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Re: orion-list probably not Maccabees; etc.

Stephen Goranson writes:

>  2) While you may be persuaded that M (which you call "the Maccabean war
>  manual") and part of Enoch were written in summer 163 by "Hasidim," there
>  are other views. Your proposed justification for absence of 1 Maccabees at
>  Qumran requires acceptance of some of your assumptions about Hasidim
>  vis-a-vis Qumran, for example, that Qumran was a "predominantly Hasidic
>  library." I see no reason to accept such assumptions, nor the proposed
>  justification.

    Stephen, are you proposing that the Animal Apocalypse - whose allusions 
to Maccabean victories are accepted by all - was written by someone other 
than the Hasidim?  If so, what are your reasons?  The Apocalypse's last 
historical allusions carry us down (like Daniel and 1QM) to 163 BCE.  Do you 
propose some other date?  If so, for what reasons?  And why do you suppose a 
text with obvious favorable allusions to Maccabean (Hasidic) victories is 
represented at Qumran?  Why do you apparently attach no significance to that 
fact, while you attribute extraordinary significance is attached to the 
absence of a secular history, 1 Maccabees - of a genre nowhere attested at 
Qumran?
  
>  3) If Qumranites had observed Hanukkah--however you prefer or propose to
>  describe Hanukkah--they would, with great probability, have written about
>  it. It would appear in the circa 900 mss many of which focus on calendar.
>  Your offered imposed distinction apparently misses the condition that
>  Qumranites would not accept new holy days from that government. There was
>  not a concensus on orion about your proposal. I did not agree. And others,
>  silent on list, cannot be assumed to have agreed.
>   No Hanukkah at Qumran is an historical datum. Historians would do
>  well not to try to dismiss it.

    There was a concensus of those who participated in the discussion.  You 
had full opportunity to participate at the appropriate time (your claims 
about Hanukkah at Qumran having initiated that thread).  Any arguments worth 
sharing you would have presented at that occasion.
    Qumran calendars texts exclusively list those festivals deriving from the 
Torah or the "Qumran Torah" 11QT.  Hanukkah does not fall into that category. 
 In what specific text at Qumran would you expect Hanukkah to appear where it 
does not?

    Best regards,
    Russell Gmirkin
For private reply, e-mail to RGmyrken@aol.com
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