Re: Josephus Antiquities 3.1.173

From: Jim West (jwest@Highland.Net)
Date: Mon Jun 29 1998 - 20:44:43 EDT


At 07:49 AM 6/30/98 +0800, you wrote:

>>As for the substance of the question, my own guess--and it is nothing more
>>than a guess--is that AGGELOI became a LXX variant for hUIOI in Gen 6:3
>>precisely because of the polytheistic implications of hUIOI QEOI in the
>>Hebrew text (at least in the Masoretic text)
>
> I'm sorry, my Hebrew is rudimentary, why would hUIOI QEOI
> be polytheistic in Hebrew? and is it so in other semitic
> texts?
> Best regards
> Steven
>

Carl is correct- the Hebrew "beney Elohim" is plural- and is generally taken
to mean that the author of the text has a polytheistic viewpoint- i.e., gods
sit in council and carry out their business, for the phrase, 'sons of gods'
means just that, lots of gods. This ancient polytheistic view of God would
have been a tad difficult for the translators of the LXX, who transform
these deities into 'angels'- lesser, subordinate deities. Other ANET's alos
describe a plethora of gods sitting in council and debating humanity's fate.
Any of the Uagaritic myths, for instance, will show this, as will the great
Babylonian epics.

Best,

Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Pastor, Petros Baptist Church
Adjunct Professor of Bible,
Quartz Hill School of Theology
jwest@highland.net

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