from: Israel
Finkelstein / Neil A. Silberman: The Bible
unearthed. Archeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and
the Origin of Its Sacred Texts; The Free Press, a
division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2001; German
edition has got the title "No trombones before Jericho"
(orig. German: "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho"): edition
C.H.Beck oHG, Munich 2002;
Here in this analysis is used the
German version "Keine Posaunen vor Jericho" of DTV,
Munich 2004, second edition of 2005. All page
indications refer to the German version. I hope the page
numbers are not very different.
The
legend of Abraham as progenitor of all Jews, with son
Ismail as progenitor of all Arabs - and the legend of son
Isaak
First book of Mose is describing a family saga with all
possible dramatic art, about passion, discipline, justice,
injustice, belief, godliness, immortality, claiming that God
had "elected" it's nation and would "promise" some land,
also wealth and growth. The patriarch are said to be
Abraham, Isaak, and Jakob, and the first mothers are said to
be Sara, Rebeka, Lea, and Rahel (p,.39).
Many of the scholars of the passed centuries had the meaning
that these legends about the patriarchs in the Old Testament
(OT) (p.45) with life of Bedouins, with sheep and herders
(p.45-46), with their quarrels about springs of water (Gen.
21, 25-33) and with their quarrels about grasslands (Gen.
13,5-12) would be roughly right historically (p.45).
The
legend of Abraham and the late birth of his children
Abraham's propaganda trip claiming a territory from Israel
to Ur,
and the map shows a moment where the big Empires are
blocking each other the trade routes
OT claims:
-- Abraham is said having been elected by God as the
patriarch of the population of Israel (p.19), is said to be
from Ur at the Euphrates (p.40), and is said having marched
from Mesopotamia to Haran (p.40) and then to Canaan (p.19)
-- then Abraham is said having been a hiking outsider with
his wife Sara (p.19)
-- Abraham is said to be the origin of all nations of the
region of Israel Palestine, and it's said that he parted the
territory with his competitors Lot and many shepherds (p.40)
-- after the collapse of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot is said
having been the patriarch of the Moabits and Amonites in the
Eastbank of Jordan river in the eastern highlands (p.40),
and Lot had children with his two daughters founding the
Moabit tribe (p.52)
-- the son of Abraham Ismael comes by a connection between
Abraham and Hagar (the Egypt slave of his 90 years old wife
Sara), and this son is said being the patriarch of all Arab
populations in the southern desert (p.40-41), Ismael is said
being misprized by Abraham and according to this the Arab
tribes which are said to be originated by Ismael are
devaluated in the invented 1st book of Mose, and at the same
time the children of Ismael are said having had contacts to
Judah kingdom (p.54)
-- Abraham's wife Sara is said having given birth to the son
Isaak with 100 years yet, the only child of this connection
(p.41)
-- and Abraham is said having almost sacrificed this son
Isaak proving the loyalty to God, and when God allegedly saw
Isaak on the altar God is said having promised to Abraham
that Abraham's child will be the origin for a famous nation,
and all peoples of Earth would be blessed by him, that says
the prophecy of this invented OT (p.41)
The contradictions of 1st book
of Mose about the patriarchs of Israel
The details
are giving a real effect. Ur and Haran as the origin of
Abraham seem to be right because there oldest centers of
Middle East civilizations can be found. And the birthright
would also be right, the spiritual orientated Bible
archaeologists meant in 19th and 20th century, so e.g.
Roland De Vaux or William f. Albright (p.46).
There is no agreement
about Abraham's way and his dates of life
Archaeologist Albright means that names of
persons, rites of weddings and land purchasing laws as they
are prescribed in 1st book of Mose could come from
Mesopotamic society of 2d millennium B.D. where is said
Abraham comes from (p.47).
But then archeology initiated by Albright
searching for remnants of hiking shepherd groups between
Mesopotamia and Israel Palestine (p.47-48) is showing
another scenario:
-- there cannot be found any mass movement
from Euphrates to Canaan
-- and the old traditions are that common
that they could be element of practically any culture in old
Middle East (p.48).
Several archaeologists are posting the
time of Abraham in different epochs with differences of up
to 1,000 years, always without any definite result. But the
patriarchs themselves are never put into question (p.48).
The defamed Moabites
For the defamation of the Moabites in the
family trees of the patriarchs with the indication that the
Moabites have their origin by an incest, this indication
only plays a role in the border wars between the Israel
Reichs and Moab. During the times of Abraham Moab does not
exist yet at all (p.52).
[Conclusion
The contradictions about the story of
Abraham are indications that Abraham hardly has existed, and
in the case of the Moabites the story is an absolute lie].
