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Re: Above/Below Engedi



I have Stern, Greek and Latin Authors, which I mentioned in my last post, 
open in frnot of me. This should clearly be the starting point of any 
discussion on the matter (and perhaps even the finishing point bearing in 
mind the high level of Menahem Stern's scholarship). I briefly cite from 
Stern (I, p.465): "There is 
nothing in the whole range of NH to indicate that Pliny was personally 
acquainted with Judaea....Pliny does not state his sources for the 
geography of Judaea. It seems ...he used a source reflecting the 
conditions of the age of Herod." I see no reference to Strugnell, 
although Stern does take issue with Audet, RB 68 (1961) (of course Vol. I 
was published in 1974, so I may just not be familiar with Strugnell's 
article. This being the case I second Jim West's request for the 
bibliographic reference ) Stern's view is 
the following:Moreover, the impression one gets from reading Pliny is 
that he describes the Dead Sea by starting from the north, and that En 
Gedi, which is mentioned after the Essenes, should therefore be located 
south of the Essene habitations. Similarly, Massada, which is therefore 
mentioned after En Gedi indeed lies south of it.
Perhaps eveyone should take a time-out to read Stern in detail. There is 
much more, I'm just tired of typing.
Joshua Schwartz
Bar-Ilan 

On Sat, 18 May 1996, Jim West wrote:

> >Did John Strugnell not write an article on this question about
> >20 years ago and, if I recall it properly, he resolved the
> >issue. But, of course, my mind may be deceiving me.
> >
> >Michael Stone
> >Jerusalem
> >
> 
> Please, if you don't mind, give us the bibliographic reference.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jim West
> 
>