The city of Dan?

by uncle_onion 11 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  uncle_onion

  I have another question for you Xtians. Please read this verse from the Bible as taken from the NWT:

  *** Rbi8 Genesis 14:14 ***
  Thus A'bram got to hear that his brother had been taken captive. With that he mustered his trained men, three hundred and eighteen slaves born in his household, and went in pursuit up to Dan.

  Nothing untoward in that scripture?WRONG! What about the city of Dan? That city did not even exist in Abrahams time! Read what the INSIGHT book says about it:
  
  *** it-1 573-4 Dan ***
  3. A city in the extreme N of Palestine. Prior to its capture by the tribe of Dan, it was called Leshem or Laish by the pagan inhabitants. (Jos 19:47; Jg 18:7, 27) The Danites rebuilt the destroyed city and called it “Dan by the name of their father, Dan.” (Jg 18:28, 29) However, the city is mentioned some four centuries earlier by the name of Dan in the account of Abraham’s pursuit of Chedorlaomer and his allies all the way “up to Dan.” (Ge 14:14) There is nothing to argue against the existence of this name, Dan, as applying to the indicated area in the time of Abraham. The correspondence of this early name to that of the forefather of the tribe of Dan may have been coincidental or even divinely directed.

  "Divinely directed"? I can think of a better one than that!

  Umm

  UO
• 

  peterstride

  It would have made more sense if the Insight book had suggested that:

  Since the stories about Abraham were written several centuries later, the people reading them wouldn't have known the city's original pagan name. Thus it was referred to as Dan, even though it dindn't get that name until after those events occurred.

  Just my thoughts on the matter,

  Peter Stride
  Toronto, Canada
• 

  Prisca

  Perhaps someone should take this up with Ray Franz? He was the one of the main writers for the Aid book, which was the predecessor of the Insight books.
• 

  DannyBear

  Hey,

  Get off this denigrating of my 'namesake' city.

  Have I ever questioned the exsitance of Onion Creek, Texas? Well?

  Have I ever doubted the fact that Santo de Prisca is a cathedral dedictate to Saint Prisca, in Mexico?

  Peter do I really have to cast asperstions on your namesakes?

  All Dan's stand up and be counted!

  BearDan
• 

  Prisca

  There's a Saint Prisca??? I didn't know I'd been canonised??

  Looks like someone's been duped by my innocent face!!
• 

  ros

  I have another question for you Xtians. Please read this verse from the Bible as taken from the NWT:

  Same answer as last time.

  It was recorded after Abraham. In fact, it was probably recorded after David. Kind of like when historians and evolutionists write about what was happening with humankind in England and China while the civilizations in Mesapotamia were bursting into existence.
• 

  uncle_onion

  Ros

  Thanks for the input.

  But this reasoning causes you problems. Christ has quoted from the Pentateuch and acknowledged them as being written by Moses(1 John 5:46 plus other scriptures). So did Moses write them or not or was Christ misinformed? :-)

  UO
• 

  ros

  Uncle Onion:
  It would help, if you are really interested, to delve into understanding Jewish perception. It was a lot different than "Western thinking". Course it calls for a freer mind than Kent's nationalistic bigotry toward "Americans." But, then, I think you have that.
• 

  uncle_onion

  Ros

  I am interested. These are genuine questions. I am not doing this to take the micheal or to become a jedi member :-) I want the truth. I want a belief system that I am prepared to stake my life on so I have to ask these questions. Can you elaborate please on your answer?

  UO
• 

  ros

  UO:

  If you are seeking belief, the only thing I can say is to investigate the pro-belief studies along with the skeptic beliefs. If you focus only on the skeptics and their arguments against the belief, that is what you will become--I can almost guarantee it.

  "The one who first states a case seems right, until the other comes and cross-examines."--Prov.18:17

  Are you giving equal attention to the arguments of Believers as you are, say, to the points of Thomas Paine? Are you posting your questions to some forums where there are more believers than here? What has indicated to you that you are going to get good "believer" support on this forum? Are you being honest with yourself about what you are really trying to prove?

  These are honest questions, too.