Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

This discussion was actually closed on Friday. We (myself included) sort of 
overstepped the bounds by keeping it going. Let's stop here.

Yigal Levin

co-moderator
b-hebrew


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
To: "G. Zack" <atdgz AT hotmail.com>
Cc: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year of Exodus. Can Miriam's Song offer a clue?


> Gad:
>
> A few comments below.
>
> On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:08 AM, G. Zack <atdgz AT hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Yigal,
> >
> > ...
>
>
>
> > I made the humble claim
>
>
> Doesn't it take a lot of chutzpah to contradict an ancient document 
> without
> ancient records to provide cover?
>
>
> > that being based on an oral tradition,
>
>
> Writing was known and practiced then, what's to prevent it having been
> written at the same time as it was composed?
>
>
> > the roots of which can be pin-pointed to circa 1200,
>
>
> How?
>
>
> > one may speculatively
>
>
> speculation, in the absence of evidence?
>
>
> >  ask, why would it be composed much later (even though it could have 
> > been,
> > of course)? If we assume
>
>
> More speculation?
>
>
> > that upon successful departure from Egypt
>
>
> How do you know there were escapees?
>
>
> > the escapees felt, indeed grateful and came up with a hymn, the Song of 
> > the
> > Sea, they must have done it upon joining the other Israelite elements
>
>
> What makes you think there were other Israelite elements?
>
>
> > and within the same generation or, one or two generations later?   Some 0
> > to some 60 years later?
> >
> > There is no proof here,
>
>
> That's the problem.
>
> When I grew up, my father was a math professor, and in discussions at the
> table, he refused to allow us to make statements apart from evidence or
> proof. Speculation was a definite no-no, unless it was labelled
> "speculation",
>
>
> > just somewhat of a common-sense
>
>
> Isn't that what the old joke says, that there is nothing more uncommon 
> than
> "common sense"?
>
>
> > and/or educated guess...
>
>
> Upon what basis for the educated guess? Can it be educated if it is made 
> in
> a vacuum of evidence?
>
>
> > Educated or common-sense in the sense that the language and content may 
> > be
> > shown to be 1200-ish coupled with the absence of reason for delayed
> > composition... No hard evidence. Admittedly...
> >
> > GAd Za"k
>
>
> I now find myself taking on the role of my father when I was growing up,
> refusing to allow statements apart from evidence. It doesn't need to be a
> proof, just evidence. So far I have seen no evidence that this poem was 
> not
> written mid 15th century BC: there are no extra-Biblical writings that we
> can point to, the "mainstream" Egyptian history as evidence was shown to
> have problems already before I was born, nor any other evidence that was 
> not
> based on speculation.
>
> On the other side, the only evidence that the poem is 15th century BC is
> only one tome, and the assumption that it is telling the truth. Not much 
> to
> go on there either.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
> _______________________________________________
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> b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew


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