There's so much in the article. I took a small piece.
"Killebrew, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Philistines, writes: “The Philistines first appear in Genesis (Gen 21:32-34; 26:1, 8, 14-15) where their encounters with Abraham and Isaac are described. Most scholars consider these verses in Genesis and later in the book of Exodus (Exod 13:17; 15:14; 23:31) as chronologically misplaced and anachronistic” (318). As the vast majority of scholars maintain, Philistines in Genesis are chronologically misplaced and anachronistic."
It's not history.
Genesis 20, where Sarah is introduced as Abraham's sister establishes the consanguinity of Abraham and Sarah indicating Abraham's family practices strict endogamy.
Genesis 21:32-34 is just necessary dressing
Genesis 26:1-8 It is no longer Abraham's time. Abraham's pronatal covenant is re-established by the Lord who speaks to Isaac. Abraham had insisted that his servant obtain a wife for Isaac from his family at Haran - consanguinity and strict endogamy are maintained.
Genesis 26:12-17 (not just 14-15) a hint that the function of their endogamy is to select for intelligence. Isaac is TOO STRONG for Abimelech, foreshadowing the remark by the pharaoh in Exodus 1:7-10, (the Israelites are too many (pronatalist) and too strong (intelligent) the literary link between Genesis and Exodus.
Note: Isaac's boy Jacob is intelligent, a man of the tents, their boy Esau is hirsute, a man of the open plains (brains versus brawn). The contrasts between the elder and the younger demonstrate that endogamy is maintained to select for intelligence (intelligence prevails over birthright) as in Joseph rising from the bottom of a well to become counselor to the pharaoh, for example.
Exodus (Exod 13:17; 15:14; 23:31) these passages simply indicate the Torah loop pivots at Exodus 1:7-10. In Genesis, Jacob's family is going from Canaan to Egypt. In Exodus, they are going from Egypt to Canaan and the landed people they met on the way into Egypt must be encountered on the way out of Egypt on the return to Canaan.
The presence of Abimelech in Genesis is functional, not historical, to teach the behavioral and material archetypes for establishing a diaspora.
The biblical author is not recording a history. He is creating functional characters that illustrate attributes of human nature; consanguinity, endogamy and assortative mating for intelligence.
There's so much in the article. I took a small piece.
"Killebrew, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Philistines, writes: “The Philistines first appear in Genesis (Gen 21:32-34; 26:1, 8, 14-15) where their encounters with Abraham and Isaac are described. Most scholars consider these verses in Genesis and later in the book of Exodus (Exod 13:17; 15:14; 23:31) as chronologically misplaced and anachronistic” (318). As the vast majority of scholars maintain, Philistines in Genesis are chronologically misplaced and anachronistic."
It's not history.
Genesis 20, where Sarah is introduced as Abraham's sister establishes the consanguinity of Abraham and Sarah indicating Abraham's family practices strict endogamy.
Genesis 21:32-34 is just necessary dressing
Genesis 26:1-8 It is no longer Abraham's time. Abraham's pronatal covenant is re-established by the Lord who speaks to Isaac. Abraham had insisted that his servant obtain a wife for Isaac from his family at Haran - consanguinity and strict endogamy are maintained.
Genesis 26:12-17 (not just 14-15) a hint that the function of their endogamy is to select for intelligence. Isaac is TOO STRONG for Abimelech, foreshadowing the remark by the pharaoh in Exodus 1:7-10, (the Israelites are too many (pronatalist) and too strong (intelligent) the literary link between Genesis and Exodus.
Note: Isaac's boy Jacob is intelligent, a man of the tents, their boy Esau is hirsute, a man of the open plains (brains versus brawn). The contrasts between the elder and the younger demonstrate that endogamy is maintained to select for intelligence (intelligence prevails over birthright) as in Joseph rising from the bottom of a well to become counselor to the pharaoh, for example.
Exodus (Exod 13:17; 15:14; 23:31) these passages simply indicate the Torah loop pivots at Exodus 1:7-10. In Genesis, Jacob's family is going from Canaan to Egypt. In Exodus, they are going from Egypt to Canaan and the landed people they met on the way into Egypt must be encountered on the way out of Egypt on the return to Canaan.
The presence of Abimelech in Genesis is functional, not historical, to teach the behavioral and material archetypes for establishing a diaspora.
The biblical author is not recording a history. He is creating functional characters that illustrate attributes of human nature; consanguinity, endogamy and assortative mating for intelligence.