... As for the capability of writing, one should note that this is the first site where
some type of literature of a religious-theological nature
is found in the area, at a time when writing at all is very
rare. ...
... (would one expect a source from
London to tell the story of the Chosen Nation USA,
describing England as a small state in the Union?) ...
...
Nevertheless, I think many issues are problematic and
are just unknowns. ... There are just a lot of unknowns that must be treaded carefully. And here is not the place to
propound any ideas beyond a simple suggestion or
statement for thought.
...
Because the Deuteronomist would inject his own values into historical descriptions of earlier periods, this is evidence that must be ignored. ...
If we want to know what the Yahwist found repugnant, we must look at J and only J. (I think it's not evenWell, there is a methodological problem here, that we don't know what is "J and only J", or even that J existed at all at least as a coherent source. And of course if J is later than D, that is quite incompatible with your identification of the milieu of J with Kuntillet Ajrud.
clear today that J predates Deuteronomist, which is why in
my earlier message, I described it in terms of "classical"
criticism. I think he does predate him, though.)
... We know nothing of other statements that may
be theologically loaded.
Well, I accept that blessing oneself by Yahweh of Samaria in some sense makes this Yahweh one's own god. But it doesn't make one an Israelite. Kuntillet Ajrud was very likely a crossroads in the desert where traders set up shrines to a variety of gods, who were perhaps worshipped rather eclectically. If there was no such variety there, why the need to identify this Yahweh? Perhaps because there was another, now lost, shrine across the road to Yahweh of Jerusalem, with no consort? Who knows? So we can safely come back only to "There are just a lot of unknowns that must be treaded carefully."
...
Perhaps, although I think you are attempting to read modern
meanings into ancient words. When you bless yourself by
the name of a god, it is unlikely to be someone else's god.
It is your god. In any case, it seems more reasonable to
suppose some connection between the site and Israel than
with any other nation (Edomites, Judahites) in the area.
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