Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Butters · 10-25-2002, 12:15 PM

Posted by JohnV,

Quote:

If you're going to be talking about contradictions and errors in the Bible, this is the kind of thing you need to be pointing out:

quote:
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Originally posted by Asha'man:
Ok, how about numbers? Is there any possible way that the bible can mess up simple numbers?
Sure there is! Take a look at the number of people returning from Babylon after the exile. Read Ezra 2. Now look at Nehemiah 7. Notice anything different? If not, read again, you aren’t paying attention!

Not only do the numbers differ between the two accounts, they also don’t add up to the total listed at the bottom. Ezra lists 29,818 people, Nehemiah lists 31,139, but both make the identical claim that “the whole congregation together was forty and two thousand tree hundred and threescore” (42,360)

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I think a separate thread should be created for these more specific contradictions, i.e., ones that cannot be interpreted away by appealing to semantics or interpretations of vague wording.

I would like to see this explored further.
I notice no one has challenged this post, and I would really like to hear the apologetic for it.

I would like to see any other numerical errors discussed here also.

WRW Mattfeld · 10-25-2002, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Butters:
<strong>Posted by JohnV,

I would like to see this explored further.
I notice no one has challenged this post, and I would really like to hear the apologetic for it.

I would like to see any other numerical errors discussed here also.</strong>

You might be interested in the differing numbers between the Massoretic Text and the Septuaginta for the Ages of the Pre-flood patriarchs, they vary wildly. In the Early Christian period, the Septuaginta was considered "authoritative" in debates with the Jews, the Jewish text (later called the massoretic Text) was regarded as "unauthoritative" by these Early Christians. The dilemma today for Christians, is which text is "authoritative" ? The Septuaginta or the Massoretic (most modern English bibles are derived from the Massoretic Texts)?

All the best, Walter

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