Re: Literal Bible

>
> In reading other works, the main issue scholars have with the Biblical
> account of the Exodus is the numbers.

One factor is that "hundred" can also mean "clan" or similar concepts, which
may be groups much smaller than 100, just as a centurion generally had less
than 100 men.

Like modern readers, ancient scribes seem to have had trouble with long
lists of numbers. Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Esdras all contain what seems to be
the same census of those returning from exile. The names are almost
identical, but the numbers vary a good deal. Similarly, the Masoretic
(standard Hebrew), Septuagint, and Samaritan versions of Genesis show a lot
of variation in the ages in the genealogies. As English bibles rely largely
on the Masoretic for the Old Testament, but the early church (or at least
Luke) made much use of the Septuagint and possibly other versions, some of
these differences can be seen in discrepancies between OT citations in Acts
versus the text in our versions. Stephen's comment about Terah's death is
an example.

--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"