have a thing for dark
skin, plump bottoms and curly hair? Or maybe he had a thing for the
oriental
AV model types?

Anyway, seriously, while you do have a point that Abimelech possible had a
harem full of beautiful women to choose from and that what catches the eye
is something new what you have overlooked is the 'new' factor. Abimelech
may
have already had his full of the present selection offered by his local
harem. Sarah was something new. He hadn't seen her before and this
combined
with natural beauty of whatever complexion and hair colour she happened to
be was enough to get him interested.

James Christian Read - BSc Computer Science
http://www.lamie.org/hebrew Thesis 1 - Aleppo codex machine
translation
http://www.lamie.org/lad-sim.doc Thesis 2 - language acquisition
simulation
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