Philip Davies extensively discusses the issues you raise in a section
called 'Biblical Hebrew' at _In Search of Ancient Israel_ (JSOT 148;
Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,, 1992) 102-5. Lemche touches on
language dating issues at "The Old Testament - A Hellenistic Book?" SJOT 7
(1993) 188-89, questioning "whether such [language] differences should be
explained as a result of differences in time or of milieu (or of place)."
C.C. Torrey discusses the late (2nd-3rd century BCE) date of the Aramaic of
Ezra and Daniel as compared with the Elephantine Papyri in _Ezra Studies_
(various editions) 161-66.
There does appear to be some overlap between the latest Biblical
materials and the earliest texts at Qumran (some of which are pre-sectarian).
Of particular relevance is the fact that the Animal Apocalypse, CD and other
Qumran texts do not know of any return from exile, which is an idea found
mainly in Ezra-Nehemiah, which may in turn date as late as the early second
century BCE.
Best regards,
Russell Gmirkin
> Perhaps this is not the bets place for this, but perhaps
> those who have expertise in Hebrew can give me their two
> cents worth on something. I am one of those who is
> sympathetic to the viewpoint of Phillip Davies and numerous
> others (e.g. Nodet, Lemche, Thompson) that the Hebrew Bible
> and the religious views it promotes are post-exilic, i.e.
> Persian or even hellensitic in some cases and is closer to
> thew world of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the intertestimental
> literature than to the social-religious environment of the
> pre-exilic world. I have seen the same sort of view
> expressed by some on this list (e.g. that the later chapters
> of Ezekiel that refer to the Zadokites might be this late,
> or that Nehemiah might be 2nd century). Though I can find
> many reasons to agree with this view the one big thorn for
> me in this line of thinking is the continued insistence of
> many scholars that the Hebrew of the biblical texts excludes
> this possibility because it is demonstrably more ancient
> (i.e. pre-exilic or exilic at the latest). I have not been
> able to find much in way of critical commentary on this
> point and would appreciate the input of those on this list.
>
> Bruce Wildish
> Mississauga, Ontario
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