Old Testament

[rekaburb]

Are the battles fought in the old Testament real or analogies for life?
rek.

 

[Hewitt]

It depends on which ones you are talking about. I believe the vast majority of the battles mentioned in the old testament were actual battles yet there are some which are mentioned in dreams and such which are figurative or prophesy. Are there any specific battles you are thinking about?

 

[Didaskomenos]

Yeah, that's the problem. There are a lot of real historical battles. Others are part of mythology, stylized and independent of modern scientific accuracy (the Genesis accounts seem a little too neat, and there's no historical record for the Conquest that matches what the Hexateuch presents). I doubt even the battles that are historical are stated with any more historical accuracy than the Greek stories of battle (i.e., they are idealized and shown with particular emphases). That was the way things were done.

 

[kern]

It's necessary to understand the way old histories were written in order to view the battle stories in that light. Archaeology does support some of the battles, but not all of them. So I would say that not all of the OT battles really happened. Look at Joshua for some examples of what appear to be attempts to make the monarchy and old kingdom have deeper and older roots than it actually did.

-Chris

 

[Gerry]

YES! ALL battles recorded in the old Testament are real!

 

[rekaburb]

Thanks everyone, Yes there is one in particular. When Joshua sent the spies into the promised land. There report and an analagy derived from this story.

To keep your eyes on the objective instead of the obstacles.
rek.

 

[Markthepunk]

Both.

 

[kern]

Well, let me say one more thing on this. I think that all of the battles have a purpose in the story, and I would not classify them as "analogies for life". They're not symbolic; they are an attempt to show the covenant that the old Israel kingdom had with God. It's not necessary that every single battle be historically accurate for that point to come across.

-Chris

 

[Thunderchild]

Seeing as how it is that Rahab figures in ancestry of Jesus, I figure it might be that the account of Jericho could be more or less real.

 

[Gerry]

All accounts are historical, literal, and real.