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  • From: Gabe Eisenstein <gabe AT cascadeaccess.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Can absence of evidence be evidence of absence?
  • Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:55:40 -0800

Rolf Furuli wrote:

The mentioned example is an archaeological one. Some days ago I focused upon the text of the Pentateuch and formed the hypothesis: "The Pentateuch was written in the 15th century by a man called Moses." To doubt that something that is written in the Pentatauch really happened is a psychological matter that is based on logic, or faith, or philosophy etc. By forming this hypothesis I tried to put the matter regarding the writing of the Pentatauch into a scientific setting. The hypothesis predicts that we will not find anachronisms in the text, and i discussed some possibilities. Then I asked the list members to mention other predictions that could be tested. But no one responded. So, I try again with a question based on the hypothesis: Which sides/characteristics/matters in the Hebrew text of the Pentateuch forbid a 15th century writing?

Everything I've read about the Philistines says they arrived in Palestine in the 12th century. But Abraham visited them in Gen.21 & 26, and the exodus group had to avoid going through their land (Ex.13:17). So if historians are right about the Philistines, the Biblical texts are anachronistic.

I have previously mentioned the strong archaeological evidence against the story of the complete evacuation of northern Israel in 2Kings17. The story is also anachronistic in using the word Shomron to refer to the northern territory rather than the capital city. If this piece of misinformation (actually propaganda) can be found in the Tanakh, it suggests that other distortions are to be expected as well.


Gabe Eisenstein






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