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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Genesis 20: 1
  • Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:05:29 EDT


After Abraham's death, Isaac lives at Beer-lahai-roi, south of Hebron, on
the northern edge of the Negev Desert. Isaac is not wealthy at that point,
but
that soon changes. A terrible drought/famine devastates the northern Negev
Desert where Isaac is living.
Today's scholars tell us that in response to a terrible drought/famine in
the northern Negev Desert where Isaac was living, Isaac did the following:
(i) Isaac moved a mere 20 miles, and he moved southwest, further into the
northern Negev Desert, near the site of the modern Israeli city of
Beersheba.
Does that interpretation of the text make sense?
(ii) And while living near the site of the modern Israeli city of Beersheba
in the northern Negev Desert, Isaac got rich planting crops. Does that
interpretation of the text make sense?
Why should we blindly follow today's scholars' interpretation of the text of
the Patriarchal narratives, when what they're saying makes no sense?
Now consider that Biblical "Gerar" may be historical Garu, whose western
edge included southern Lebanon. Since southern Lebanon is, like the Negev
Desert, dependent on water wells, sites in southern Lebanon could be given
the
Hebrew nickname of "Beersheba". Now everything makes sense.
Isaac, hitherto a man of modest means, goes to the wealthy land of southern
Lebanon/Garu/"Gerar" and gets rich growing crops in southern Lebanon.
Here's the relevant text. Note that the entire text makes perfect sense if
Biblical "Gerar" is wealthy Garu in southern Lebanon. (The "Philistines" at
Gerar are the foreign mercenaries/"Invaders"/p'lishti that infested all of
Lebanon in the historical epoch of the Patriarchal Age. Foreign mercenaries
never operated in the Negev Desert.)
"And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his
son; and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi." (25: 11) "And there was a famine
in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And
Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar." (26: 1) "And
Isaac dwelt in Gerar." (26: 6) "And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in
the
same year a hundredfold…." (26: 12) "And the man waxed great, and grew more
and more until he became very great." (26: 13) "And he had possessions of
flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines
envied him." (26: 14)
When Genesis 20: 1 says that Abraham "settled between Qadesh and S(h)ur", it
means exactly what it says. Abraham settled between the famous, wealthy
Lebanese city-states of Qadesh and Sur. Abraham was wealthy when he left
Garu/Gerar/southern Lebanon, though we can figure out that Abraham's wealth
steadily declined back in modest Hebron, because Isaac has to make his own
way.
Isaac does not get wealthy until Isaac goes to Garu/Gerar/southern Lebanon.
See how the received Hebrew text makes perfect sense, and needs no changes
whatsoever, once we recognize that Biblical "Gerar" is historical Garu --
wealthy (though dangerous) southern Lebanon.
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois



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