Passover Saga – Myth Or History? (2) Circa 2000AD, UCLA Study Group – Ancient Cultures and Customs

The group of 21st century scholars, in informal eMails, Tweeters or textings, referred to their once-a-month “fun-research” get-togethers as “C2C” – from “Conflict-to-Confirmation” – follow-on to “Science versus Bible” and “Passover Miracles – Fiction or Fact?”. Each individual’s religious belief or disbelief was not a factor – whether the Bible was truth or myth – most of them probably retaining a bit of childhood teachings. But even if so, it was not the “forcing function” – the appeal was intellectual, like puzzle-solving, irrefutable facts and logic, mysteries being unraveled – iconoclastic knowledge was the excitement and goal.

As a group, all respected each other’s religious beliefs – there was no prying, no patronizing, no proselytizing. Intellectual stimulation was found in the ever-forward march of science, the excitement in establishing ‘truths’ in humankind’s history of attained knowledge – occasionally reversed – or modified – or verified.

They were a mixed bag, scholars in various field specialties. What they had in common was being ex-graduate students of Professor Zacharias Henri Barrett, Archaeologist and Egyptologist. Now they gathered on the third Thursday evening of each month, at the professor’s home in Westwood, California – refreshments: his coffee, tea, cookies or beer. The set-up and atmosphere was casual, congenial, collegial. For each session, the professor would select a subject and presenter, but all members were required to feed research items to both professor and presenter, the latter to combine them into power point layout, the presentation on an overhead projector; the format was crisp, succinct, minimum verbiage and factual. Armchairs and sofas were distributed around the coffee table, making for a relaxed atmosphere. During the presentation, comments by anyone were expected.

The pets and “babies” of the group – all others being in their thirties to fifties – were Bethe and Avi, a late-twenties couple; Bethe, a math PhD, was the spark-plug, with dynamic infectious zest (causing the others to chuckle with pleasure as she “lit up” on a subject, both hands sweeping her thick, curly hair back from her face); Avi was reserved, a Quantum Mechanics Physics PhD – they had found each other through Professor Barrett’s class. Both were deeply religious Jewish, and while knowledgeable in Talmud and Torah, the interest here, for them, as for all the others, was neither piety nor ideology, but scientific fact and logic, the pure pleasure of intellectual discovery.

Then there was Ranah, an Environmentalist PhD researcher at a Fortune 500 corporation; Stewart, MD and PhD medical researcher, working for a pharmaceutical company; Laurence, Patent Attorney; and Sarah, a trial lawyer, with an inclination to the unusual.

It had started as a class project – originally there were ten, now dwindled to a varying half-dozen not counting the professor; married or single or divorced, man or woman – the “fun” was their discoveries. Nowadays, computer research with the Internet or “web” was simple. No more of remote, dimly-lit libraries, and musty heavy tomes on dusty shelves, – now, effortless keyword queries produced dozens of reference items – and with pictures.

Professor Barrett looked forward to these sessions with his post-doc students, all enjoying the stimulating scholarly atmosphere of debate and discovery. Retired from a lifetime of academic pursuits under the auspices of UCLA, he and his student-colleagues had settled into the subject as a sort of group hobby. With all having “day jobs” and successful careers in various fields, they occasionally joked about putting out a collective book – whether or not the biblical narrative was fictional or a mostly-true history of ancient times. Someone had even nailed down, “Science versus the Bible – From Conflict to Confirmation” at the Copyright office – just in case.

The thematic genesis of the subject had evolved from a philosophical discussion about early civilizations – the pre-recorded history period. Bethe had observed that there seemed to be consistent similarities in societal and cultural development versus biblical stories – solid evidence from thousands of clay tablets, tending to corroborate almost-identical biblical narrative. Avi contributed examples of tablets describing practices and customs of early human-relationships

which paralleled biblical tales. Soon all were contributing. The subject was continued – Bethe, to be the presenter.

Professor Barrett opened the next session with an observation about Bible and “history” – that, while the predominant view during past centuries had been to dismiss the Bible as myth, during just this last half-century, numerous archaeological findings have reinstated its importance as credible history. Quoting the eminent British historian, Paul Johnson, “[I]n Palestine and Syria, investigations of ancient sites and translations of a vast number of legal and administrative records, have tended to restore the value of early biblical books as historical narrative.” Also, “Whereas fifty years ago, an early passage from the Bible was generally assumed to be mythical or symbolic, the onus of proof has now shifted; increasingly scholars now must assume that the text contains at least a germ of truth.”156

The professor nodded to Bethe, who stood up, turned on the overhead projector, placed some papers on it, then, with both hands, swept her thick hair from her face. She smiled a “Hi” to everyone and began: “There have been so many tablet-records of millennia ago, recently discovered and translated, which depict early communal life – and which add credibility to biblical narrative as representing true historical documentary. It is that richness of biblical detail,” Bethe emphasized the words, as her eyes sought out the audience, one by one, “which imply actual occurrences – there’s a ‘ring’ of veracity to many biblical stories when compared to ancient tribal customs during man’s cultural development. Archival evidence from cuneiform records of the earliest city-type communities show remarkable similarities with biblical tales.”

