Biblical Hebrew Forum

[rob acosta <robacosta AT hotmail.com>]

Jim
   You wrote:. "If we don?t> t realize how thoroughly Canaan was dominated by 
Hurrian princelings in the  mid-14th century BCE [per the Amarna Letters], we 
will not appreciate the  enormity of the Hebrews managing to accomplish 
precisely what Genesis 15:  18-21 says"
   I see you continue to purport a completely false view of the chronology of 
the Amarna letters for the sole purpose if supporting your theories.  You 
should be honest with the readers and acknowledge upfront your views are your 
invention based on your own studies and that you ignored  the works of 
experts on the Amarna Letters such as EF Campbell , William Moran, and Donald 
Redford.   In all cases the chronologies put forth by these scholars and 
others  disagree with yours.   The readers should be made aware that in past 
correspondence you openly denigrated and ridiculed these individuals and 
dismissedtheir conclusions, stating in one instance that people should'nt 
read "old books" by Campbell, etc but should believe you because your 
views"made more sense". I  write this because l believe the scholar's view of 
the chronology of the Amarna Age  deserve equal time with your claims.* 
Example: No scholar on the face of the planet places Labayu as late as Year 
12 of Akhenaten. That is a simple fact. All scholars consider the Labayu 
incidents are the earliest events in the Amarna letters believed to span 
about 30 years and his death is universally used as the chief chronological 
marker between Amenophis lll and Akhenaten (William Moran: The Amarna Letters)
 Experts agree that Labayu was most likely Killed by Year 36 of Amenophis 
lll. It was the fall out from his death that precipitated the turmoilof the 
Habiru in the high country forcing the Egyptians to send garrisons to 
Jerusalem and elsewhere as protection.
   Labayu was dead by the time of Abdi Heba's first letters according to the 
man you openly ridiculed, E.F. Campbell.Mr Campbell logically points out Abdi 
Heba only refers to Labayu in the past tense, not as a contemporary,
   You have often repeated your claim these two rulers control of the high 
country was the reason Abraham supposedly went west...To put it simply: Not 
possible. Not to anyone who values true research and an adherence to facts.   
You have also been disdainful of Nadav Na'aman and his claims that another 
vital figure in your theory, Milkilu of the Aijalon Valley, did not survive 
for more than a few months beyond the death of Amenophis lll ("Canaan in the 
2nd Millenium") and was certainly dead by Year 12 of Akhenaten. In short, you 
have at the center of your theory men whom scholars universally agree were 
dead by Year 12-14 of Akhenaten andwho state the turmoil in the high country 
occurred during the reign of Amenophis lll.   I can anticipate your 
response...you will write  a miles long letter using the phrase" doesn't make 
sense"  and "p-i-n-p-o-i-n-t accuracy" and "university scholars" but you 
won't refer to a single recognized authority to support your views because 
non exists.   Your views requires not only your personal rewrite of Genesis, 
but also for people to accept without question your personal reconstruction 
of the Amarna Age and the Great Syrian War, as well as your claims there is 
no water in Hebron and trees cannot grow thereand on and on, your errors of 
fact are astoundingly numerous....   Over the months you have ridiculed and 
denigrated every authoritative source that contradicts your view. From the 
Hittite king's ownrecord of his conquests during the Amarna Age,... which 
doesn't agree with your theory...to Ef Campbell and many others.  It is 
apparent that you are not concerned with facts and accuracy but are obsessed 
with your theory.  However, readers should be aware that the academic world 
doesn't agree with your rendition of events.   Any reader can verify for 
themselves in only a few minutes of research that your statements about the 
Amarna Age, etc arefalse.

 Rob Acosta