MEN OF GOD

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 439, 21 November 1947, Page 5

MEN OF GOD

Sir,-In The Listener recently there appears a letter from a correspondent "Argosy" attacking his historicity of certain Biblical characters. "Argosy" is really far behind the times; alsd it is on his own authority that he makes statements contrary to the results of up-to-date historical investigation. These Biblical personages are better authenticated than many other ancient characters whose existence is not questioned, and the historical situations in which they are stated to have played ‘their part are authenticated from other sources, e.g., Assyrian monuments parallel much that is recorded in Kings about Ahab, the King of Israel, whom Elijah is stated to have opposed, and the later internal situation, political and religious, postulates the religious crisis in which some outstanding prophet of Israel’s national Deity was demanded, The reign of Ahab is recognised by historians as critical, politically, socially, and religiously, and if Elijah did not exist there must have been another reformer who did his work and bore his name. If there are popular legendary additions this is quite natural, and their existence in connection with other characters not only does not imply their non-existence, but demands the reality of the person round whom they are woven.

Isaiah and Jeremiah are _ better authenticated than Amos and Hosea, whom "Argosy" is inclined to accept, The situation in the history of Judah from 740 B.C. to 701 B.C, in the case of Isaiah and from 626 to 586 in the case of Jeremiah is paralleled on Assyrian and Babylonian monuments respectively, Though these two are ‘naturally not mentioned in these extraBiblical sources, their story is so inextricably interwoven with thoroughly authenticated history that it forms ‘an integral part of it. They can no more be omitted from their times than can Napoleon or Churchill from’ theirs. Regarding John the Baptist "Argosy" has committed a bad faux pas. Where is it said that he was born and brought

up in Bethlehem, so as to suffer in "the slaughter of the innocents"? In the first days of Christianity there were men who called themselves followers of John, rand 20 or 30 years is too short a time for the invention of a person whose existence anyone could then deny. John the Baptist is inextricably interwoven with the history of Jesus, but perhaps He did not exist, and He and His disciples were really the sun and the twelve signs of the zodiac. "Argosy’s" closing sentences condemn his whole letter, for they are pure assumption evolved from his inner consciousness. Anyone can say anything at all by that method.

S F.

HUNTER

(Late Professor of Knox College, University of Otago).