Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Martin Shields <enkidu AT bigpond.net.au>]

There are a few other observations I think are relevant to the claim  
that these function as identifications of author (in addition to those  
already cited). I apologise if anyone's already mentioned these:

1. As far as I can tell, in Akkadian authorial colophons there is a  
specific reference to the work as the "writing of," a meaning which  
seems difficult to impute to the term תלדות in BH.

2. The same expression in Ruth 4:18 isn't usually understood as an  
identification of authorship (as far as I'm aware. anyway).

3. When there are unambiguous ascriptions of authorship in BH they use  
completely different terminology (e.g. Deut 31:9, 24).

ISTM that the claim that תלדות somehow identifies the author of  
the section is very weak.

Martin Shields,
Sydney, Australia.