Jois - the Mesopotamian influence on Hebrew culture is probably the dominant one, I agree. But I do see some Egyptian influence. The man from mud creation story seems close to the story of Ptah the creator.
Spiritus mundi - “though the original Sumerian population seems to have been neither Semitic nor Indo-European”
I have read a theory that they were related to Mongolians, linguistically and racially. Interestingly enough, there is an oral tradition among modern Assyrians that their written language is from Mongolian. Also attempts have been made to link Hungarian, Sumerian and Mongolian (!). If you have any knowledge of Romance languages, or even other Indo-European languages (incl. German, etc.) it is amazing to see how there are virtually no cognates between Hungarian and these other languages. Borrowings from German are the exceptian, are a later addition and obvious from their type (technology, etc.).
The Sumerians were known as “black heads”, in the local vernaculars. This in spite of the fact that they usually shaved their heads. No doubt their hair was of the blue-black variety to earn them such a moniker.
Quote: But I do see some Egyptian influence. The man from mud creation story seems close to the story of Ptah the creator.
Right from the water coming up from the ground through adam - man, and dama - soil or ground. The part we read as dust is probably “clods” - the whole being Mesopotamian. See: Speiser; Genesis, The Anchor Bible. He goes on to say that this …“Primeval History is but a general preface to a much larger work, a preface about a remote age which comes to life in Mesopotamia and for which that land alone furnishes the necessary historical and cultural records.”
Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&* codes 'til I get 'em right.
Quote:The Sumerians were known as “black heads”, in the local vernaculars. This in
spite of the fact that they usually shaved their heads.
What’s this? In that heat and with all those bugs? Wouldn’t hair be a protection - like the Egyptians?
Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&* codes 'til I get 'em right.
I was hot yes. The sun was as not as much of an issue tho, in Sumeria which had not been as deforested as much as it is now.
If you wanna beat the heat a shaved head with a light cap is the best.
In the Egyptian nobility, the men shaved their heads and wore the “pshemt” headress made popular in silent movies, women may have shaved their heads too and worn ornamental wigs as “hats”.
The practice of cornrowing hair was popular too (no, I’m not saying Egyptians were “black” in the American sense, per se) as their hair was thick, black and probably wavy at the least, none good for dissipating heat.
Oh, about the bugs - the best way to beat bugs is to shave - EVERYWHERE, or almost everywhere.
Yikes.
What’s misleading? It’s only misleading if you make the assumption that milk means cow’s milk. All mammals have milk bubba, from mice to whales. Goat’s milk makes the most sense in that era. I’m not picturing herds of heavy uddered Holstein cows on the plains of Jordan waiting for the Israelites to pull a teat. Not a damn thing wrong with goat’s milk or meat (just not together - Exodus 23:18 and others). I milked a goat my folks had when I was a youngster and the milk tasted fine. I think the assumption comes from modern squeamish notions about what is supposed to be a food animal.
I’m sure if the phrase was supposed to mean dates it would have said a land full of milk and dates. Bees knew how to make honey before they were domesticated and wild honey wasn’t unknown. Samson scooped it out of a dead lion in Judges 14 and it was an important part of John’s nutritious macrobiotic diet. 
The Bible has a lot that requires reading between the lines and spiritual vs. literal intrepretation but I don’t think this is one of them.
Wow. Last post in Jan 2000.
Please don’t bump threads older that three months. We prefer that you start a new thread and link to the old.
I’m not sure why this remained in General Questions. You may start a new thread in Great Debates if you wish and link to this.
DrMatrix - GQ Moderator