Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Crucifiction · 02-06-2005, 02:35 AM

1.) Verse one in Chapter one mentions a land named "Uz". It seems that I've heard of an ancient land called "Uz" in connection with Pakistan, but I can't recall where. Any idea where this place was supposed to be?

2.) Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. How, exactly, do we know this?

One other thing I don't really understand about the book is that Job is said to be the "greatest of all the men of the east"; but his estate consisted of merely seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, and five hundred female asses. Compared to the estates of many of the Oriental kings from roughly the same timeperiod, this is a paltry amount.

Javaman · 02-06-2005, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucifiction

1.) Verse one in Chapter one mentions a land named "Uz". It seems that I've heard of an ancient land called "Uz" in connection with Pakistan, but I can't recall where. Any idea where this place was supposed to be?

Although there is speculation, I haven't read that there's any consensus about Uz. FYI, here's a nice piece by Thomas Long:

Job: Second Thoughts in the Land of Uz

excerpt

Quote:

The curtain opens to reveal the land of Uz. We see Uz, but we hear the voice of an unseen narrator: "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job..." Efforts to locate Uz on the map are vain, for this is not a historical chronicle. The narrative effect of the opening lines, like the opening credits of the movie Star Wars, is to say this is a story which happened "long ago and far away." As the narrator speaks, the stage is gradually filled by the clan of Job, and the whole scene has a dream-like perfection. Job is "the richest man in the East" and possesses "perfect integrity." He "feared God and avoided evil." Job not only has sons, daughters, and animals, he has them in symmetrical numbers: seven sons, three daughters, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, and five hundred donkeys. There is something a bit too perfect about all this, of course, and here at the very outset, the audience begins to sense what will become even more apparent later: they are watching not only a play, but a "profoundly serious" comedy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucifiction

2.) Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. How, exactly, do we know this?

I think it used to be thought that was the case. Check out the Job page at Peter Kirby's Early Jewish Writings page for more info.

Steven Carr · 02-06-2005, 05:34 AM

You shouldn't take everything in the book of Job literally.

Trigger · 02-07-2005, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crucifiction

1.) Verse one in Chapter one mentions a land named "Uz". It seems that I've heard of an ancient land called "Uz" in connection with Pakistan, but I can't recall where. Any idea where this place was supposed to be?

2.) Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. How, exactly, do we know this?

One other thing I don't really understand about the book is that Job is said to be the "greatest of all the men of the east"; but his estate consisted of merely seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, and five hundred female asses. Compared to the estates of many of the Oriental kings from roughly the same timeperiod, this is a paltry amount.

Job never existed.The whole story was lifted from a Babylonian tablet that was very old when the first books of the Bible were written.Check out The Unauthorized Version,Truth and fiction in the Bible,by Robin Lane Fox.

Crucifiction · 02-07-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trigger

Job never existed.The whole story was lifted from a Babylonian tablet that was very old when the first books of the Bible were written.Check out The Unauthorized Version,Truth and fiction in the Bible,by Robin Lane Fox.

Dude, trust me, I don't believe he ever existed-- I was just asking about the story in the Book.

SwoleMan · 02-08-2005, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trigger

The whole story was lifted from a Babylonian tablet that was very old when the first books of the Bible were written.Check out The Unauthorized Version,Truth and fiction in the Bible,by Robin Lane Fox.

Interesting. Are there any remains left of this tablet?

Boro Nut · 02-08-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andreas83

Interesting. Are there any remains left of this tablet?

No. It was allegedly presented to King Solomon at his coronation ceremony, with the intention that it would be given pride of place in the holy of holies, due in part to it's reputed healing powers. Unfortunately he woke the next morning with an absolutely terrible headache.

Boro Nut

Boro Nut · 02-08-2005, 11:20 AM

I'm not actually in any position to contest whether the whole book of Job was once written on a clay tablet or not. But surely any claims by the author are arbitrary, given that none of his contemporaries could have read it 2000 years before the invention of the microscope.

Boro Nut

Diogenes the Cynic · 02-08-2005, 11:57 AM

Babylonian Job

SwoleMan · 02-08-2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boro Nut

No. It was allegedly presented to King Solomon at his coronation ceremony, with the intention that it would be given pride of place in the holy of holies, due in part to it's reputed healing powers. Unfortunately he woke the next morning with an absolutely terrible headache.

Boro Nut

02-06-2005, 02:35 AM	#1
Crucifiction Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: The deformation age Posts: 1,809	Several Questions About The Book Of Job 1.) Verse one in Chapter one mentions a land named "Uz". It seems that I've heard of an ancient land called "Uz" in connection with Pakistan, but I can't recall where. Any idea where this place was supposed to be? 2.) Job is said to be the oldest book in the Bible. How, exactly, do we know this? One other thing I don't really understand about the book is that Job is said to be the "greatest of all the men of the east"; but his estate consisted of merely seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred oxen, and five hundred female asses. Compared to the estates of many of the Oriental kings from roughly the same timeperiod, this is a paltry amount.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

02-06-2005, 05:34 AM	#3
Steven Carr Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: England Posts: 5,629	You shouldn't take everything in the book of Job literally.

02-08-2005, 11:20 AM	#8
Boro Nut Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Middlesbrough, England Posts: 3,909	I'm not actually in any position to contest whether the whole book of Job was once written on a clay tablet or not. But surely any claims by the author are arbitrary, given that none of his contemporaries could have read it 2000 years before the invention of the microscope. Boro Nut

02-08-2005, 11:57 AM	#9
Diogenes the Cynic Moderator - Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota Posts: 4,639	Babylonian Job

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.