Posted on 08/11/2018 9:25:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Containing about 35 literary texts in Aramaic that date to the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E., Papyrus Amherst 63 is written in a cursive Egyptian script known as Demotic. This unusual combination of the Aramaic language and the Demotic script was among the main reasons why the decipherment took more than 120 years. Karel van der Toorn (University of Amsterdam), who recently published a new edition and translation of Papyrus Amherst 63, argues that besides the forerunner of Psalm 20, the Egyptian papyrus contains two other Israelite psalms... “The two other psalms of the Amherst papyrus are not in the Bible. That does not make them any less valuable from a historical and literary point of view. These were songs the Israelites chanted before their religion turned monotheistic.” And he adds: “The three psalms clearly belong together: They were evidently composed originally in Hebrew; they celebrate Yaho (an alternate form of the name Yahweh) as king of the gods; and they are part of the liturgy of the New Year’s festival as celebrated by an Aramaic-speaking community.”
(Excerpt) Read more at biblicalarchaeology.org ...
Papyrus Amherst 63, as it came to be known, has attracted scholarly curiosity since its discovery in Egypt more than a century ago. When it was recently finally deciphered and translated, it revealed Israelite Psalms. Photo: Courtesy of Oriental Institute Museum Archives, Box 009.
Did they also celebrate Googl and YouTub?
“These were songs the Israelites chanted before their religion turned monotheistic.”
What?
Because of the era of these finds, Lyco and Altavist.
LOL!!
‘“These were songs the Israelites chanted before their religion turned monotheistic.”
What?’
Of course, already subjected to historical revisionism. Disappointing.
Monotheism is older than that (7th-6th c BC) in Judaism, it's just that there were other practices borrowed from neighboring people, iow, not everyone followed true Judaism.
It wasn’t until the exile to Babylon (598 according to the webs) that the Jews learned their lesson, and never again worshiped multiple gods (idols - like the Golden Calf).
I forget when they started worshiping other gods. But that was the main reason they were sent into exile.
That is a great magazine, I subscribed years back.
That is what King of the Gods means. Of course, we have to assume certain things about the truthfulness and accuracy of the translator.
Maybe they’re Canaanite songs (preceded the Israelites) or am I nuts?
Papyrus Amherst 63
May Yaho answer us in our troubles.
May Adonay answer us in our troubles.
Be a bow in heaven, Crescent!
Send your messengers
From all of Rash!
And from Zaphon
May Yaho help us.
May Yaho give to us
Our heart’s desire.
May the Lord give to us
Our heart’s desire.
Every wish, may Yaho fulfill.
May Yaho fulfill,
May Adonay not diminish
Any request of our heart.
Some by the bow, some by the spear—
Behold, as for us, my Lord, our God is Yaho!
May our Bull be with us.
May Bethel answer us tomorrow.
Baal-Shamayin shall bless the Lord:
“By your loyal ones I bless you!”
Book of Psalms - Psalm 20
May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble!
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion.
May he remember all your offerings,
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. Selah
May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.
May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May Yahweh fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that Yahweh will help his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
but our pride is in the name of Yahweh our God.
They will collapse and fall,
but we shall rise and stand upright.
Yahweh will give victory to the king;
answer us when we call.
Papyrus Amherst 63,
Our Banquet is For You
“Psalm 2”
Hear me, our God!
Fine lambs (and) sh[ee]p
We will sacrifice for you among the Gods.
Our banquet is for you
Among the Mighty Ones of the people,
Adonay, for you,
Among the Mighty Ones of the people.
Adonay, the people will bless you.
Your annual offerings we will perform.
From the pitcher, saturate yourself my God!
Let it be announced forever:
The Merciful One exalts the great,
Yaho humiliates the lowly one.
They have mixed the wine in our jar,
In our jar, at our New Moon festival!
Drink, Yaho,
From the bounty of a thousand bowls!
Be satiated, Adonay,
From the bounty of the people!
Singers wait upon the Lord,
The player of the harp, the player of the lyre:
“We will play for you
The song of the Sidonian lyre,
And our flutes resoundingly,
At the banquets of humankind.”
Papyrus Amherst 63,
The Host of Heaven Proclaims Your Rule
“Psalm 3”
Who among the Gods,
Among humankind, Yaho—
Who among the Gods,
Among king and non-king,
Who is like you, Yaho, among the Gods?
From the very beginning, Adonay, avenge
Your worshippers, the longstanding people.
Take note of our pursuer,
And restore my strength.
Beneath you, Yaho,
Beneath you, Adonay,
The host of heaven is (as plentiful) as sand.
Yaho, the host of heaven
Proclaims to us your rule.
Take note of our pursuer,
And restore my strength.
Let Baal from Zaphon
Bless Yaho.
Arise, Yaho, to our rescue.
Let his ears turn
To the prayer, Lord.
Arise Yaho!
Do protect,
As you have been protecting
Your people since olden times.
“Psalm 20
King James Version
“The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call”.
‘Some trust in chariots, some in horses’ now who could they be thinking of?
bookmark
bfl
For the “critics:”
Ah, the sensitive ears of certain men who hear the billions of tocks in millions of clocks, ticking in perfect lock from each little historical rock!
Or the clear-eyed readers who can see for us! See the threads of invisible stitchers though thousands of lines sewed by ancient scripters, who scribbled a god for us blind and bleary-eyed to see!
You’ve researched so impeccably; scribbled so incessantly, and read so incredibly, i almost wish i could believe in your god of scribblers and rock clocks. but i can’t. I believe in Jesus.
The prayers as written sound very much like various Ancient Egyptian prayers to Maat and Re (Ra).
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