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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Assumptions about ANE ages that just don't work
  • Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:49:56 EDT



Markus Karzelek:
You wrote: "It seems like even in the times of Abraham a man being 100
years old was really old and an 90 years old woman has had already her
menopause.
At
least, that's what I think this text suggests."
1. You are correct, but much more can be understood than that.
2. The first geographical reference in the Patriarchal narratives (Genesis
11: 28) is oddly to Ur. Ancient Ur was the only place on the face of the
planet in mankind's long history that celebrated a multi-day New Year/Akitu
celebration every 6 months. This peculiar early reference to Ur may signify
that
all ages in the Patriarchal narratives are being set forth in terms of
6-month "years". That instantly makes all stated ages in the Patriarchal
narratives (beginning at Genesis 11: 26 with the first mention of Abram)
make sense.
This analysis does not apply to any other part of the Bible, and it does not
apply to every stated period of years in the Patriarchal narratives. But it
does apply to every stated age of a person from Genesis 11: 26 until the end
of Genesis.
3. In the passage you cite, Abraham is almost age 50 in regular, 12-month
years, and Sarah is almost age 45 in regular, 12-month years. It would be
virtually impossible, but not absolutely or biologically impossible, for a
45-year-old woman in the ancient world to get pregnant and have a successful
first
birth.
4. All of the ages of all persons in the Patriarchal narratives make perfect
sense. People did not age more slowly in the ancient world, or in the
Patriarchal narratives, than they do today. There is not a single
miraculous
age in the Patriarchal narratives.
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois



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