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  • From: Gabe Eisenstein <gabe AT cascadeaccess.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Phonetics of Ayin: Geography of Genesis
  • Date: Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:19:46 -0700

Karl wrote:
...In contrast, Biblical history, while it concentrated on the spiritual
life of the people and kings, had as its main purpose an accurate
recording of the events, including the bad. Just like modern, secular
historians.
[end Karl]

The Biblical text displays many clear marks of nationalism, ethnic pride and in some cases attempts to justify morally questionable acts of politicians. Some of the writers seem to have been employees of the king, like their counterparts across the ancient world. The bad acts are mentioned because doing so serves someone's interest, not because of a desire for completeness or honesty. Many of the stories have strong literary structures, not found in simple historical accounts. And the narrative sections are interspersed with poetry, parables, metaphors, legends and myths.
Thus the text bears little resemblance to modern historiography, which at least tries to be aware of its own biases, does not mingle contradictory reports without noting them explicitly, and assumes that the past more or less resembles the present. You will find very few accounts of sea-dragons, giants and talking animals; and no claims about predestination.

(Note that I haven't spoken in terms of "beliefs", but of the manifest characteristics of the text itself, and thus of Biblical Hebrew.)


Gabe Eisenstein




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