MDDM Ch. 75 Job, 26:5 through 7

[Doug Millison]

Dixon turns to his belief in Hell and devils to affirm his belief in Science?
Rather than "counteracting doubts about Science" such a koan appears more
likely to drive the thinker to that state of mind the L.E.D. describes as
"holy insanity."


me:
>> Just curious, but how would a Biblical affirmation of Hell counteract
>> doubts about Science?

jbor:
>The lines in question assert the existence of "inhabitants" in Hell, which
>is located "under the waters". Dixon wants to believe that he has been taken
>into Hell and bewitched by devils so that he might discount the doubts they
>have thrown on the capacities of the human "Sensorium" i.e. empirical
>observation.

jbor:
> Your correction is incorrect. As I wrote, some versions of the Bible do
> attribute the lines from Job 26:5 through 14 to Bildad the Shuhite, replying
> to Job and answering his questions at 26:1-4. For example:
http://www.dailybible.com/tev/09/tev0911s.htm


I beg to differ, friend.  It's reasonable to assume that, in the 17th
century, Dixon is reading the King James Version of the Bible, considered
the standard version of the Bible at that time.


King James Version
also called Authorized Version English translation of the Bible published
in 1611 under the auspices of James I of England. Of 54 scholars approved
by James, 47 laboured in six groups at three locations for seven years,
utilizing previous English translations and texts in the original
languages. The resulting translation had a marked influence on English
style and was generally accepted as the standard English Bible for more
than three centuries.
To cite this page:
"King James Version" Encyclopædia Britannica
<http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=46582>
[Accessed September 12, 2002].


jbor's Today's English Version of the Bible appears to have been cooked up
by a group of 20th century evangelical fundamentalists:

About the Today's English Version (Good New Bible)
Today's English Version (TEV), 1976, revised 1992:
This modern version of the Bible in mid-20th century American English,
prepared by a group of American biblical scholars, is also known as the
Good News Bible. Taking advantage of the many archaeological and manuscript
discoveries as well as the insights of linguistic and biblical scholarship
since the 16th century it was designed to meet the needs of a world-wide
explosion of evangelism in a secular world where English had become the
dominant international language and a familiarity with traditional
theological terminology could not be assumed. Its style avoids the
looseness of paraphrase as it translates the deep structures of the text in
its original languages. This pioneering version has set the pattern for
innumerable new translations and revisions of the Bible in other languages
as well as in English. Over 40 million copies of the Good News Biblehave
been distributed world-wide since its first printing."
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Information/TodaysEnglishVersion.html

About the American Bible Society
Since its beginnings in 1816, the purpose of the American Bible Society has
been to provide the Holy Scriptures to every man, woman and child in a
language and form each can readily understand, and at a price each can
easily afford. This purpose, undertaken without profit, is a cause which
all Christians and all churches are urged to support.
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Information/TodaysEnglishVersion.html

links to:

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eP.S.  Re the newbie discussion: Gravity's Rainbow is within reach of any
patient reader, imo. I don't think there's any need to claim super-reader
status or otherwise defend a hierarchy of elite afficionados.  Start with
the Pynchon book at hand, if the "voice" of one doesn't get you, I doubt
another will.



<doug millison>
<http://www.Online-Journalist.com>
<http://dougday.blogspot.com>