Bethe then put up the power point data, reading the highlights:

• “Archaeological digs at Ebla and Mari: 14,000 tablets were found at Ebla in northern Syria, and 22,000 at Mari, north of the Syria-Iraq border. These archival tablets from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, explain events and cultural customs which are consistent with many previously obscure biblical passages.”
• “Land purchase: burial plots bought by a stranger who moves into a community – requiring agreement by the local leaders to such alien newcomer acquiring land; a ritualistic ceremonial negotiation over price was required; then there was a formality of witnessing the weighing and transfer of coins; then the recording of the event.” Bethe looked around the group, ” The biblical description of Abraham’s purchase of the burial plots at Machpelah in Hebron, Israel, and the extensive detailed description of the elaborate and drawn-out courtesies of negotiation, are in complete accordance.”

Bethe smiled at Avi, who gave her a thumbs-up as she continued.

• “Murder, revenge and safe-haven-cities: in the story of Cain and Abel, the phrase ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ are such powerful words, they just indicate credibility re historical veracity – a reflection of community-rejections of murder – plus the establishment of haven cities where a fleeing ‘killer’, would find protection from any vengeful kinfolk of his victim.”
• “Tablets at Nuzi, dated 1600 BC, parallel Abraham’s dealing with a domestic situation – his wife Sarah being childless, and his taking as concubine, her maid-servant – Hagar,” Bethe raised her eyebrows as she spoke, while Stewart muttered, “Great custom.” Bethe continued, “Hagar then has a son, and like these extra-biblical records, the Bible describes Abraham getting into inheritance rights – then later, there is a subsequent birth of his son, Isaac, to his real wife Sarah.”
• “Noah-type floods: Although the biblical story of Noah and the Flood is based on a God-man morality theme, hard evidence is now available of a world-altering deluge followed by massive land inundation – about four millennia BC -” – Bethe acknowledged the general nodding of heads, “- and with a Noah-like figure and a large ship. Cuneiform tablets describing such a flood and personage were found in 1850 in the Palace of Sennacherib, later confirmed by additional tablets found in a second palace.159 Also, alluvial evidence of a flood was found at Ur, dated to 4000-3500 BC, and two tablets in the British Museum refer to a large boat. The Sumerian story of Gilgamesh is the earliest version of a flood, dated at four millennium BC.”
• “Ziggarat Tower,” Bethe shrugged it off, “it’s a bit much to accept the Bible story of the Tower of Babel – God causing the diversity of languages to prevent a tower from reaching the heavens, but a Ziggaret Tower was discovered by archaeologist Wooley, dated at two millennia BC.”
• “Ur, an ancient Sumer city – was excavated in the 1920’s, and is described in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham.”
• “Tablets explaining the deception by the chief of a large family-tribal clan which settles in a kingdom – and telling its ruler that his beautiful wife is his sister – really hits me -” Bethe paused,

“- twice, in the Bible, Abraham claims Sarah is his sister, not his wife – which implies an unflattering cowardice. However, the tablets indicate there was wisdom to it – as a sister she would have greater legal status and protection.”

• “Tablets describe the custom of, and the hierarchy for, carrying on a deceased’s person’s name, -” Bethe paused, “- this is such a wonderful story, favorite to many – the story of Ruth and Boaz – about the responsibilities and obligations of marriage to a widow by kinfolk of the dead husband.”
• “A Nuzi tablet tells of the selling by a first son of his legal birthright – like Esau, in the Bible, selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup.”
• “Nuzi archives also explain a complex relationship of a man adopting his son-in-law as his son – and later having sons of his own – just like Laban and Jacob.”
• “Death-bed blessings: a Nuzi tablet tells of the binding significance of an oral death-bed blessing – like Rebecca and Jacob, in the Bible, trying to deceive the dying Isaac.”
• “Nuzi tablets tell the importance of ‘family gods’ as deeds of title, such as ‘Nashwi’s son shall take Nashwi’s gods.’ – which explains the significance behind the biblical reference to Rachel stealing Laban’s gods – as revenge for his behavior.”
• “Mari tablets confirm that covenants were solemnized by the legal ritual of slaughtering an animal – as in the Bible, Abraham sacrificed an animal after making his covenant with God, and also by Abraham and Abimelech, after their settling of a dispute over the digging of a well.”
• “Archival tablets found in various archaeological ‘digs’ list individuals with patriarchal-type names, and also actual biblical figures such as Abram, Jacob, Leah, Laban, Ishmael.”

As she finished, Bethe heaved a sigh of relief, Avi grabbing her hand and pulling her down next to him on the sofa, kissing her on the cheek.

“Good job” said Ranah. “Well done” said the professor, clapping his hands, the others joining.

“OK”, said Professor Barrett, looking over the group, “shall we continue along this line?” Everyone nodded affirmatively. “Fine -” he said. “- let’s move on. There’s always been a real problem in disentangling the many Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Who wants to tackle it?”

Avi raised his hand. The professor nodded in agreement. “See you all in a month.”