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Old 06-10-2013, 01:39 PM   #11
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since when did theoogy turn into real history?
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Old 06-10-2013, 01:57 PM   #12
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The thing is, unlike Christians, Jews are not afraid to at least stretch their minds a bit when it comes to scripture. They can discuss scripture, even in controversial ways-not fearing excommunictaion or other censure from the consensus-and still maintain their faith. In the Hertz Chumash Rabbi Hertz makes the following suggestion:

Referring to the Gilgamesh story which differs from the Noah story chiefly in the motivation of the gods for causing the flood in the first place, which Rabbi Hertz says that God clears up in the telling of the Noah story.
You can say the same about Christians....
That hasn't been my experience.

Try an experiment Steve. Go to a bible study group at a local church and lay the Gilgamesh on them. The pastor will most likely politely ask you to come to his office and he'll inform you that it would be best, in the future, that you not attend.
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Old 06-11-2013, 05:36 AM   #13
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I can assume then orthodox Judaism does not infer biblical literalism?
The thing is, unlike Christians, Jews are not afraid to at least stretch their minds a bit when it comes to scripture. They can discuss scripture, even in controversial ways-not fearing excommunictaion or other censure from the consensus-and still maintain their faith. In the Hertz Chumash Rabbi Hertz makes the following suggestion:

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Originally Posted by The Pentateuch and Haftorahs: Hebrew Text English Translation and Commentary, (ed.) J. H. Hertz, p.198
Assyriologists tell us, the story seems to have been reduced to writing as early as the days of Abraham. It must have been known in substance to the children of Israel in Cannaan and later in Egypt.
Referring to the Gilgamesh story which differs from the Noah story chiefly in the motivation of the gods for causing the flood in the first place, which Rabbi Hertz says that God clears up in the telling of the Noah story.
You can say the same about Christians and even the RCC to some degree which now allows for evolution. True Christian total biblical literalists are only a small part of Christianity.
Much like Catholics Jews will listen to the preacher and hear what he says, but likely will not take it to the bank and put their money on it. They will finally conclude that there is more to it than I/they know because both opposite parties cannot be right, and will just leave it at that.

Catholicsm has replaced the flood story with the Advent wreath to say the same thing, that points at Advent being a 'real life-time event' wherein our own life-houseboat is all that we are and all that we pretent to be, now looking for destiny here.

So it is not just a verbal question, but it says: "here I am, with not just my words" and there see a glimmer of hope waiting to bring new life about in the third 'white' candle on the wreath, this time, and that equals the dove Noah send out.

It is all allegory, including crucifixion, which must be true to even make it possible to be a real life time event, while churches are loaded and nobody knows what is going on in our very own life . . . and finally will be crucified by them too.

This is just a little more complicated than I just write here, but if it is possible that the grass can looking greener on some days than others, crucifixion is already possible too. And so now, the flood story is real, except that now the water was not wet but we were drenched in the storm of life that religion prepared us for by the very story as told.

The problem with this is that PhD's are like ass-wipe when this happens, and you can see here, time and time again, that they will always know best and are given the final word on what they call theology, which is a soft science at best wherein literacy counts by degree but metaphysics is not part as prior to physics and therefore will always be trump. And let's be reminded here that in Judaism the Torah of Tradition counts for the most as most effective in this (and so are already saying that 'theology' is a bullshit event as negative stand against which salvation must be found if we dare to say NO! much like Rouseau's Inquisitive Emile).

They call this induction, dear reader, wherein the intelligent design exists inside the species to make evolution possible, in which the TOK (or left brain) adds sense perception to the TOL so that it can 'be alive' as a living organism that is sensitive to local conditions and multiply with adaptation in mind.

It is basically very simple, but also true that there is no need to spend our entire life as oursider to us, and that is what metamorphosis is all about.
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Old 06-11-2013, 06:04 AM   #14
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When referring to literalism in the Torah, Orthodox Judaism relies on the words of the text in conjunction with the targums and commentaries, Midrash, etc. For example, when Abraham took Isaac to Moriah, the verse says "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac." Now of course we know that this refers to Isaac, but the interest goes beyond that, i.e. why does the verse have to mention 4 elements. The commentaries explain that this is because Abraham responded to God that he had TWO sons, and then, that each son was his ONLY son by a different mother, and then that he loved EACH of them, and then was told it was to be Isaac.

