The time of Abraham
score:2
A common theory about the Old Testament is that the writers reinterpreted legendary accounts of Abraham so that he was the father of other patriarchs. These other patriarch were themselves also legendary accounts of real people. Thus, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, were probably men who never met each other, but legends developed about them throughout different areas of the Levant. The purpose for the writers positing Abraham as the "father of the fathers" was to unify the various tribes of the Levant. This view is forwarded in books like The Bible Unearthed. Some secular scholars hold to this view, but I unfortunately am not an expert on this subject. I cannot tell you if it's the majority view.
It's important to note that a large minority of Christians hold to non-literal views of the Old Testament. However, it is the case that the vast majority of Christians (especially occidental) hold to a strict non-allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament, and thus historical views like what you found on Wikipedia are precluded a priori.
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_Unearthed
- https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13mwrw at 44:05 there is a discussion about the legendary aspects of the Patriarchs
A Note for Practicing Christians:
I myself am a Christian who does not care much about whether the Old Testament is complete history as the literalist depicts or if it's completely ad hoc as many non-Christians would prefer. My personal faith is in the bodily raised Christ, not on the historical particulars of an ancient scripture. I would encourage all Christians to put their faith in Christ, and not in a particular theory about scripture.
More post
- 📝 What would the Jews of Jesus' time have known about heaven?
- 📝 What was C.S. Lewis referring to in The Weight of Glory?
- 📝 What distinctive kinds of Bible translations are there?
- 📝 What do Jews and Christians agree with in the Bible?
- 📝 According to the Bible, what kind of debt, if any, is lawful?
- 📝 Shall I pray for what I want but I think I do not deserve?
- 📝 What is the small glass vessel with a brass cap and handle that is next to tabernacles in some churches?
- 📝 The order of Communion in Luke 22:17-20 versus Mark 14:22-25 and Matthew 26:26-29
- 📝 Is Christian mysticism an oxymoron or is it a legitimate path for a Christian?
- 📝 From where does the teaching on women in ministry come?
- 📝 Salvation vs Condemnation: Matthew 12
- 📝 What is an overview of the way Adam and Eve ate and became like God?
- 📝 What is the official Catholic view of a feminine element within the Trinity?
- 📝 How is the hymn "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations" postmillennial?
- 📝 What were the common exonyms of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches leading up to and after the Great Schism (1054)?
- 📝 What arguments do adherents of a global flood give for how water was able to cover the entire earth?
- 📝 How do Protestants Receive forgiveness for post-Baptismal Sins?
- 📝 How do Christian Evolutionists explain the timeline of Genesis chapter one?
- 📝 Anglican Minor Orders?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Jeremiah and John the Baptist being born without original sin?
- 📝 Do Christian denominations vary in interpreting whether an act is sinful or not?
- 📝 Does Presbuteros mean priest?
- 📝 What is the source of the Martin Luther's quote, "We all carry about in our pockets His very nails?"
- 📝 What is the justification of disallowing women to become Roman Catholic priests?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, would it be wrong for a husband to intentionally eat in such a way as to decrease fertility?
- 📝 According to Trinitarianism, is God - strictly speaking - a person?
- 📝 When and how did the names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John get attached to the gospels?
- 📝 I am fasting for 40 days
- 📝 Did the LDS believe that Christians are doomed to hell?
- 📝 Is the Hail Mary a prayer?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 The time of Abraham
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the concept that Jesus spent time in Hell?
- 📝 Why was God so upset with Moses for striking the rock the second time in the desert?
- 📝 From where does the doctrine that there is no time in heaven originate?
- 📝 Did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green? (Origin of the story)
- 📝 When is the first time in church history we find a prayer ending with "in Jesus' name, amen"?
- 📝 How common were blasphemy accusations and trials among the Jews during the time of Jesus?
- 📝 Was the cave of Abraham in Shechem or Hebron?
- 📝 Was the marriage between Abraham and Sarah incestuous?
- 📝 Was there a reason Jesus came at the time he did?
- 📝 What happened to the Book of the Law in the time of Josiah?
- 📝 What is the significance of changing the names of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah?
- 📝 What's the biggest time gap between authorship of two books of the Bible?
- 📝 Were the names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John common in the time of Jesus?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, does Satan know who the elect are (during their time on earth?)
- 📝 How will Jesus be recognized at the time of "Second Coming"?
- 📝 On what basis does Thomas Aquinas say that the Church existed since the time of Abel?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Jesus' eternal pre-existence (as opposed to having been created a long time ago)?
- 📝 How do we know Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' conception?
- 📝 Are funerals a way to reduce the time of the dead in purgatory
- 📝 Why didn't God send Jesus during Noah's time instead of The Flood?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholic Doctrine, what things have the power to decrease a person's time in purgatory?
- 📝 How many people were killed by the Sanhedrin around the time of Paul?
- 📝 Are there any major Protestant denominations that meet every day and are together all the time like the early church was?
- 📝 What is the understanding between the Genesis account and the book of Abraham account of creation? (LDS)
- 📝 What was it like in the Temple at the time of Jesus?
- 📝 Was that Pentecost in the Acts also a time of the year of jubilee?
- 📝 Does the Old Testament foretell the time in history in which the Messiah would come (the first time)?
- 📝 Did the city of Nazareth exist in the time of Jesus?
- 📝 What time is the "sixth hour" in John 4?