Dear Bryant, Not that I'm taking Jim's side here, but I assume that you do realize the fallacy of what you're doing. You are using a translation of the DDS to prove a point about the text of the MT.
1. What does the HEBREW text of the DDS say? Is it identical (at this specific point) to the MT? If so, all you've proven is that the translators understood it to mean "13th year", not that that's what the text originally meant. We've already established that most translators, beginning with the Septuagint, understood it this way. 2. Even if the HEBREW text of the DDS is worded in such a way as to definitely mean either "13th" or "13 (more)", can that be considered a definitive interpretation of the MT? or might the scribe of the DDS have been "updating" his text to make it mean what he thought that it should mean? This is obviously what he does with the rest of this story. Yigal Levin -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bryant J. Williams III Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2011 7:16 PM To: K Randolph Cc: B-Hebrew Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Year 13 Hebrew Grammar Dear Karl, Regarding the DSS. The following is taken from ***The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation*** by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook San Francisco: Michael, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook and Harper-Collins, 1996. 1QapGen 22:23-23:26 Pages 82-83, "Abraham battles the four kings of the east. Compare Genesis 14, whose narrative this portion of the Tales elaborates considerably. The author of the Tales is also concerned to update or identify the names of biblical peoples and places." " 23 Prior to those days Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, Amraphel, the king of Babylon, Arioch, the king of Cappadocia, and Tidal, king of Goiim, which 24 lies between the two rivers had come. They had waged war on Bera, the king of Sodom, Birsha, the king of Gomorrah, Shinab, the king of Admah, 25 Shemiabad, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. All these gathered themselves together to battle in the Valley of Siddim. Now, the king of 26 Elam and the kings with him proved stronger than the king of Sodom and all his allies. Thus they imposed tribute upon them. For twelve years they continued 27 to pay their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. Consequently, in the fourteenth year the king of Elam sallied forth with 28 allies, and they ascended by way of the desert." The key verses are 26-27, "26 Elam and the kings with him proved stronger than the king of Sodom and all his allies. Thus they imposed tribute upon them. For twelve years they continued 27 to pay their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. Consequently, in the fourteenth year the king of Elam sallied forth with 28 allies, and they ascended by way of the desert." Note also on Page 83, that in Column 23 of the same manuscript verse 12ff regarding the rescue of Lot by Abraham, "12 those who had bee captured he brought back. The king of Sodom heard that Abram had recovered all the captives 13 and plunder, so he went up to meet him. He came to Salem, that is, Jerusalem, whereas Abram was encamped in the Valley 14 of Shaveh, that is the Valley of the King, the Valley of Beth Hakerem. Now Melchizedek, the king of Salem, provided 15 food and drink for Abram and all the men with him. He himself was a priest of the God Most High, and he blessed 16 Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the Lord of heaven and earth, Blessed be God Host High 17 who has closed your grasp about enemies." Rev. Bryant J. Williams III http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
