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"And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron" - Judges 1:19
This makes me chuckle every time I read it.
Perhaps "the LORD" should have borrowed a Vimana from the Hindu gods
Well don't write such things about GOD. I guess if GOD become angry on you you will loose every thing in your life. so always gie espect and pray to GOD.
"And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron" - Judges 1:19
This makes me chuckle every time I read it.
Perhaps "the LORD" should have borrowed a Vimana from the Hindu gods
Perhaps this is one of the more honest accounts of exploits. If one has to believe the numbers claimed of the alleged hebrew conquests one has to wonder how an obviously disadvantaged foreign invading force of the Romans were able to subdue them so easily.
In today's warfare with "iron ships" carrying "iron chariots" or "iron birds" the logistic costs plus the high level of effort and the obvious home ground advantage the enemy has, back then the Romans must have had some real duzies.
Even the tale of Solomon's 3000 wives and concubines, would have taken over 8 years to service assuming one per day. Probably more like 30.
Personally I think all these alleged exploits were no more than tribal skirmishes embellished by the scribes to make them appear more awesome.
But then if one can believe that one person can kill 1000 with a jawbone of a donkey, I suppose you can believe anything.
Personally I think all these alleged exploits were no more than tribal skirmishes embellished by the scribes to make them appear more awesome.
I'm not sure there was all that much embellishment going on. They were accounts of local events that were interpreted differently down through the years.
There was never any doubt that the land "given" to the Israelite tribes actually had to be taken...and that taking it wasn't a walk in the park. (They didn't entirely succeed, either, because there were quite a few of the original inhabitants who remained within the country).
I'm not sure there was all that much embellishment going on. They were accounts of local events that were interpreted differently down through the years.
There was never any doubt that the land "given" to the Israelite tribes actually had to be taken...and that taking it wasn't a walk in the park. (They didn't entirely succeed, either, because there were quite a few of the original inhabitants who remained within the country).
I speak under correction, there was an earlier diaspora before Rome came into the picture, Nebuchadnezzar IIRC managaged to overthrow them an deport a number of them.
One has to ask, if the land they conquered and according to the legend were outnumbered and folk were giants as the story goes, the successful occupation was overcome by foreign forces more than once. This leads me to the conclusion that the stories are embellished and that likely they moved in peacefully. According to the scriptures, they were to annihilate the entire population but did not hence the "I told you so" excuse for disobedience to the commandment exists.
I would imagine that there were no real occupiers to overcome in the first place and that all the stories are just legend. The siege of Masada was no heroic stand off either if we are to believe that account.
If we look at the parallel histories of the USA and SA with your war against the crown and ours, the brits eventually lost and were dispatched. We are talking of a far more modern army than the Romans had and the occupiers in most African countries were eventually dispatched by the locals in more recent times, the colonials.
I am not saying none of it happened, just highly exaggerated and the exodus from Egypt probably has the most embellishments.
"And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron" - Judges 1:19
This makes me chuckle every time I read it.
Perhaps "the LORD" should have borrowed a Vimana from the Hindu gods
Lets take this argument where it naturally needs to go. An "iron chariot" can only be one thing .
"And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron" - Judges 1:19
This makes me chuckle every time I read it.
Perhaps "the LORD" should have borrowed a Vimana from the Hindu gods
the lord was with - maybe it doesnt mean miracles. Maybe it means Hashem giving Judah the courage to do what Judah was capable of doing. Which DID included winning the mountains, but not the plains.
One has to ask, if the land they conquered and according to the legend were outnumbered and folk were giants as the story goes, the successful occupation was overcome by foreign forces more than once. This leads me to the conclusion that the stories are embellished and that likely they moved in peacefully.
lets leave aside giants, and leave aside the broader question and evidence regarding them moving in peacefully (or even not moving in at all, but being canaanites who became monotheists). The canaanites we know from the Amarna letters were multiple city states - no overarching central authority. When the Assyrians attacked the Northern Kingdom, Assyria was a small empire, ruling most of mesopotamia and modern "syria". And, of course, the Israelites were divided into two kingdoms. Bablylonia (which took the south kingdom) was a larger empire than Assyria, and Rome of course far larger than either.
If I didnt see the mention of giants and other miracle material, and if I didnt have other evidence leading to skepticism of the conquest, I dont think I could deduce the conquest story to be embellished only from the issue of the balance of military forces.
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