r/AskBibleScholars

The usher timeline puts the exodus event around 1400 BC while the other biblical scholars often cite the emergence of Israel as around 1200 BC/ post bonze age collapse. There was only about 70 of Jacobs family members who entered Egypt which eventually germinated into the multitudes of Israelites during the exodus.

Before this, where was God through out history? 1400 BC obviously is no where near the beginning of history, even from the perspective of those who believe in the bible. Am I to expect the Mycenaeans, Hitites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Amorites, Gutians, Elamites, Persians, Egyptians, Sumerians, Akkadians, Hurrians etc. all failed to believe in "the one true god".

There is no trace of YWH worship prior to the emergence of the Israelites, and even in biblical history the only existence of YWH worship lies in a very select few families.

Would your answer be to simply say that all the other nations rebelled against God as the bible does? That some how the Israelites were the only group of people through out history that managed to believe and follow God until the emergence/ spread of christianity.

How can you explain the total lack of God through out the several thousand years of history he is unaccounted for?

I enjoy studying world history, mythology, and religion among many other things (I am no scholar). I am curious if anyone has seen a strange connection between Noah, the ark, and the flood, with the Ogdoad and pre-existance of ancient Egypt? Just a little strange to me is all and not looking for a debate. Also, strange many flood stories exist around the world. The following examples:

Noah's Ark:

- 4 sets of 2 couples = 8 people (women not named)

-The flood and ark

- Having 2 of each animal (all creatures)

-Happens after God created everything

The Ogdoad:

-4 sets of 2 couples = 8 people (women ARE named with the same name as men, but with "et" added to end of the name, like man and "wo"man)

-Primordial waters and the solar bark

-They had 2 types of animal heads

-Happened before creation

Just thought I'd point it out, is all. Very interesting to me.

John 3:8 (LSB) “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”

In the passage above Jesus, in my opinion, describes person born of the Holy Spirit as a pure spirit (in spiritual body and no longer having any limitations of flesh).

In some traditions, like in Russian for example, the English equivalent of it is roughly like:

'The spirit breathes where he withes and you hear his voice but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit'

It has its own drawbacks, but at least it speaks of the spirit and not of some wind...

So, in your opinion, is it wrong to understand the mentioned verse like:

"The spirit (person in spiritual body) blows (with the meaning of 'moves') where it willeth and you hear its voice, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who has been born of the Spirit."?

*Specifically referencing pre-Hexapla contamination*

Hey guys,

I’m a layman trying to find a copy of the LXX and read it as its own manuscript tradition prior to any attempts at harmonization with the masoretic textual tradition.

Besides NETS, it appears all available English editions are based on manuscripts that are post Origins Hexapla, thus are a harmonization of the LXX and the proto-MT (and Theodotion, Aquila, etc).

The NETS translation uses the NSRV for its base structure, AGAIN inserting influence from the masoretic tradition (please correct me if my understanding is wrong)

I understand the OG version of the LXX only survives in fragments across Old Latin, DSS, Papyrus, etc- but is there a single edition available that-

1. Prioritizes the OG LXX for everything that survives and is still available.

2. Where the OG LXX root base is no longer extant, utilizes (and notes) the Hexapla, and where the Hexapla is not available utilizes (and notes) the other revisions that are available like Theodotion, Aquila, etc.

3. Is not structured/ based on a masoretic translation (like NETS appears to be).

This whole thing has been a big puzzle to me, but ultimately I’m looking for guidance from someone that understands these things better and understands my goal is to view the LXX tradition as purely and separate from the influence of the MT tradition as possible.

Does something like this exist? If not, what is the best option to achieve or best approximate my stated goal?

NIV Mark 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" 9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man-- and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

_________________

Curious to see the gentilic interpretations of this.

NIV Mark 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" 9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man-- and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

_________________

Curious to see the gentilic interpretations of this.

If this is accurate, what would the author have said instead if they wanted to communicate the idea that the Word's presence was not continuing from the past until the point in being talked about? Is that even an option?

Lucifer and the other fallen angels oppose the creation of humankind. As far as I understand, this is usually interpreted as a question of power and pride.

Is there anything in the related scripture, that implies that a matter of mundane/material vs. divine/spiritual might be at play, too? In the meaning of “we have reached this state already, so why go back to something less”?

This hypothesis has been in the back of my mind for a few years, but I lack the scholarship and time to either back it up or refute it.

So, we could assume that there was not one original group of christians, but a few. One might have had gnostic leanings, one was very apocalyptic, one brought in the name "Jesus", etc. Maybe one called themselves "the family of Jesus", while another were "the apostles".

The whole thing coagulated through evolution-like processes. Obviously, that would be the crucial point: To explain how exactly that happened, and why.

So my questions are: Is there any way this might have been how it happened? Are/were there ever any scholars (reputable or at least semi-serious) with similar beliefs?

FWIW, I like the hypothesis even if it's complete nonsense. Speculation can be fun!