Subject: Re: israelite monotheism and isonomia
From: Dierk van den Berg (haGalil@gmx.net)
Date: Mon Sep 20 2004 - 07:39:44 EDT
Unfortunately, the patriarchal period shows in fact semi-nomadic warfare with tribal organization of the army. On the other hand we find already early Jewish mercenaries, serving e.g. in Lydia and Egypt. That's no oxymoron - a similar situation is known from the German tribes of the late 1st c. BC and during the next two centuries. What we have to know now is a rough idea of the terminus a quo of the legal validity of the Law in the Hexateuch and, mandatory, of the clan structured mishmarot. Next it is important to evaluate the decisive changes in the "form of the government" before and during the 1st Temple period, during the 2nd Temple period and from the very first High Priest-King down to the cut made by Pompey's reorganization of Syro-Palestine. Finally, we have to investigate possible shifts in the understanding of the judicial role of YHWH. You see - it is not that easy... _Dierk ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Landes" <rlandes@bu.edu> To: "First Century Judaism Discussion Forum" <ioudaios-l@Lehigh.EDU> Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 2:21 AM Subject: Re: israelite monotheism and isonomia > At 07:57 PM 9/19/2004, you wrote: > >Landes writes: " the mosaic code seems set up to establish and maintain a > >society of free peasants who eat meat, and to their fill. this is > >definitely not the norm of most agricultural societies." > >However, if the code as originally set down from Upstairs, is what is > >being discussed, the society is one of warrior/nomads, when transformed > >during the flight from Egypt and the preparation for 40 years for the > >incursion upon Canaanite society. That would be their original norm, > >perhaps. > > that's not what the law code is aimed at sustaining. the founding violence > seems to have little to do with the regulations for warfare and treatment > of neighbors subsequent to this conquest. the forty years clearly operates > as a transitional period. even the earlier patriarchal period has > virtually no nomadic warfare. as for coming from on high, that's the > narrative. it had to be adopted by a people in order to work, and may well > have emerged from them. > > >Jascha Kessler > > > >On Sep 19, 2004, at 7:54 AM, Richard Landes wrote: > > > >> the mosaic code seems set up to establish and maintain a society of > >> free peasants who eat meat, and to their fill. this is definitely not > >> the norm of most agricultural societies. > >Jascha Kessler > >Professor of English & Modern Literature, UCLA > >Telephone: (310) 393-4648 > >Telephone/Facsimile: (530) 684-5120 > > > > http://www.jaschakessler.com/ > > http://www.xlibris.com > > > > >
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