Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: The symbolism of '14 years'

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Moises Mayordomo <moises.mayordomo AT theol.unibe.ch>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: The symbolism of '14 years'
  • Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 16:30:25 +0000


Dear list members,

I am not so convinced by numerical symbolism unles there are clear indications
that they are supported by a cultural code shared by the potential readers of
Paul's letters which would direct them to make these sort of connections.
I would like to recall the fact that the number 14 has given rise to a lot of
numerical speculations with respect to Matthew's genealogical list (Mt 1,17)
and none of them has suceeded. The only remarkable thing about "14" is that it
is 2x7, and even so I very much doubt that there any valuable indications of a
"symbolic convention" for this number. It is not enough to find 14 yers in the
story of Joseph. One should furtheron show how this text triggered something
like a numerical "Wirkungsgeschichte" which became common knowledge for Paul's
readers in order for them to be capable of drawing the sort of conclusions
Richard Fellows has suggested in his original message. One could also draw a
parallel to the eating of the Passah on 14 Nissan (Ex 12,6.18 passim) or to
the fact that Abija had 14 women (2Chron 13,21) or to a 14-day-wedding-feast
mentioned in Tob 8,19f; 10,7 or to 14 sorts of trees in ethHen 3,1 or to the
fact that a man is sexually mature with 14 (Philo, All 1,10). I find that
there is a problem of "communicability" with this proposal. What Fellows
suggests belongs to the field of "intertextuality" and if we try to apply the
parameters of Hays' superb monograph "Echoes of Scripture", 29-32 I don't
think that there is very much probability for such a far reaching connection.
(There is a nice literary critical article written on the problem of how to
discover intertextual allusions if the reference text is not marked as such:
M. Riffaterre, "Compulsory reader response: The intertextual drive" In: M.
Worton, J. Still (eds), Intertextuality (Manchester Univ. Pr., 1990), 56-78.)
I would consider the most important aspect of Fellows' contribution
that,
after all, we do not have to trust everything Paul says when trying to
construct his biography as exactly as possible.

Best wishes

Moises Mayordomo


--
Dr. theol. Moisés Mayordomo
Evang.-theol. Fakultaet der Universitaet Bern
Laenggassstr. 51/Unitobler, CH-3000 Bern 9
Office Phone: +41 (31) 631 45 42
Office Fax: +41 (31) 631 48 45
mailto: moises.mayordomo AT theol.unibe.ch
Private Address: Flurstr. 17 CH-3014 Bern




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page