Freethought & Rationalism Archive

gurugeorge · 02-07-2010, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J842P

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob117

More to the point, how would they know about human anatomy? Weren't dead bodies unclean?

Well, I know I don't have a penis bone...

Yeah. You don't need to have anatomized human beings to know we don't have penis bones - you can feel you don't have one when your dick is flaccid, so it's pretty logical that whatever the cause of your erection it's not the possession of a bone ("boner" is obviously just a metaphor - it's like a bone when erect). You just need to know that animals do have them (from butchering them) and there you have the contrast.

Doug Shaver · 02-07-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam’s Family Jewels

etiologically, “rib” doesn’t make much sense

And so . . . ?

I'll take Zevit's theory seriously when somebody convinces me that everything in the Bible makes sense.

storytime · 02-07-2010, 08:54 AM

I prefer the theory that Adam's "rib" reflects his tribal relatives of which Eve was taken out of in "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh". The only relative tribesmen God found fitting for Adam. Which I think would explain the later Cain marrying a woman out of the city of Nod in another tribe. Not to mention the days of Adam's name in the long running 930 years of existing tribal affiliations. And then his name died out. So Adam died in the day that he was created, according to the scriptures. :huh:

rob117 · 02-07-2010, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Civil1z@tion

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob117

None in the Ancient Near East that I know of.

It may not get talked about much but this article would suggest that it happened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by From the article

A wealth of archeological and anthropological evidence discovered in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and Middle East further suggests the far-reaching capabilities of cannibalistic practices. The motivations behind the practice of cannibalism vary cross-culturally and per situation and cannot be easily categorized. However, there are several forms of cannibalism that appear to be more prevalent in certain areas of the world and in certain situations.

(note: bold from me)

That article could easily be referring to Neolithic or other prehistoric cultures, no knowledge of which would have passed on to Iron Age West Semites. I'm an archaeology student focusing on historical ANE cultures, and I don't believe I've come across one reference to cannibalism in my reading.

Civil1z@tion · 02-07-2010, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob117

That article could easily be referring to Neolithic or other prehistoric cultures, no knowledge of which would have passed on to Iron Age West Semites. I'm an archaeology student focusing on historical ANE cultures, and I don't believe I've come across one reference to cannibalism in my reading.

Sure, though its not impossible for some level of knowledge to be transmitted to the historical era.

That being said, other posters have somewhat more plausible explanations (like the fact that you can tell there is no bone in the penis when its limp).

Chili · 02-07-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by storytime

I prefer the theory that Adam's "rib" reflects his tribal relatives of which Eve was taken out of in "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh". The only relative tribesmen God found fitting for Adam. Which I think would explain the later Cain marrying a woman out of the city of Nod in another tribe. Not to mention the days of Adam's name in the long running 930 years of existing tribal affiliations. And then his name died out. So Adam died in the day that he was created, according to the scriptures. :huh:

You mean the woman was taken from her man and stayed in Eden while Adam left with 'the maid he married' and called her Eve.

rob117 · 02-07-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Civil1z@tion

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob117

That article could easily be referring to Neolithic or other prehistoric cultures, no knowledge of which would have passed on to Iron Age West Semites. I'm an archaeology student focusing on historical ANE cultures, and I don't believe I've come across one reference to cannibalism in my reading.

Sure, though its not impossible for some level of knowledge to be transmitted to the historical era.

That being said, other posters have somewhat more plausible explanations (like the fact that you can tell there is no bone in the penis when its limp).

All I know is that when I was in seventh grade, some of my friends took the word "boner" quite literally. Enough so that our health teacher thought it was worth addressing.

Maybe I just had stupid friends.:huh:

Walrus · 02-08-2010, 08:54 AM

I hate to throw water on the party, but wouldn't the penis bone have been on the front of the body? Where is the rational for translating a word that literally means side as a euphemism for something that would have been on the front? Just because someone has scholarly credentials doesn't mean you have to accept all their theories as, if you'll forgive the expression, gospel.

Civil1z@tion · 02-08-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob117

Maybe I just had stupid friends.:huh:

Most of us still do.

funinspace · 02-08-2010, 12:52 PM

I have no clue about this 'penis' link, but I have read before about the many links back to Sumerian mythology, and it seems to make sense:
http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/SumerianMyth.htm

Quote:

Ninhursag: "My brother what hurts thee?"
Enki: "My side hurts me."
Ninhursag: "To the goddess Dazimua I give birth for thee."
Ninhursag: "My brother what hurts thee?"
Enki: "My rib hurts me."
Ninhursag: "To the goddess Ninti I give birth for thee."
(Kramer, Sumerian Mythology 58)

Each of the eight healing deities has a name that sounds like the name of the body part that needs healing. Kramer finds one of these double names to be significant:

Now the Sumerian word for "rib" is ti (pronounced "tee"). The goddess created for the healing of Enki's rib, therefore was called in Sumerian Nin-ti, "the lady of the rib." But the very same Sumerian word ti also means "to make live." The name Nin-ti may thus mean "the lady who makes live," as well as "the lady of the rib." In Sumerian literature, therefore, "the lady of the rib" came to be identified with "the lady who makes live" through what might be termed a play on words. (Kramer, Mythologies 103)

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02-07-2010, 08:54 AM	#13
storytime Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA Posts: 2,608	I prefer the theory that Adam's "rib" reflects his tribal relatives of which Eve was taken out of in "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh". The only relative tribesmen God found fitting for Adam. Which I think would explain the later Cain marrying a woman out of the city of Nod in another tribe. Not to mention the days of Adam's name in the long running 930 years of existing tribal affiliations. And then his name died out. So Adam died in the day that he was created, according to the scriptures. :huh:

02-08-2010, 08:54 AM	#18
Walrus Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: North America Posts: 46	I hate to throw water on the party, but wouldn't the penis bone have been on the front of the body? Where is the rational for translating a word that literally means side as a euphemism for something that would have been on the front? Just because someone has scholarly credentials doesn't mean you have to accept all their theories as, if you'll forgive the expression, gospel.

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