Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Dear Bryant:
I read the prefixed B- as an indication of instrumentality, i.e. a sacrifice
to request the blessings of the gods on the endeavor, in the same way the
prefixed B- is used in Micah 3:10 and Habakkuk 2:12 to say that the city was
built by means of blood and injustice. Do I misread the Hebrew?

Karl W. Randolph.

On Jan 3, 2008 5:59 PM, Bryant J. Williams III <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net> wrote:

> Dear Karl,
>
> It appears that the texts of Joshua 6:26 and I Kings 16:34 are ambiguous
> as to
> how the firstborn and youngest sons of Hiel the Bethelite died. The
> translations
> that I checked (NIV, RSV,  Modern Language, etc.) have the idea of "at the
> cost
> of" with reference to the death Hiel's sons. The texts does not indicate
> that it
> was human sacrifice that was used. In fact, considering the context of
> condemnation of Ahab's reign where he allowed the worship of Baal and
> Asherah
> and the building of sacred groves for that purpose that that was what was
> Ahab's
> sins (violations of the laws, statutes, commandments, etc., of the Law of
> Moses;
> see Hosea). The sin of human sacrifice was the practice of
> worshipers/idolaters
> of Moloch/Chemosh NOT Baal/Asherah. Thus, I take the deaths of Hiel's sons
> as
> being accidents during the building of Jericho; although it is possible,
> but not
> probable, that human sacrifice was involved at Jericho's rebuilding since
> Jericho is in the area that Moloch/Chemosh would have been worshipped.
>
> Rev. Bryant J. Williams III
>
>