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RE: orion translation central?
Perhaps Professor West would be kind enough to answer the
following problem.
Had the OT been composed in Greek at the time of the
Hasmoneans, would there not have been a greater knowledge
of the Persian period which has always caused the
Talmudists great problems with their chronology. Because
they follow the OT they lose about 165 years during the
Persian era.
It is interesting to note that if their chronology is used
(as seems likely) then the time period mentioned in the
Damascus Document ( 390 + 20 after Nebuchadnezer ) would
suggest an Herodian rather than an Hasmonean era for its
origin.
Ever
Mike
Mike_Sanders@photoad.com (private e-mail)
BibleMysteries@photoad.com (web site e-mail)
http://www.BibleMysteries.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim West [SMTP:jwest@Highland.Net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 1997 3:06 PM
To: orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il
Subject: orion translation central?
OK- please contain your laughter at what I am about to s
uggest and recognize
that it is sometimes the most wild eyed theories which
eventually win the
day. (but maybe not this time).
Here goes (and these are all assumptions without any basis
in fact; what I
am interested in is your opinion as to the feasibility of
the theory)
theory 1- the OT was originally composed in Greek during
the Hasmonean
period by Hellenized folk seeking to legitimize their claim
to the land
(land propoganda in the most positive sense of the term).
theory 2- the inhabitants of Qumran translated these
documents from Greek
into Hebrew and Aramaic in order to make them more widely
available to the
home audience (which explains (!) the presence of Greek
manuscripts in the
caves nearby).
theory 3- in the process of translation these Greek
manuscripts were adapted
both linguistically and theologically (which explains (!)
the presence of
different Vorlagen) by the anti-hellenistic inhabitants of
the community.
I.e., the Qumranites found these documents useful in a
purged or lengthened
form. (for example, the LXX of Jeremiah is much shorter
than the MT version
with its many expansions, etc).
Now, again, I realize that this is all a shooting in the
dark- but I am
looking at the larger picture (which I think is sometimes
ignored).
Have a nice evening (or day) and a nice smile! (though I
am, of course,
serious).
Jim
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West
Adjunct Professor of Bible
Quartz Hill School of Theology
jwest@highland.net