Biblical Hebrew Forum

[dwashbur AT nyx.net]

On 5 Nov 2007 at 15:26, jason silber wrote:

> Jim,
> throughout early genesis, especially in the Abraham cycle, there are several
> references to 'bayamim hahem', 'in those days', confirming that that the
> writer (or editor) had compiled the information much later -- id guess
> during the eras of Hezekiah or Josiah. (or 700 years after the purported
> events were supposed to occur?)

Why "much" later?  The phrase need not mean several hundred years, or even a 
hundred 
years.  It's nonspecific and could mean just about anything.  If we could 
establish when 
towns' names changed, or how long a certain location or monument endured 
("It's there to 
this day") and that sort of thing, we might be able to sort it out in greater 
detail.  But simply 
"bayyamim hahem" tells us virtually nothing.

Dave Washburn
Why do it right when you can do it again?