Article on Galilean climate.
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Ben C. Smith
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Article on Galilean climate.
Some may be interested in this article: Climate, Droughts, Wars, and Famines in Galilee as a Background for Understanding the Historical Jesus, by Morten Hørning Jensen. This same author also has other articles concerning Galilean politics, history, and daily life.
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Charles Wilson
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Re: Article on Galilean climate.
Hello Ben --
John 4: 10 - 12 (RSV):
[10] Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
[11] The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
[12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"
Berakoth 28 A ( http://www.come-and-hear.com/berakoth/berakoth_28.html ):
"Let the sprinkler son of a sprinkler (21) sprinkle; shall he who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to a sprinkler son of a sprinkler, Your water is cave water (22) and your ashes are oven ashes... (23)
Notes:
21. I.e., a priest, son of a priest, sprinkle the water of purification. The reference is again to Rabban Gamaliel who had an hereditary claim to the presidency.
22. And not living water as required, v. Num. XIX, 27.
23. And not from the Red Heifer.
The Passage from John illustrates a possible Historical reference to a drought. The Samaritan Woman refers back to a time when there was so much water from the well that Jacob could water his cattle and his family (Sons). Now, the well is very deep and everyone has to struggle to get a single cup. The Berakoth Passage shows that the John Story has been Transvalued. If the Woman had asked "Jesus" for Living Water, he would have produced a torrent, a raging river of water.
See also Matthew 7: 7 - 14 (RSV):
[7] "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
[8] For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
[9] Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
[10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
[11] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
[12] So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
[13] "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
[14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
I believe that this Passage refers to the Drought under Herod, a drought so severe that Herod had to sell the palace furniture to get enough cash to buy grain from Petronius, Procurator of Egypt. Herod has built Caesarea as a Safe Harbor and you can see the Jokes in verses 9 and 10. The beginning of verse 11 would obviously show "...you then, who are evil..." as identifying Herod.
The NT has a continuing story of drought and famine throughout.
Thanx, Ben.
CW
John 4: 10 - 12 (RSV):
[10] Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
[11] The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
[12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"
Berakoth 28 A ( http://www.come-and-hear.com/berakoth/berakoth_28.html ):
"Let the sprinkler son of a sprinkler (21) sprinkle; shall he who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to a sprinkler son of a sprinkler, Your water is cave water (22) and your ashes are oven ashes... (23)
Notes:
21. I.e., a priest, son of a priest, sprinkle the water of purification. The reference is again to Rabban Gamaliel who had an hereditary claim to the presidency.
22. And not living water as required, v. Num. XIX, 27.
23. And not from the Red Heifer.
The Passage from John illustrates a possible Historical reference to a drought. The Samaritan Woman refers back to a time when there was so much water from the well that Jacob could water his cattle and his family (Sons). Now, the well is very deep and everyone has to struggle to get a single cup. The Berakoth Passage shows that the John Story has been Transvalued. If the Woman had asked "Jesus" for Living Water, he would have produced a torrent, a raging river of water.
See also Matthew 7: 7 - 14 (RSV):
[7] "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
[8] For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
[9] Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
[10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
[11] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
[12] So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
[13] "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
[14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
I believe that this Passage refers to the Drought under Herod, a drought so severe that Herod had to sell the palace furniture to get enough cash to buy grain from Petronius, Procurator of Egypt. Herod has built Caesarea as a Safe Harbor and you can see the Jokes in verses 9 and 10. The beginning of verse 11 would obviously show "...you then, who are evil..." as identifying Herod.
The NT has a continuing story of drought and famine throughout.
Thanx, Ben.
CW