Hey Chandler, I really appreciate you taking a deeper look at the "Broad Wall" theory. I was doing some study on Nehemiah a while back and kept coming across wall and gate references and wondering, "How certain are we of this identification?" - including the broad wall references. Thanks for a great job examining the available evidence!
Thanks for reading! For several reasons I think Avigad's use of the term "Broad Wall" causes unnecessary confusion, and the connection to Nehemiah is probably unlikely. It's another issue I'd like to write about some other time!
Thanks for reading. I didn't have space to get into the contextual details in the post. You're right that scholars who date Isaiah 22 to the time of Hezekiah point to this section as part of their argument. Some also use the mention of a tomb cut in the rock (vs. 16) to connect the "Valley of Vision" (vss. 1, 5) with the Kidron Valley. The problem is that vss. 15-25, where these officials are mentioned, are a different section from vss. 8b-11. So they may have been composed at a different time than 8b-11 and don't necessarily have a bearing on their date. At least, you'd have to make an argument that they do.
Hey Chandler, I really appreciate you taking a deeper look at the "Broad Wall" theory. I was doing some study on Nehemiah a while back and kept coming across wall and gate references and wondering, "How certain are we of this identification?" - including the broad wall references. Thanks for a great job examining the available evidence!
Thanks for reading! For several reasons I think Avigad's use of the term "Broad Wall" causes unnecessary confusion, and the connection to Nehemiah is probably unlikely. It's another issue I'd like to write about some other time!
Would love to read it if/when you do!
The mention of and Hilkiah strengthen a Hezekiah/Ahaz time for Isaiah 22.
*mention of Eliakim and Hilkiah
Thanks for reading. I didn't have space to get into the contextual details in the post. You're right that scholars who date Isaiah 22 to the time of Hezekiah point to this section as part of their argument. Some also use the mention of a tomb cut in the rock (vs. 16) to connect the "Valley of Vision" (vss. 1, 5) with the Kidron Valley. The problem is that vss. 15-25, where these officials are mentioned, are a different section from vss. 8b-11. So they may have been composed at a different time than 8b-11 and don't necessarily have a bearing on their date. At least, you'd have to make an argument that they do.