medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Quoting Mary Suydam <[log in to unmask]>:
> True for Christians, but the stories of David, and Ruth and Boaz,
> were> written down at least 500 years (and tell of events about 900
years)> before> the New Testament, and thus were produced by people of
different> cultures. It's not at all clear that the writers of the
gospels even knew > Hebrew, but> rather would have known the scriptures
in Greek translations. Here> we could> use some help from New
Testament scholars. I don't believe that NT> references to foot-
washing are related to the euphemistic Hebrew uses of> "feet" contained
in the Hebrew Bible.
> -- Mary Suydam
Responding generally,
In a situation like this, one needs to examine the tradition at hand,
with reference to whatever object, practice, custom, text is in
question--examine this "tradition" (prevailing ideas, associations,
etc.) through an investigation of its sources (written or other
evidence). If a particular understanding of "feet" may be found within
these sources (e.g. Talmudic commentary available and in use
contemporary with whatever example of "feet" it is that you are
referring to) then we might plausibly argue that this explanation / set
of associations / meanings may have been shared by those who read that
commentary. In this situation and only in this situation, it may be
possible to extend the older, Talmudic reference (for example) to
whatever it is (phrase in a text?) you are concerned to explain. This
is really just a common sense way of establishing valid connections
between ideas and images, objects, expressions, what-have-you, and your
basic historical method. Its not good enough to make sweeping
generalizations across centuries and continents, without showing how
such connection might have been established in real practice.
Leah
>
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