If you want a detailed anaysis of a complex discussion of traditional
Jewish law, which anyway dates from a very long time ago, you won't get it
from me. I guess anyone can read the links.
Myself, I read most of the Bible as tribal sagas, part of the lore of the
people but about as relevant as a model for behavior as the Icelandic
Sagas. In that regard, I recommend the Benjamite War, which is I believe
the last several chapters of Judges (sorry, the only religious text I can
spot at the moment is the Book of Mormon). It's the story of a war of
extermination between Jewish tribes, all of whom, like most of the rest of
humankind at the time, were nasty, brutal and short. Not much god in it,
and appallingly brutal to women and to everyone else. But great storytelling.
When I was a child reading the OT in school there were a lot of questions
about the over-the-top brutality. The answer from the teachers--there was a
historical context. I mean, no one ever suggested that when the time came
we should present our future father-in-laws with a hundred fresh-cut
foreskins.
At 02:15 AM 9/28/2001 +0000, you wrote:
>>From: Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and
>> poetics <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: Letter to a leftist friend/the real mystics/innocents
>>Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 19:05:46 -0700
>
>>
>>I stand by my statement. I'm stupid that way.
>
>
>Oh please do. I notice though that you skipped the mention of the Miniades
>in both links, and the rabbis who'd quoted them.
>
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