Gone With The Wind is a historical novel. There was no Scarlett O'Hara or Ashley Wilkes. There was, however, a Civil War and there was slavery in the south. The bible has probably less of a connection to real history than the novel but every so often a random fact seems to stray into the narrative.
i prefer to compare the Bible with HG Wells War of the Worlds
there is a planet earth
there is a planet mars
therefore the earth was invaded by martians in tripods wielding a heat ray who caught a common cold and all died leaving the planet free with a glorious future
personally I think HG Wells version of redactionist history is far more entertaining and believable
and of course
it hasn't been used to kill millions of people
always a plus
What is interesting is where the texts depart from history and why
in the original translation from hebrew into greek writen by 70 hebrew scholars at alexandria (the Septuagint) the hebrews also claimed that they built Heliopolis (formerly the city of On)
this detail doesn't seem to have made it into the latin version
the city of On was predynastic (i.e. pre 3100BCE)
11
And he set over them taskmasters, who afflicted
them in their works; and they built strong cities for Pharaoh, both Pithom, and
Raamses, and On, which is Heliopolis.
Finkelstein assigns to the period of King Josiah 640-609 BC, the writing of the Deuteronomistic history as well as the initial editing of the bible with Judea as the center of the universe.
The historical background was that Judah was an insignificant backwater at the time that the Assyrians overran the much wealthier northern kingdom of Israel. Her population swollen by refugees and collaborating with the Assyrians, Judea prospered as a vassal and the growth of the city of Jerusalem as well as the attainment of full statehood (Finkelstein's term) was finally met in this time period. But the Assyrians were brought down by wars back home late in the reign of Josiah.
The way Finkelstein sees it, the bible stories of triumphing over Egypt had nothing to do with history and everything to do with Judean territorial ambitions to expand to areas which the Assyrians had vacated in their retreat. Egypt, somewhat resurgent under the 26th Dynasty, was a competitor for those lands and had almost traditionally exercised control over Canaan for much of the preceding millenia. The purpose of the Exodus story was to generate courage in the Judeans with a mythical story about how they had overcome Egypt before with the help of god....as long as they did what the priests said. This was a period of intense religious upheaval...but 'revival' would be the wrong word. The Yahweh-alone contingent in Jerusalem had the ear of the king and fully endorsed his grandiose territorial ambitions, but they had never held absolute power before and their constant whining about foreign gods and practices reflected the reality that the Israelites and Judeans had worshipped many gods.
In any case, the bible has two versions of the confrontation between Josiah and the Pharoah Necho. It is known that the Assyrians had arranged an alliance with Egypt against Babylon and, even though the pharoah Psammetichus I died in 610, his son Necho picked up the pieces and headed north to maintain the Egyptian end of the bargain with Assyria. 2 Kings 23:29. Describing Necho's movement to meet the Assyrians the bible says that 'King Josiah went to meet him; and Pharoah Necho slew him at Megiddo." The implication is that Necho summoned him and murdered him. The later book of Chronicles attempts to convert this disaster into a 'battle' that Josiah lost but the fact is that Josiah was probably summoned, like any vassal, to swear allegience to the new pharoah and for whatever reason, Necho decided to make an example of him.
Finkelstein does not, however, deal with the Conquest story very much in this vein. So, I want to make it clear, this is MY analysis, not his. The priests in Jerusalem had to deal with the additional problem of their own rapid growth. The sudden influx of Israelite refugees probably explains the rather shabby editing job of the J and E bible sources. As an analogy, the fall of the Kingdom of Israel could be likened to a nuclear exchange between the US and USSR. The population of Canada is roughly 30 million. Assume a nuclear strike would have left 100 million Americans who, due to culture and language, would have fled north away from the radiation. Canada, habitaully under-populated would have experienced a sudden boom but would also have been faced with the problem of how to absorb 100 million Americans into their culture? They might start by pointing to pre-Revolutionary War North America when everyone was happy under the British but how the Americans had revolted and so brought all of their subsequent woes upon themselves. That is a rough example.
The Judeans, who now amounted to little more than a ruling elite over scads of dislocated northerners, concocted the whole story of how they were once one nation and how the north rebelled and wallowed in sin and god punished their leaders. Hence all the crap in the bible about how from earliest times Judah was supposed to lead. Otherwise, the ex-northerners might be tempted to re-establish themselves in the lands which Judah moved to conquer.
Unluckily, thanks to Necho and the subsequent Babylonian assault, they never got the chance.
Now....I imagine that Arch will have a shit hemmorhage but, wth.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Now....I imagine that Arch will have a shit hemmorhage but, wth.
why? i am still trying to get past the interlopers to see if you are still carrying on the jerusalem discussion.
you sound like a finkelstein disciple and believe every word he says.
The way Finkelstein sees it, the bible stories of triumphing over Egypt had nothing to do with history and everything to do with Judean territorial ambitions to expand to areas which the Assyrians had vacated in their retreat.
that is finkelstein's folly and political agenda. those of who know the truth, can see how far off he is with his analysis.
meanwhile i will pause to see if the other discussin continues
He explains how your shitty little village became a locally significant player by cozying up to the Assyrians.
You have to admit that it makes a hell of a lot more sense than your version!
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Getting you to post non-literal bible evidence is like pulling teeth, so, I know how your dentist must feel.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Which Finkelstein work are you citing--I have not read his early Settlement reference . . . yet.
The Bible Unearthed although David and Solomon has some very sound insight into the so-called United Monarchy period.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Found a review of The Bible Unearthed. Again, Arch will scream bloody murder but, as it is written by a professor of bible studies at a divinity school, he will have to take it up with her!
Near the end of the seventh century B.C. a young prince named Josiah, descendant of King David, acceded to the throne of Judah after his father's assassination. Described in the Bible as the most righteous of all the kings, he in time renovated the Temple in Jerusalem. The renovations turned up a scroll (perhaps the world's first archaeological discovery) that began a religious reformation. Called ''the book of the law'' in II Kings, it was probably an early version of Deuteronomy. How it came to be, and to be in the Temple, remains a disputed topic, though Finkelstein and Silberman believe it was written in the seventh century B.C. Obeying the commandments of the scroll, Josiah ordered a thorough purification of the cult of the Hebrew god YHWH (Yahweh). He abolished from the Temple, and throughout Judah, all idolatry and fusions of different types of worship, and extended this activity into parts of the land of Israel, for his plan included territorial conquest. Under his leadership a reform group in Judah declared the purified Temple as the only legitimate place of worship and YHWH as the only deity to be worshiped. The seed of monotheism took root.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
it is nice to see that statemnts without proof or real proof get the press.
though Finkelstein and Silberman believe it was written in the seventh century B.C. Obeying the commandments of the scroll, Josiah ordered a thorough purification of the cult of the Hebrew god YHWH
the key word for fallacy is 'believe'. they cAnnot prove that that is so but they say it loud and long enough in hopes of snaring others to their side.
the fact that they call it a cult demonstrates how they will use the evidence they find to mislead those who do not want israel to have a history according to the Bible. they won't factor in other motivations which help determine these conclusions but accept it because they want to reinforce their own disbelief.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
