Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Jim:

On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 9:34 AM, <JimStinehart AT aol.com> wrote:

>
> …
> Importantly as to Biblical evidence, nowhere in the Bible is it stated that
> King David’s first capital is where the Patriarchs of old had sojourned.
>

That’s a loooong streatch.


> …  Rather, the only proper way to determine the
> geographical locale of the Patriarchs’ XBRWN, as opposed to King David’s
> XBRWN, is to look to see what the Hebrew text of the Patriarchal narratives
> says about XBRWN.
>

OK, going from memory:

It is the highest in altitude near Beersheba, which was described in Genesis
as being a savanna, lots of grass with occasional trees and even small
forests.

Within minutes walk from Hebron was a lookout from which could be seen the
cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and the other three cities south east of the Dead
Sea. Their ruins have been identified.

Nearby is a small town named Qiryat Arba.

In the vicinity were oak trees, enough to make them a noted feature of the
landscape. Most likely these were not the stately oaks of the Northern
forests, like which were found around Chicago, rather more likely the
gnarled, short desert oaks with lots of grassland between them like which
are found in the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.

As the highest altitude place, it would be prime summer pasturage for a
nomadic shepherd like Abraham.

There is no evidence anywhere in Genesis nor anywhere else as well, to
assume that there were two cities with the same name of Hebron, sharing also
all these factors. Further, evidence since ancient times indicates that
Abraham was buried next to the present city of Hebron.

The present city of Hebron fits Genesis to a T with the exceptions of
changes caused by time. Are there any other places that come even close?
Even to question the identity of the Patriarchal Hebron will need a lot more
evidence than anything you have presented. Further, much of the evidence you
have presented is very questionable, if not outright wrong.

>
> Jim Stinehart
> Evanston, Illinois
>

Karl W. Randolph.