Are the first 7 books of the Bible really just folklore? (genesis, Israel)
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Being history buff, I've been aware for some time that at least the first five books of the bible were not credibly history(didn't happen), but only recently did I read the book "The Bible Unearthed" by Finkelstein (an archaeologist with Tel Aviv University( and Silberman, the editor of Archaeology magazine).
Their thesis is that the events described in the first seven (7) books of the Bible were gathered from folklore, the Hebrews never were slaves (or even in) Egypt, but were nomadic herders and later farmers in Cananna. Over 250 of their settlements have been located since 1967.
A fellow from Humanities Department at Caltech has placed an abbreviated version of this book on the web.
Being history buff, I've been aware for some time that at least the first five books of the bible were not credibly history(didn't happen), but only recently did I read the book "The Bible Unearthed" by Finkelstein (an archaeologist with Tel Aviv University( and Silberman, the editor of Archaeology magazine).
Their thesis is that the events described in the first seven (7) books of the Bible were gathered from folklore, the Hebrews never were slaves (or even in) Egypt, but were nomadic herders and later farmers in Cananna. Over 250 of their settlements have been located since 1967.
A fellow from Humanities Department at Caltech has placed an abbreviated version of this book on the web.
Of course they are folklore. Largely so, in any case. Much of it is not even original to The Bible or the Hebrew culture.
This doesn't detract from the fact that they are very profound stories that can tell us much about the human condition.
Obviously there is no real "history" to such things as the Garden of Eden or Adam and Eve--these are legends, but also cornerstones of human thought and imagination. Just because it is clearly not accurate or valid from an explicitly historical standpoint does not mean they are unworthy of consideration and study.
My own take - and it is rather my own - is that the OT existed as a book of history - with some legendary -sounding stuff in it, true, but what ancient book accepted as useful history doesn't?
But then considering it book by book, we find that Genesis collapses entirely. In discussion on this board, Exodus has been shown to be unworkable and evidence for it without value, despite the stout denial of Bible- literalist believers.
Now the Conquest under Joshua is coming under question as the archaeological evidence increasingly indicates that Israel grew on site and after the general shake up that saw the disappearance of the Hittite empire (apart from the truncated neo -Hittite state in Syria) and the small Canaanite city -states which were replaced by Moab, Edom, Ammon and Israel, at the time of the appearance of the Philistines on the coast.
Thus far, we have to think in terms of if not folklore (the suggestion is of a deliberately concocted history disigned to show the superiority of the Israelite god and the chosen -ness of his people) not reliable history, and now even the exploits of David and the empire of Solomon are coming under question. That they existed and ruled the Israelite state still seems to stand up,but archeology is suggesting that the larger Israelite empire does not date to the time before Omri.
So the too - simple dichotomy of history or folklore is to be replaced by innocent until proven guilty - and the case for the guilt of the Bible in perpetrating a fictitious history is being made stronger all the time.
There are "history buffs" who claim the Holocaust never happened either.
I think you have to always consider the source
RESPONSE:
Exactly! And the writers of the Bible Unearthed are well recognized Hebrew archaeologists, one a senior member of the teaching staff of Tel Aviv University; the other the editor of Archaeology.
Also Caltech recognizes their book.
Last edited by ancient warrior; 03-12-2013 at 07:50 AM..
Reason: typo
My own take - and it is rather my own - is that the OT existed as a book of history - with some legendary -sounding stuff in it, true, but what ancient book accepted as useful history doesn't?
But then considering it book by book, we find that Genesis collapses entirely. In discussion on this board, Exodus has been shown to be unworkable and evidence for it without value, despite the stout denial of Bible- literalist believers.
Now the Conquest under Joshua is coming under question as the archaeological evidence increasingly indicates that Israel grew on site and after the general shake up that saw the disappearance of the Hittite empire (apart from the truncated neo -Hittite state in Syria) and the small Canaanite city -states which were replaced by Moab, Edom, Ammon and Israel, at the time of the appearance of the Philistines on the coast.
Thus far, we have to think in terms of if not folklore (the suggestion is of a deliberately concocted history disigned to show the superiority of the Israelite god and the chosen -ness of his people) not reliable history, and now even the exploits of David and the empire of Solomon are coming under question. That they existed and ruled the Israelite state still seems to stand up,but archeology is suggesting that the larger Israelite empire does not date to the time before Omri.
So the too - simple dichotomy of history or folklore is to be replaced by innocent until proven guilty - and the case for the guilt of the Bible in perpetrating a fictitious history is being made stronger all the time.
RESPONSE:
How exactly could the Hebrews remain in Egypt for 400 years, then depart with about 2.3 million people (including the 600,000 warriors, wives, children and men too old or young to be warriors) without leaving any record of them being in Egypt or spending 40 years in the desert and completelywithout leaving any archaeological evidence(not even broken pottery)?
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*Sigh*
