Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Year of Exodus. Can Miriam's Song offer a clue?

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year of Exodus. Can Miriam's Song offer a clue?
  • Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:19:33 +0200

Gad,

While it is true that many scholars have claimed that such poems as the Song of the Sea and the Sond of Deborah and others as well, are "old" or "contain archaic language", the is really no way to prove this. The main problem is that since we have no extra-biblical examples of "early Hebrew" there is nothing to compare them with. The similarities between Hebrew poetry and that of Ugarit, for instance, does not prove anything about the date of the Hebrew poetry. And we should always remember, that poets aften tend to use "achaic" language.

In the specific case of the Song of the Sea in Ex. 15, the mention of Edom, Moab and Philistia, none of which, based on archaeological evidence, were around as nations before the very late 13th century, might indicate something, but who really knows for certain?

Yigal Levin



----- Original Message ----- From: "G. Zack" <atdgz AT hotmail.com>


At any rate, as it is a Biblical Hebrew Language Forum, most pertinent to the forum is the text of Miriam's song, which, to my understanding, can be __shown__ to be one of the oldest in the bible alongside the later dated Deborah song (curiously--both are women-poets...-) and, I believe, even dated.

I am surprised no reference was made to this point inthis forum and context.

Can someone comment on that (which would also assist in dealing with the issue of the date of Exodus...)?

Gad Za"k






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page