Davar Akher

Lacking the energy to compose anything of my own, the following is a brief list of posts that I have read lately and which have made me think.

Duane Smith has an interesting article concerning the possibility of deriving the extent of a scribe’s (il)literacy from the nature of an inscription. Charles Halton responds to Duane’s article, and it is well worth reading the range of comments appended to his short critique. Duane responds to Charles with a fascinating post on the possible provenance of Biblical Hebrew. It is also worth reading Charles’ response to this, concerning the inherent difficulties in positing language development – particularly when dealing with ancient languages for which there is a dearth of literature.

Kevin P. Edgecomb has a sobering critique of “Biblical” Archaeology. His conclusions are more accommodating but, in light of the fact that the Bible was composed over a substantial period, and that the contributing authors were most reticent to disclose the ‘truth’ (favouring, instead, a very different notion of “history”), I am not entirely sure as to the extent with which I would agree with them.

Finally, Jason Rosenhouse has an excellent review of H. Allen Orr’s review of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. (Thanks to Christopher Heard for the links).

I am reminded of a scene in the Hall of Fire, the chamber of Elvish music and meditation in Tolkien’s Rivendell. After having composed and sung a lay to Eärendil, the Elven mariner who, in the First Age, helped overthrow the forces of Morgoth, Bilbo asks Frodo if he can tell which parts were composed by him and which by Aragorn:

“I am not going to try and guess,” said Frodo smiling.
“You needn’t,” said Bilbo. “As a matter of fact it was all mine. Except that Aragorn insisted on putting in a green stone. He seemed to think it important. I don’t know why. Otherwise he obviously thought the whole thing rather above my head, and he said that if I had the cheek to make verses about Eärendil in the house of Elrond, it was my affair. I suppose he was right.”

[FotR, "Many Meetings"]

I am reminded of this because if I, as a Jew who lacks a Christian education, should wish to speak about Christmas – and post my opinions on internet, of all places – then that is my affair. Nonetheless, as ignorant as I may be, the following is the result of my thoughts over the last few days.

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