[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
orion some errors, I think
I rooted through a pile of miscellaneous articles on Qumran and found three
related to the proposal of David Crowder.
Neil Altman, "Were the Dead Sea Scrolls Written after Easter: Author Finds
New Clues to the Mystery," The Lutheran [magazine] April, 1994, p.30-1.
A letter of response from Ralph W. Klein, Dean, Lutheran School of Theology
at Chicago, "Wrong Scroll Claims," in a subsequent issue.
Neil A. Altman, "Dead Sea Scrolls: A Bizarre Controversy Rages On," Jewish
Times. I have only a photocopy someone gave me, without date; 2 pages.
Prof. Klein's response to The Lutheran article I was sent mentions, inter
alia, "innacuracies" and remarks that its publication in The Lutheran was
"embarassing." I agree. For example, Altman wrote, "The historical records
of Pliny and Philo, who wrote after A.D. 68..." Not to discuss Pliny again,
let me note that Philo was dead by A.D. 68. Or: "Now there is evidence
that the Essenes evolved only after the time of Christ." (!) The two
articles rely on Solomon Zeitlin for dating, report on C14 inaccurately,
misinterpret an article in RQ and Epiphanius, etc. The only
potentially-interesting remarks, IMO, are in the Jewish Times but not the
other article: some of the quotes from Victor Mair, though from an
unpublished report. I wonder whether these are accurate, reflect his
current views, and if he is willing to publish them. This theory still
appears implausible to me, but Prof. Mair is a widely-published scholar of
Chinese, I see from OCLC. On OCLC I find one publication for Neil A.
Altman, though it is from 1970 (no place or pub. given): "The Use of
Isaiah for Communication of the Gospel in Jewish Evangelism."
Stephen Goranson goranson@duke.edu