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Re: 4Q318

At 07:30 PM 10/14/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Seth,
>
>I amjust a lurker on this list about the Dead sea Scrolls and do not have the
>academic qualifications equal to most of you on this list.  But I do have a
>question that I hesitate to post to the list in general as I would only
>betray my lack of scholarship and probably annoy them.  On the other hand, I
>*do* have a question. 

Scholarship, to be genuine, must address the questioner no matter what her
or his level; elsewise we are just blabbing amongst ourselves- which is
really good for nothing- so ask away anything you like.

>
>So I was hoping that you might assist me.  I am fascinated by this business
>of the Mesopotamian/Helenestic influences and when it entered Israel and
>whether it did from Mesopotamia or Greeks....
>
Perhaps if you would read D.S. Russell's book on apocalyptic.  He goes into
great detail.  I do not now recall the exact title, but it is available from
Westminster/John Knox.  Look in Books in Print under the author's name and
you should be able to find it.

>It seems clear to me that there is evidence of religious syncretism quite
>early in Israel.  Aside from Solomen indulging his 1000 brides

Actually 700 wives and 300 concubines- but this is clearly exaggeration!

> with the means
>to wrship their own gods, wouldn't ideas and influences have entered Israel
>merely as a matter of the trade routes and so forth?  
>
Israel was very syncretistic long before Solomon.  See N.P. Lemche's History
of Israel.


>I certainly can not offer any evidence for this observation.  But considering
>where Israel is located and the number of times there have been attempts to
>own this section of the Levant from prehistoric times to the present, it
>seems only logical and sort of Occam's Razorish to.
>
>I do have an MA in Theological Studies from Gordon Conwell Theological
>Seminary in Hamilton MA and I concentrated on Church History, so am not
>entirely ignorant!!
>

No one really is (except perhaps V. Jones !!! )

>Thanks for taking the time to read this!!
>
>Gloriamarie Amalfitano
>La Mesa, CA
(a lovely town)

Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Professor of Biblical Languages
Petros TN