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Re: orion-list guilty corpses



RGmyrken@aol.com wrote:

> 				The War Scroll doesn't directly address
> the issue of the uncleanness incurred by slaying the enemy -- and indeed 1QM
> 14:3 seems inconsistent with the legal requirement of Num. 31:19.  (Indeed,
> it would require that the soldiers who had slain the enemy would be excluded
> from the ranks for seven days, which seems highly impractical.  Does the War
> Scroll sidestep this issue?  It does envision crucial battles lasting only a
> single day... perhaps since a second engagement that same week could not
> utilize the best troops from the first battle.)  

It's interesting that you should raise the issue of practicality.  I've
taught courses on the Scrolls in our extension program on a U.S. Army
base and have had students who work for Army Intelligence (no cracks
please) and whose speciality is analyzing enemy battle plans, write
papers applying their speciality to the War Scroll.  They note that,
while the War Scroll may reflect a knowledge of ancient battle tactics,
its understanding of issues related to personnel and supply,
particularly to sustain the plan over a significant period of time,
don't touch base with reality.  They home in on a continuing supply of
soldiers and what would be involved in manufacturing the weapons as
described.  The results suggest that the scroll is a curious mixture of
realism and fantasy.

David Suter
Saint Martin's College

-- 
David W. Suter, Ph.D.
Professor of Religious Studies
Saint Martin's College, Lacey, WA 98503
dsuter@stmartin.edu
For private reply, e-mail to "David W. Suter" <dsuter@stmartin.edu>
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