Moses and the Wand of Doom

[SallyF]

Ethnic folklore from all the cultures I know of is full of larger-than-life heroes performing great magical deeds with the aid of gods and magic wands and such. Israelite/Jewish folklore is no different.

The possibly fictional biblical hero, Moses, had a magic wand that he used in the almost certainly fictional genocidal ethnic cleansing of the lands that Jewish people believed their mythological god, Jehovah, had promised to their possibly fictional forebear, Abraham:

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God (a biblical euphemism for a magic wand) in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

We may understand that Moses experimented a few times with the hand up and down business, and watched his own folks being "discomfited" and then the Amalekites … and then decided it was a great idea to keep his hand up.

We find the magic wands of Moses and his brother Aaron in use on a few occasions (Aaron's magic wand was kept in the magic wooden box with the stones engraved by the finger of the ethnic god, Jehovah) but the magic wands obviously had their limitations, in that they did not keep hands from becoming tired.

Nonetheless, this folkloric tale of magic and heroic victory may give great national comfort and encouragement to the ancient audience for whom the Jewish writers wrote it.

But is there any evidence why non-Jewish (or even Jewish) readers today should regard this tale of magic and racist genocide as the "Word of God" ...?

[rikuoamero]

Well obviously the wand wouldn't keep Moses's arms from getting tired, Sally! If he had been able to keep his arms up the entire time, then the Israelites would have won the battle right from the start, there never would have been periods where Amalek looked like he was winning, and then the Israelites would never have attributed their victory to Moses and his magic wand: they would have known better than to do so, since there wouldn't have been any indication of what might happen if Moses hadn't kept his arms up. They're too smart and sophisticated for that.

/sarcmarc

[1213]

...
But is there any evidence why non-Jewish (or even Jewish) readers today should regard this tale of magic and racist genocide as the "Word of God" ...?

I personally believe that things went as the Bible tells, but on my behalf, you are free to believe what ever you want. I have no reason to say to anyone that he must believe something.

[Tcg]

...
But is there any evidence why non-Jewish (or even Jewish) readers today should regard this tale of magic and racist genocide as the "Word of God" ...?

I personally believe that things went as the Bible tells, but on my behalf, you are free to believe what ever you want. I have no reason to say to anyone that he must believe something.

It's easy to believe outlandish tales from long ago if one is motivated. That belief however doesn't change them from being outlandish tales from long ago.



Tcg

[SallyF]

I put it that we are dealing with ethnic fantasy and fable here.

In my arguments against Christianity and my claims that Christianity has been a fraud from the start, I put it that this is NOT "scripture".

[SallyF]

Nonetheless, this folkloric tale of magic and heroic victory may give great national comfort and encouragement to the ancient audience for whom the Jewish writers wrote it.

But is there any evidence why non-Jewish (or even Jewish) readers today should regard this tale of magic and racist genocide as the "Word of God" ...?

Given the total absence of evidence from a single soul to the contrary, I put it to members that this tale of magic and racist genocide is the work of humans only.

I put it to members that this is clearly a tale of magic and genocide that cannot be hidden behind the smokescreen of so-called philosophy and poetry and allegory and all the other standard excuses.

I put it to members that zero evidence is EVER presented that ANY so-called "scripture" is anything more than the work of humans.

This fantasy item may have been written to inspire nationalism/tribalism and justify more acts of genocidal ethnic cleansing, because "WE HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE".

GOTT MIT UNS