by jimwalton » Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:40 am
As I mentioned, it doesn't matter that the practice was common in the region. So what if they adopted the tradition from others? It doesn't make a shred of difference.
> You are mixing history with myths, there is no historic evidence for the existence of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
You can't know this. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. There's very little way to go about proving that those three existed. Even if we found a shard that said "Abraham" on it, people would say, "How do you know it's YOUR Abraham?" Even if they found an inscription that said, "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" on it, people would say, "How to you know it's YOUR Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" I don't know how anyone would ever accept proof for them. Since Abraham was a Bedouin, and not a king, and never lived in a city, nor held an official position of any kind, and lived 4,000 years ago, why would you expect there were any artifacts for him? But that doesn't prove they didn't exist. We know almost no one from that era, but there will many people around. That we are lacking a record and proof doesn't mean they didn't exist. You must realize that the further we go back in time, the fewer artifacts we have (especially specific ones [names, places, and events]). And what would you expect those artifacts would be? But I believe there's credible evidence in the veracity of the Genesis text about them, with its corroboratable cultural information.
The other side of the issue is that you are completely fabricating that they didn't exist and were mythological. You have no evidence to support your claim.
> this child abuse was likely copied by ancient Judeans from other cultures.
I can see you have no interest in actual dialogue. There's no reason to interpret the practice of circumcision in the ancient world as child abuse. It may have been for hygienic reasons, as I've said and you ignore.
Can you give me ANY evidence from their writings or artifacts that circumcision was done because their interest was nothing more than child abuse?
As I mentioned, it doesn't matter that the practice was common in the region. So what if they adopted the tradition from others? It doesn't make a shred of difference.
> You are mixing history with myths, there is no historic evidence for the existence of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
You can't know this. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. There's very little way to go about proving that those three existed. Even if we found a shard that said "Abraham" on it, people would say, "How do you know it's YOUR Abraham?" Even if they found an inscription that said, "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" on it, people would say, "How to you know it's YOUR Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?" I don't know how anyone would ever accept proof for them. Since Abraham was a Bedouin, and not a king, and never lived in a city, nor held an official position of any kind, and lived 4,000 years ago, why would you expect there were any artifacts for him? But that doesn't prove they didn't exist. We know almost no one from that era, but there will many people around. That we are lacking a record and proof doesn't mean they didn't exist. You must realize that the further we go back in time, the fewer artifacts we have (especially specific ones [names, places, and events]). And what would you expect those artifacts would be? But I believe there's credible evidence in the veracity of the Genesis text about them, with its corroboratable cultural information.
The other side of the issue is that you are completely fabricating that they didn't exist and were mythological. You have no evidence to support your claim.
> this child abuse was likely copied by ancient Judeans from other cultures.
I can see you have no interest in actual dialogue. There's no reason to interpret the practice of circumcision in the ancient world as child abuse. It may have been for hygienic reasons, as I've said and you ignore.
Can you give me ANY evidence from their writings or artifacts that circumcision was done because their interest was nothing more than child abuse?