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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] 6-Month "Year"
  • Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:58:21 EDT


George:
1. You wrote: "The word *na`ar* does not have as its basic meaning someone
who is
young of age. Rather, it has the sense of someone who is inexperienced.
This often corresponds with people who are young in age, and therefore who
are
inexperienced in life, but not always. It might also refer to someone who is
inexperienced at a trade or profession (i.e., a trainee or apprentice). In
any case, it generally is indicative more of social status than actual age."
(a) The Internet sources all seem to say that "na'ar" means what you say it
does not mean: "someone who is young of age".
Strong's definition of "na'ar": "a boy…, from the age of infancy to
adolescence; by implication, a servant…: -- babe, boy, child,…lad, servant,
young
(man)."
Blue Letter Bible: "a boy, lad, youth, servant, retainer".
Gesenius: a boy or a servant.
(b) But let's go with your view that the primary meaning of "na'ar" is
"someone who is inexperienced". However, I hope you will agree that a male
age 8
– 13 would be a "na'ar" in any event, regardless of how experienced or
inexperienced he might be. Fair enough?
Now we ask the key question. Is Joseph described in this text as being
"inexperienced"? Here is what the text says:
"And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners
that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of
it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his
hand,
because the LORD [YHWH] was with him; and that which he did, the LORD
[YHWH] made it to prosper. And it came to pass after these things, that the
butler
of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. …
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the
prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard
charged
Joseph to be with them, and he ministered unto them; and they continued a
season in ward." Genesis 39: 22-23; 40: 1, 3-4
On those facts, how can you view Joseph as being "inexperienced"? Joseph is
running the most important jail in Egypt. "[W]hatsoever they did there, he
was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that
was under his hand…."
When these two high Egyptian officials have been thrown into jail, Joseph is
not their servant. Rather, Joseph is their jailkeeper. "And the captain
of the guard charged Joseph to be with them, and he ministered unto them;
and
they continued a season in ward."
Conclusions
(1) Joseph is not "inexperienced". Joseph is running the most important
jail in Egypt.
(2) Joseph is not a servant of the Egyptian high officials who have been
thrown into jail. Rather, Joseph is their jailkeeper.
(3) Why then does the innocent, honest Egyptian high official (the cup
bearer/butler) later refer at Genesis 41: 12 to Joseph as having been a
"na'ar"?
Because, using the 6-month "year" concept, Joseph was age 13 years, in
regular, 12-month years, at the time. Joseph was a "na'ar" only in the sense
of
his age.
(4) If Joseph had been a middle-aged man, age 28 in regular, 12-month
years, which is the scholarly view, then Joseph would have failed all three
tests
of being a "na'ar". Joseph is not inexperienced, Joseph was not a servant
of
the jailed Egyptian officials, and a middle-aged man age 28 regular years
would not be a "young" person.
2. You wrote: "For this reason, I think you're engaging in special
pleading to make
your 6-month year work. Just because you can provide an explanation for many
aspects of something does not mean that your explanation is probable."
My theory of the 6-month "year" explains every single stated age in the
Patriarchal narratives, beginning at Genesis 11: 26. How can that be
"special
pleading", when it explains 100% of the stated ages in this text?
3. You wrote: "In conclusion: I still don't buy your theory - you haven't
convinced
me yet."
We have seen that Ishmael is a "na'ar" who is carried by his mother into
exile. Certainly the scholarly view that Ishmael was age 16 regular years
at
that time makes no sense. On the 6-month "year" view, Ishmael was age 9½
regular years, which makes perfect sense. We have seen that Joseph is a
"na'ar"
who is the jailkeeper of high Egyptian officials. Joseph cannot be age 28
regular years, as the scholarly view would have it, or else the formerly
jailed
official would not describe middle-aged Joseph, his former jailkeeper, as
being "na'ar". No, Joseph is a "na'ar" because, under the 6-month "year"
view,
Joseph was age 13 regular years at the time. Sarah doesn't give birth to
Isaac at age 90 regular years, as the scholarly view would have it. No, on
the
6-month "year" view, Sarah is age 45 regular years. Sarah is not
attractive
to Pharaoh at age 65 regular years, as the scholarly view would
nonsensically have it. No, Sarah is age 32½ regular years. Isaac is not
age 37 regular
years when he is referred to as a "na'ar" at Genesis 22: 5, 12, and he
innocently asks his father: "'Behold the fire and the wood; but where is
the
lamb for a burnt-offering?'" Genesis 22: 7 On the 6-month "year" view,
Isaac
is age 15 regular years. Jacob/"Israel" does not wait until he is in his
70s
to marry, for heaven's sake. Joseph isn't a mere helper to his half-brothers
by his father's minor wives at age 17 regular years, nor would Joseph tattle
on those brothers at age 17 regular years. Rather, Joseph is a mere boy,
age 8½ regular years, at the time, which makes perfect sense.
Note that the scholarly view of the ages of the people in the Patriarchal
narratives consistently is nonsensical and directly contradicts what the
Hebrew
text plainly says, whereas all ages make perfect sense on the 6-month "year"
view.
"[Y]ou haven't convinced me yet."
Have I at least convinced you that (i) the scholarly view of the ages of the
people in the Patriarchal narratives makes no sense at all, based on what
the Hebrew text clearly says, and that (ii) all ages make perfect sense on
the
6-month "year" view?
The text of the Patriarchal narratives is perfect, as is. We just need to
re-examine our interpretation of this text.
Joseph, as the jailkeeper of the most important prisoners in Egypt, was not
"inexperienced", nor was Joseph a servant of those officials who had been
thrown into Joseph's jail. No, Joseph was a "na'ar" because, on the 6-month
"year" view, Joseph was age 13 regular years at the time.
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois



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