Original Sin and pagan gods.

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 09 Aug 2006, 22:33 · from 2006-August.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 15:33:35 -0700
Subject: (urth) Original Sin and pagan gods.
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	<BAY102-F3F4D9572F815CC03E256486550 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <1f7617370608091533s2343fb99x6f54a26610932d29 at mail.gmail.com>

On 8/9/06, Chris <rasputin_ at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Just wanted to throw in there that the idea of fallen angels mating with
> human females to beget giant children is not really a matter of translation,
> it's part of Jewish myth that goes back at least as far as the written text.

"At least?" Now, how would we know that? The earliest place such a myth
is likely to be documented is in one Talmud, which dates to ... well, depends
on whether you're talking about Mishnah or Gemarah, but in any case, well
after the time of Christ. Figure the redaction of Genesis at the
fourth or fifth
century BC, and you've got between six and eight hundred years.

Mind, the stuff in the Mishnah was generally considered "ancient" at the time
it was compiled, but unless you know of a reference rather older than that,
I have trouble with the claim that these myths go "at least as far back as the
written text."

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
-----
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
"Shovels are essential to the fantasy genre.
However, they are primarily used by the authors rather than the
characters." -- Stephen R. Donaldson

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