Thread:FrenchTouch/@comment-1777104-20160627003843/@comment-6548012-20160627022051

Hello,

First off, thanks a lot for your detailed answer, I am very appreciative of that. I had no idea Sarah was such an important character, since I had first read the Qu'ran, where she is mentioned but never by her name, and even for a “minor” character, Orpah has quite the story behind her, I must say!

I find it very nice that the Bible Wiki tries to regroup all this information and connect the dots, but isn't it a little hard, given the fact that there are a myriad of possible interpretations to the Bible&mdash;is the writing process difficult?

Thank you for telling me about Orpah's ancestry, I'm familiar with it from the Qu'ran but it's nice to know a reader of the Bible's perspective on that, it helps build an connexion (for history, when linked to religion is often ambiguous to some,) which is obviously nice, for storywriting.

In Lot's history, I also remember that, after that, he had left Sodom for Zoara, and that his wife was punished for looking back at the disaster when God supposedly told her not to, am I right? And speaking of divine intervention, I've always had differing views about that, so I wonder: How exactly does that work, and is this really supposed to mean that God intervened, Himself or that there could be another interpretation to the words of the Torah, Bible or Qu'ran?

Since you bring up the Moabite pantheon, have they just borrowed the Levantine pantheon, (such as the god Kemoš) or is there evidence pointing towards a pantheon unique to them? If so, what is it? (I can't find anything anywhere)

I have to admit, the story of Orpah is very interesting. It's very incomplete about her, and more detailed about her family, which is tough luck, but it is nice to have a character like that, which kinda raises the debate of is she in the wrong for being more down-to-Earth than spiritual in such a society where everywhere you look, there are new gods? (Egyptian, Levantine, Mesopotamian pantheon, et cætera) I think that's an interesting question, provoking for sure, yet very fruitful, from a theological and sociological perspective.

What I also have to say is that I do like that the Bible records information some wouldn't have, and even though there is some capital information that doesn't seem to be recorded, there's at least that, which is pretty nice. As a fellow of theology, I've learned to respect people's peaceful thoughts about religion, after all, even if religion wasn't what we thought, it still allows for a good exchange, when it comes to things like history, psychology, and other fields.

There's also another thing I like about the Abrahamic religions' books, the concepts that there are to it, for example, as you said, Naomi's husband who does his best to ease everything for his family, which I'm sure is extremely relatable. I don't really know if I would fully relate with a character from the Bible, but I can still say that they bring very respectful perspectives on the world.

Thank you for your concern, and help, I really appreciate that you are taking so much time to explain your interpretation of those characters to me, and sorry if I haven't had anything relevant to say about it, I was really mostly listening (well, reading) to what you were saying.

Before I go back to my normal research, I would also like to thank you for “advertising” the Book of Ruth has an insight on love, because I was actually doing a lot of research on how love was percieved then and now, in order to offer a perspective of mine that could make a difference, so thanks a lot.

Have a good day, and see you soon. FrenchTouch (talk).

Post Scriptum: To be precise, I'm not writing characters based on them, but more based on what they bring with them. I personally view religious books, well, mostly the Torah, Bible and Qu'ran as metaphorical insights more than straight-up fixed history, in the way in which I do believe in God, but I wouldn't think he would directly intervene in an affair, or create things like magic, when he made such a universe of complicated science before that. I may get some things wrong, and my opinion isn't very popular, or extremely well documented, but I'm working on it, and thanks to people like you, who share such thoughts kindly and in all respect, it's getting easier, so a thousand thanks again, and have a good one.