Re: [asa] On Job

*Can you cite an instance where it's known to have happened?*

It happens today at just about every "revival meeting" you can think of, not
to mention in foreign missions.

On 10/11/06, Don Winterstein <dfwinterstein@msn.com> wrote:
>
> *A strong and rapid, though not too lasting, response to a mysterious
> foreign preacher does not seem historically improbable. *
> **
> Can you cite an instance where it's known to have happened? Seems highly
> improbable on the face of it to me. There seems to be a human tendency
> to disregard foreigners if they have no special reputation preceding them.
> Their usual poor command of the language tends to get them off on the wrong
> foot, for one thing. On the other hand, if they're known in advance for
> their accomplishments, they're often given sometimes undeserved special
> respect.
>
> There's no indication Jonah was in this latter category; and why would
> anyone have believed his fish story?
>
> I picture a foreigner coming up to me out of the blue spouting all kinds
> of crazy things. I'd tend to distance myself quickly.
>
> Don
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* David Campbell <pleuronaia@gmail.com>
> *To:* ASA <asa@calvin.edu>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 10, 2006 9:27 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [asa] On Job
>
>
>
>
> Another factor, besides rumors that there was something fishy about
> Jonah, that could have helped him make an impact in Ninevah was that things
> weren't going too well for the Assyrians just then. In fact, the phrase
> "King of Ninevah" in Jonah might refer to the weakness of his nominal
> control over the overall empire at that time. The historical Jonah lived at
> a time whn Jereboam II and Uzziah were able to expand geographically and
> commercially because no strong superpower was present. Shortly afterwards,
> Assyrian strength returned.
>
> The attitude of the sailors in Jonah 1, eager to assuage whoever up there
> was really angry with somebody down there, would not be surprising to be
> found among most polytheists, including the Ninevites. A strong and rapid,
> though not too lasting, response to a mysterious foreign preacher does not
> seem historically improbable.
>
> I'm not sure how much weight can be put on the existence of merman-like
> entities as connecting to Jonah; Dagon of the Philistines, mentioned several
> centuries earlier, was portrayed as half-fish. However, it's certainly
> possible that Jonah would get associated with such a deity in confused pagan
> recollection.
>
> --
> Dr. David Campbell
> 425 Scientific Collections
> University of Alabama
> "I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
>
>

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Received on Wed Oct 11 10:59:43 2006