from: Israel
Finkelstein / Neil A. Silberman: The Bible
unearthed. Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel
and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts; The Free Press, a
division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2001; German
edition has got the title "No trombones before
Jericho" (orig. German: "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho"):
edition C.H.Beck oHG, Munich 2002;
Here in this analysis is used the
German version "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho" of DTV,
Munich 2004, second edition of 2005. All page
indications refer to the German version. I hope the
page numbers are not very different.
The
legend of Abraham as progenitor of all Jews, with son
Ismail as progenitor of all Arabs - and the legend of
son Isaak
First book of Mose is describing a family saga with all
possible dramatic art, about passion, discipline, justice,
injustice, belief, godliness, immortality, claiming that
God had "elected" it's nation and would "promise" some
land, also wealth and growth. The patriarch are said to be
Abraham, Isaak, and Jakob, and the first mothers are said
to be Sara, Rebeka, Lea, and Rahel (p,.39).
Many of the scholars of the passed centuries had the
meaning that these legends about the patriarchs in the Old
Testament (OT) (p.45) with life of Bedouins, with sheep
and herders (p.45-46), with their quarrels about springs
of water (Gen. 21, 25-33) and with their quarrels about
grasslands (Gen. 13,5-12) would be roughly right
historically (p.45).
The
legend of Abraham and the late birth of his children
Abraham's propaganda trip claiming a
territory from Israel to Ur,
and the map shows a moment where the big
Empires are blocking each other the trade routes
OT claims:
-- Abraham is said having been elected by God as the
patriarch of the population of Israel (p.19), is said to
be from Ur at the Euphrates (p.40), and is said having
marched from Mesopotamia to Haran (p.40) and then to
Canaan (p.19)
-- then Abraham is said having been a hiking outsider with
his wife Sara (p.19)
-- Abraham is said to be the origin of all nations of the
region of Israel Palestine, and it's said that he parted
the territory with his competitors Lot and many shepherds
(p.40)
-- after the collapse of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot is said
having been the patriarch of the Moabits and Amonites in
the Eastbank of Jordan river in the eastern highlands
(p.40), and Lot had children with his two daughters
founding the Moabit tribe (p.52)
-- the son of Abraham Ismael comes by a connection between
Abraham and Hagar (the Egypt slave of his 90 years old
wife Sara), and this son is said being the patriarch of
all Arab populations in the southern desert (p.40-41),
Ismael is said being misprized by Abraham and according to
this the Arab tribes which are said to be originated by
Ismael are devaluated in the invented 1st book of Mose,
and at the same time the children of Ismael are said
having had contacts to Judah kingdom (p.54)
-- Abraham's wife Sara is said having given birth to the
son Isaak with 100 years yet, the only child of this
connection (p.41)
-- and Abraham is said having almost sacrificed this son
Isaak proving the loyalty to God, and when God allegedly
saw Isaak on the altar God is said having promised to
Abraham that Abraham's child will be the origin for a
famous nation, and all peoples of Earth would be blessed
by him, that says the prophecy of this invented OT (p.41)
The contradictions of 1st
book of Mose about the patriarchs of Israel
The details
are giving a real effect. Ur and Haran as the origin of
Abraham seem to be right because there oldest centers of
Middle East civilizations can be found. And the birthright
would also be right, the spiritual orientated Bible
archaeologists meant in 19th and 20th century, so e.g.
Roland De Vaux or William f. Albright (p.46).
There is no
agreement about Abraham's way and his dates of life
Archaeologist Albright means that names
of persons, rites of weddings and land purchasing laws as
they are prescribed in 1st book of Mose could come from
Mesopotamic society of 2d millennium B.D. where is said
Abraham comes from (p.47).
But then archeology initiated by
Albright searching for remnants of hiking shepherd groups
between Mesopotamia and Israel Palestine (p.47-48) is
showing another scenario:
-- there cannot be found any mass
movement from Euphrates to Canaan
-- and the old traditions are that
common that they could be element of practically any
culture in old Middle East (p.48).
Several archaeologists are posting the
time of Abraham in different epochs with differences of up
to 1,000 years, always without any definite result. But
the patriarchs themselves are never put into question
(p.48).
The defamed Moabites
For the defamation of the Moabites in
the family trees of the patriarchs with the indication
that the Moabites have their origin by an incest, this
indication only plays a role in the border wars between
the Israel Reichs and Moab. During the times of Abraham
Moab does not exist yet at all (p.52).
[Conclusion
The contradictions about the story of
Abraham are indications that Abraham hardly has existed,
and in the case of the Moabites the story is an absolute
lie].
