lisa@phs.UUCP (Jeff Gillette) (10/02/84)
<to err is human, but to really screw up ...> A RECANTATION In the first part of my posting on Jesus and the N'tzarim I quoted Yirmiyahu Ben David's reconstruction of Jesus and his first followers. I'm afraid my lack of divine infallibility came to light yet once more when I made the comment that I saw "little value in historical recon- struction". Really I do see a lot of value in historical reconstruction (I've spent the last eight years of my life studying the history of the New Testament). What I meant to say, but got lost somewhere between my head and my fingers, was that I saw little value in *that* historical reconstruction I had just quoted. The rest of the article constituted my argument for that claim. A BIOGRAPHICAL FOOTNOTE And since the question of credentials has entered this little discussion, let me mention my own claim to speak on the subject. I have not pursued the writings of early Christianity as a hobby for 20 years as has Yirmiyahu Ben David. I have, however, spent the last eight years in formal (academic) study of the New Testament. I have a Master's degree in the New Testament, and am a doctoral student at Duke University in early Christianity. I do not have 12 notebooks full of material, but I do have several thousand dollars of scholarly commentaries on the wall, and two file cabinets filled with my research and writings. Oh, by the way, I also read Hebrew and Aramaic, and the pages of my Greek New Testament are falling apart from use. I might add that most (all?) translations in my articles are my own. I hope that these modest credentials will recommend my suggestions to Mr. Ben David's serious consideration and rational/reasoned rebuttal. Jeff Gillette ...!duke!phs!lisa The Divinity School Duke University