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orion Stephen Goranson yet again on Pliny



Dear Stephen,

>For anyone who wishes to consult Pliny's list of sources--...--Pliny
>lists them for each book at the beginning of his work. For book 5 they
>do indeed date overwhelmingly to pre-70.

Perhaps you just have difficulty understanding what I actually said. Did I
say anything against your statement that stuff from Bk 5 does "indeed date
overwhelmingly to pre-70"? I merely complained about your presumptuous use
of uniformity.

Returning to another argument of yours regarding M. Agrippa: given that
Josephus clearly tells us that Essenes were found in cities ("many of them
dwell in every city"), it is almost certain that had M. Agrippa written a
report he would have come across Essenes in more convenient locations to
talk about. But then it must have been Agrippa writing about the Essenes who
must have lived at Qumran, though we only have Pliny who says "infra hos
engada oppidum fuit".

>in my view some Qumran
>texts and the ruins at Qumran... would be recognized as Essene

Naturally, Stephen, you're incapable of producing any of this overwhelming
documentation. Those who support the Essene hypothesis too often make claims
they cannot support. I think it's inherent in the hypothesis.

>Also, I did not mention the "wash basin" for which de Vaux has been
>ridiculed, among other things I.H. sought to associate with me.

I think you're referring to the "writing tables", aren't you??

No Pliny, no Essene hypothesis.

Ian Hutchesson