reniaa

Even today the heart is heavily symbolic of human emotion, we still do valentine days. God knew people didn't have biology degrees then and even now when you are upset by a lover you tell him "you have broken my heart" so I'm still thinking you are really reaching because even talking now about the heart being emotional would be understood by everyone...your splitting hairs here.

Also you sound like a snob just because a person has a job you look down upon doesn't mean they are unintelligent, I guess jesus as a lowly carpenter wouldn't rate much with you?

The bible wasn't written to be a science paper but to be a book to reach and be understood by all so it was writen by common everyday languages that all could have access too. I don't dismiss something because it's written in basic languages many great truths are the simplist of sentences.

Dargo

When the Old Testament authors spoke of fearing god they probably meant fearing him like you would fear a cruel tyrant. I have a hypothesis that the all that rambling in the OT about god being merciful really wasn't believed by the people who wrote it. Instead, they were kissing Yahweh's ass to appeal to his vanity, so he wouldn't hurt them. A similar strategy is often used by those being threatened by human bullies. Polytheists had it a lot easier because they could try to play one god against another.

Darklighter

A great place to start is HERE. Check the links under "Introduction to Biblical Criticism & History (work in progress) - by Celsus." It's a good summary of history relating to the "Holy Land".

But it would also be good to move on to some of the books listed there as well.

WVIncagold

I am not a snob in anyway shape or form as to what a person does I have worked as a carpenter as many other trades. Can you explain to me bend allowance for aluminum 2024t-6? Probably not unless your schooled in the technology. If i want to know how to shear a sheep i go to a sheppard. if i want to know how to raise sheep for use, Shepard first choice. I don't accept they have the fast tract on life's mysteries because all they know is SHEEP!
Also the reason we use the heart analogy is because some unschooled people dragged the heart as a sensory device back way long ago which proves my point! The whole reason we have the myth of the heart as well as the novel saying "you broke my heart" is because in medieval times it was believed to originate thought! Never mind the representation of the heart today is more in line with the womans bosom.
So at last we know the bible wasn't written as a science paper. WOW shocker there. But you got me with the whole book to be read and understood by all, because if anything it is far from that. Xtians like yourself and ol Rob Byers differ very differently in the reading of this book that is supposed to be understood by all.
Even in the very confines of the OP your reading things into the bible it does not say. Jep slew his daughter. Human sacrifice. Bad people take pride in abhorrent behavior. When you accept the bible and its teachings you have to accept the good and the bad. Unfortunately for you there is more bad then good. It still does not answer the Xtian love affair with killing your children and human sacrifice. the whole religion is based on it. Yahweh does it, Jep does it hecks it almost a national pastime. okay little over the top but the bible not only condones human sacrifice but it expects it every time you eat Jesus meat and suck on his blood which even ritualized cannibalism i find abhorrent.

Jack the Bodiless

There is a rather significant problem with this interpretation:

It is evident that Jephtah didn't know in advance what he was going to have to "dedicate", but the context indicates that he was expecting a goat or something similar, not his daughter. And it doesn't seem likely that he was planning to enrol a goat in the Jewish equivalent of a nunnery! He evidently planned to sacrifice (as in "ritually kill") whatever it was: and if he then didn't sacrifice his daughter, then he "got off on a technicality", which would appear to contradict the moral of the story.

sugarhitman

So what the Spirit of God came over Japhatha, guess what so did He upon Saul who at this time was an enemy of God. :"So he (Saul) went there to Naioth (in pursuit of David) in Ramah. Then the SPIRIT OF GOD WAS UPON HIM also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah...Therefore they say, 'is not Saul also among the prophets.'" 1 Samuel 19. So clearly just because the Spirit of God comes over someone does not mean he loves or respect God, or he is good.

In chapter 10 of Judges we read that: "Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the BAALS and the ASHTORETHS, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines...."

Israel had been corrupted through idol worship which required human sacrifices. Japhatha was also influenced as proven by his oath and belief that God required or accepted such a thing. And another thing we learned is that because the Spirit of God comes over someone does not mean that they are sinless like God.

Pagan human sacrifices came to an end because of Judeo-Christianity...for this we should thank God. Adios

reniaa

I'm no catholic so the blood/body thing isn't for me, I've never had much truck with the mass, a thing can be symbolic of the sacrifice without being the thing itself.

The bible condemns human sacrifice and is one of the few religions of that time that did, almost unique in fact.

and the japthath intepretation isn't that clear because the daughters visited her 4 days in the year after she bewailed her virginity. certainly it's obscure enough to leave a question of doubt and so if this is the closest thing to sacrifice they can find to Condemn in the bible it seems more for the bible than against it.

The fact is the writer is using the heart in it's symbolic sense and so completely in keeping with it's usage then as it is now. I could name a number of poets/writers thats still use the heart when talking of emotion.

Sheshonq

However, as Sheshbazzar points out:

First let me remind you, that in the narrative Jephthah is unmistakably presented as being an Israelite who is faithful to Yahweh (Jdg. 11:11, 11:29-31, 11:35)



Except that isn't what the text says. As Sheshbazzar points out:

First let me remind you, that in the narrative Jephthah is unmistakably presented as being an Israelite who is faithful to Yahweh (Jdg. 11:11, 11:29-31, 11:35)

Why are you ignoring the bible and adding your own twists, sugarhitman?

Uh, no they did not.

Jack the Bodiless

Another problem for the "she wasn't actually sacrificed" interpretation:
I've mentioned this verse before, in the context of the (former) requirement to sacrifice firstborn infants, but it's also directly relevant to the Jepthtath case. Humans who were "devoted to God" HAD to be killed: no ifs, buts or maybes.

Apparently the Jews later changed their minds about this: but this is what Leviticus specifically says, and Leviticus is part of the "Law of Moses" that Jepthath was supposedly such a keen student of.

Jack the Bodiless

Incorrect.

I suggest you re-read this thread, especially post #29.
Again: incorrect.

The Jews do deserve some credit for eventually divorcing themselves from their Caananite roots and abandoning the former requirement for sacrificing their own firstborn children. But as for sacrificing enemies captured in battle: this was normal throughout the region, and the only reason the Jews didn't indulge in it on a regular basis is because they kept losing battles, and therefore had no prisoners to sacrifice.