Hi Karl,
Several problems with this post, which I can only see as a heaping up of desperation moves. (1) With regards to Exod 39:3 you say “this can be done by hammering, or other methods.” Could you elaborate? Perhaps other methods were utilized in addition, but some kind of beating or hammering was always involved. (2) With regard to Isa 40:19, you say, “This is covering with gold leaf. Gold leaf is spread out, ot hammered, but softly rubbed into place. This example is enough to call your whole argument into question.” First, of all, even if you were right, this would by no means call my whole argument into question. But, second, you are wrong. In ancient times gold plating was done, by rubbing, pressing, AND hammering. This may not be so much the case today. But it was then. The hammering was needed to make sure that the gold plating filled all the pits and fissures. I don’t think your modern blacksmithing and coppersmithing experience is a reliable guide to ancient goldplating methods. (3) With regard to Jer 10:9, you say, “Again the spreading of silver and gold leaf onto a statue.” No, you are wrong here as well. Indeed, no plating is talked about in this verse. RQ( here is used to refer to beaten out silver plates brought from Tarshish, and possibly, by ellipsis, the verb might apply to the gold as well. RQ( is not used here to refer to the plating process, but to the process of making the silver and gold plating. And this was done by beating and hammering out. (4) With regard to 2 Sam 22:43, you try to extend the first verb $XQ onto the occurrence of RQ( in the verse. But RQ( only has to do with mud in the streets. That this mud can be dried out, turned into dust, and float in the air is completely extraneous to the use of RQ( in this verse. It is not mentioned at all. (5) With regard to Job 37:18, when you say, incredibly, that the verse can be translated “as firm as a vision in a mirror,” are you really being serious? As “firm as a vision”? Really? I’ll have to remember that the next time I play similes, and if someone asks, “As firm as” I’ll know the answer is “a vision”! Karl, come on! Is there a translation in the entire world that does this? (6) For Ps 136:6; Isa 42:5; 44:24; Ezek 6:11; 25:6 – all of these plausibly refer to actions that can be characterized as beating, hammering, stamping, etc. (7) For Ezek 1:22-26, it doesn’t always have to be metal plates, just something that can be beaten out. The passage does not say that it was made of glass, only that it sparkled like “ice” or “crystal.” Nor, in this case, is there any hint that the RQY( is dome-shaped. But it is solid; the living creatures support it, and it in turn supports the throne. (8) Finally, no Karl, there are no occurrences in the Hebrew Bible of either RQ( or RQY( referring to the existence of something non-solid. Not a single occurrence. None. Blessings, Jerry Shepherd Taylor Seminary Edmonton, Alberta [email protected] _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
