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Re: orion socia palmarum and war
Stephen wrote:
>Pliny scholarship (bibliog. given previously) has shown that Pliny
>located Essenes in the Qumran area.
Dear Stephen,
Let's translate this into real-speak: you have shown that some scholars
believe Pliny located Essenes in the Qumran area. Naturally, Pliny doesn't
give such a location. He merely says that Ein Gedi was below them, or
perhaps within their territory, or perhaps south of them. If we were to
concede for half a moment that it meant south of them, how far? Just across
the oasis at Ein Gedi? Two kilometres? Ten kilometres? Sweet dreams are made
of these.
>Pliny scholarship has shown that his
>(listed and confirmed) sources are overwhelmingly pre-70 CE and
>specifically include Herodian-period Judaean data.
Doesn't hold up in a court of law, Stephen. You want to try some law of
uniformity in this universe?
>Where would the methodology of William of Ockham lead us?
Well, not whistling into the wind, like you. He'd love the 800 scribal
hands. He'd love the tiny writing tables with the dishes. He'd love the
Essenes living in a villa. He'd love the dependence on the one
interpretation of Pliny as your mainstay.
Remember: no Pliny, no Essene hypothesis. You've got too much riding on an
interpretation.
Ian Hutchesson