So does the story begin and end with what is written in the Torah? The answer is no.


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The forum is biblical criticism and history, it is not a chat room, and theism is very much on trial here.

The links provided would say Gilgamesh in the earliest surviving records predates Jews. Noah appears to be an outright plagiarism.


Ok. the question for you is a global or local flood. That woid seem to bring the story into question if it were not global.

If not literal did Noah as Jewish myth inspire Gilgamesh as you cited as a s possibility?

I can assume then orthodox Judaism does not infer biblical literalism?
Thanks. IMO good informative posts on Judaism.
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Old 06-11-2013, 06:08 AM   #15
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I'd like to hear what duvduv has to say without the usual sarcasm and banter.

Yes we on the secular side do not take any of it as literal, but there is no need to keep tossing that fact out.
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Old 06-11-2013, 06:53 AM   #16
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Steve, could you be a bit more specific in terms of what you are asking about?
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I'd like to hear what duvduv has to say without the usual sarcasm and banter.

Yes we on the secular side do not take any of it as literal, but there is no need to keep tossing that fact out.
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Old 06-11-2013, 08:05 AM   #17
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Steve, could you be a bit more specific in terms of what you are asking about?
Thanks,
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I'd like to hear what duvduv has to say without the usual sarcasm and banter.

Yes we on the secular side do not take any of it as literal, but there is no need to keep tossing that fact out.
While there may be references to actual places and events in the Torah that we can verify, us skeptics do not take it as literal. We categorically reject the supernatural parts.

Some on the forum will use any opening to proclaim that skepticism when a theists present theology,.

I'd rather see theists feel free to present their cases and beliefs without a continuous barrage of attempts to dispute and disprove by us sketics.

I am working a a thread on the implausibility o fThe Ark given the dimensions and what was sod to go on biard.

On that thread if you post your responses will be responded to critically with requests for something other than the Torah itself.
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Old 06-11-2013, 08:12 AM   #18
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This is a huge area of inquiry. Events related to Torah stories are found in so many different sources I wouldn't know where to begin in terms of answering what it is you need to know. That's why I'd need you to be more specific. The book called Tikkunei Zohar, for example, is an entire text of discussions and exegesis on the first word of the Torah, "BERESHEET" ("In the beginning").

With regard to the Ark, sources explain that it was impossible for the dimensions specified in the Torah to house all the creatures that entered it (not to mention the requirement of the humans aboard to care for all of them). The Ark was what we today would describe as a structure that operated outside of our experience of three dimensional space. Indeed, there would have been no purpose at all for the Torah to bother describing the measurements of the ark at all if it were to house so many creatures. It would have sufficed to simply state that God commanded Noah to build something big which would house X number of creatures (not all creatures on earth necessarily).

As I mentioned, many sources explain that the Flood only occurred where there was human population, not in unpopulated areas, which would have meant that the animals found in many places did not have to come on board.

A similar description about time and space relates to the First Temple when so many people entered the Temple and felt no crowding at all.

I am not seeking approval of my explanation, but simply presenting it because you asked.

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Steve, could you be a bit more specific in terms of what you are asking about?
Thanks,
Duvduv
While there may be references to actual places and events in the Torah that we can verify, us skeptics do not take it as literal. We categorically reject the supernatural parts.

Some on the forum will use any opening to proclaim that skepticism when a theists present theology,.

I'd rather see theists feel free to present their cases and beliefs without a continuous barrage of attempts to dispute and disprove by us sketics.
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Old 06-11-2013, 08:15 AM   #19
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Is no-one going to address the physical, meteorological or geologic problems with such a flood?
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Old 06-11-2013, 08:22 AM   #20
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Is no-one going to address the physical, meteorological or geologic problems with such a flood?
Go right ahead
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