|
This is also called the Passover Papyrus. It is barely more than a fragment.
Most of it is at best wishful thinking. A better description might be making
a reputation by telling believers what they want to believe.
It is always introduced by saying this is from the Jewish garrison community
on the island of Elephantine in the Nile. With that introduction it implies
this community is well known. Fact is this and a couple other papyri are the
only evidence there was such a community. This is a circular implication to
complement the fallacy of circular reasoning.
It is written in Aramaic which is another hit for the idea there was ever a
separate "hebrew" language. It dates from the late 5th c. BC well after
Herodotus visited Palestine Syria and found no such people as Hebrews or
Judeans or anything like them.
Some day I may get around to looking at the others in hopes they are not as
worthless as this one.
This is the accepted translation.
[To] my [brethren Yedo]niah and his colleagues the [J]ewish gar[rison], your
brother Hanan[iah]. The welfare of my brothers may God [seek at all times].
Now, this year, the fifth year of King Darius, word was sent from the king
to Arsa[mes saying, "Authorise a festival of unleavened bread for the
Jew]ish [garrison]". So do you count fou[rteen days of the month of Nisan
and] obs[erve the passover], and from the 15th to the 21st day of [Nisan
observe the festival of unleavened bread]. Be (ritually) clean and take
heed. [Do n]o work [on the 15th or the 21st day, no]r drink [beer, nor eat]
anything [in] which the[re is] leaven [from the 14th at] sundown until the
21st of Nis[an. For seven days it shall not be seen among you. Do not br]ing
it into your dwellings but seal (it) up between these date[s. By order of
King Darius. To] my brethren Yedoniah and the Jewish garrison, your brother
Hanani[ah].
The problem is everything between brackets, []s, is a guess. The words
between parenthesis, ()s, is apparently pulled out of the translator's
nether regions. And of course all punctuation and capitalization is a modern
addition but I leave it in as a best guess even though by a wishful thinker.
How much of a guess is it? Lets take a look by removing what is not
invented.
my niah and his colleagues the ewish gar, your brother Hanan. The welfare of
my brothers may God. Now, this year, the fifth year of King Darius, word
was sent from the king to Arsa ". So do you count fou, and from the 15th to
the 21st day of. Be clean and take heed. o work r drink anything which the
leaven sundown until the 21st of Nis ing it into your dwellings but seal up
between these date my brethren Yedoniah and the Jewish garrison, your
brother Hanani.
At this point I would insist upon seeing a photo or drawing of the original
to see what the original looks like. I cannot find one on the web. Why would
I insist? Take this example.
obs[erve the passover]
The problem is observe is from an archaic English usage where ob and re are
opposites. As with coins and a few other things the usage continues with
obverse being the front of a coin and reverse being the back. Observe and
reserve, generally meaning to observe a custom or reserve a custom. It is
impossible to have an Aramaic word of unknown letters include an old English
prefix and the letter s to mean observe. That is why seeing the original is
imperative. The translation is not possible by inspection.
Examine the original with brackets and see just how many words are created
by this impossible method.
Of course that is in addition to passover being an addition as well as its
dates.
update 2006 10 24
A correspondent was good enough to find me an image of it. Take a look at
just how much whitespace there is in it. You can add almost anything you
want into that much space.
|