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Re: 4Q318

Hi, me again!
In my upcoming review of F. Cryer, Divination in Ancient Israel and the 
Ancient NEar East (JQR) I shoot from the hip and suggest that qosem qesamim 
me`onen... in Dt. 18 refer respecitvely to the gods Shamash and Adad.  I 
relate QSM with a primary meaning of "cut" with Akkadian parasum, to cut 
and make a legal decison which may be annouced by a divine oracle.  This 
is the realm of Shamash, the divine judge.  Adad, Shamash's partner in 
divination is a weather god, so "cloud divining" would be in his area of 
competence.  SO the combination of qsm and `nn are related to the basic 
oraclular characteristics of the two major gods of divination in 
Mesopotamia.  I may be crazy, but my explanation is the only one which 
makes some sort of connection between the very enigmatic biblical terms 
and facts about divination as is attested in the ANE.
Avigdor Hurowitz

On Fri, 11 Oct 1996, DR. DAVE FOUTS wrote:

> On October 11, 1996, David Kaufmann wrote:
> 
> 
> > Jim,
> >      Is. 47:13-14 does not prohibit this, it just says that it won't work and
> > that statement may have only referred to the particular situation discussed.
> > Furthermore, the fact that this statement is mentioned indicates thatsome
> > people did indeed consult the stars in some fashion at the time. Now, if you
> > find a statement that says, "You shall not consult the stars...." That would
> > be a different story.
> > 
> > -David Jay Kaufman
> > HUC-JIR Jerusalem
> > Rabbinical Student
> 
>     In the immediate context, i.e., the condemnation oracle against 
> Babylon, sorcery (v. 12) is mentioned as condemnable in Exod. 22:18, 
> spiritism, a like concept is condemned in Lev. 20:6, 20:27.  Isa. 
> 8:19 asks the question:  should not a people consult their G'd 
> (instead of mediums and spiritists)?  In Isa. 47, is not G'd mocking 
> the practices of the Babylonians which will not deliver them from His 
> coming wrath?  It seems to make sense then that He would desire for 
> His people to avoid practices which would lead to self-deception.  
> Including astrology in a passage which also condemns sorcery, which 
> is clearly forbidden for Israel, seems to be a good case for guilt by 
> association.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Dave Fouts
> Bryan College
> 
> > 
>