Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

George:

On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 1:04 PM, George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>wrote:

>
> Secondly, if "Hebron" as a proper noun does not appear until late, all that
> tells us is that the author of the patriarchal narratives lived at a late
> date -- certainly much later than the Amarna period.


Not necessarily.

While Hebron was important for Judea because of its location, it was out of
the way for trade routes and not that large to begin with, so why would
people from other places remember its name?

To give a modern example, how many people outside of Iowa know of Nevada,
Iowa? It's rather important for its locality, large enough to have a
hospital and other urban amenities, but it's located about 30–40 miles from
any major highway. Most people traveling on the major highways have no need
to hear about it.

So likewise, the major trade routes traveled well to the east and west of
Hebron, making it important only for the locals who just happened also to be
those who wrote the Bible. And they mentioned it as early as the early
bronze age.

>
> Regards,
> GEORGE ATHAS
> Moore Theological College (Sydney)
> Ph: 9577 9774. Mob: 0449 758 100
> www.moore.edu.au


Karl W. Randolph.
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