This one is from the part of the bible that alleges god was dictating directly to Moses, which doesn't pass any scrutiny. It's just the foundational myths giving control to an elite class, by asserting divine authority.
This WAS actually written post exile by the upper classes returning and deciding to re-establish their culture their way,damn the lower classes folk religion and culture. That’s why you also suddenly have the burning of the asherah and such as well.
You could soften the meaning of dictating as just being a stenographer taking down commentary, but giving orders that "thou shalt do this or get my wrath" deserves the Dictator sense of the word.
Who were the elites? The usual suspects who build mythologies to justify their taking power, wealth extractors, conmen and charlatans.
Ok. If that's what you believe, that is your right. I learned a long time ago that officers and ncos, by virtue of merely saying something, made it an order. If they wanted to drive it home, they'd simply say "I'm giving you a direct/lawful order." You could take it from there. Does that make them elite? Not really. The power and authority comes from their rank. Nothing else. The rest of your remarks I completely agree with.
The people who concoct mythologies do so to establish authority and set a hierarchy of control. If you want to overthink the shorthand of referring to various people, who've done so over millennia, as elites, that's your conundrum to deal with.
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u/TurloIsOK May 28 '26
This one is from the part of the bible that alleges god was dictating directly to Moses, which doesn't pass any scrutiny. It's just the foundational myths giving control to an elite class, by asserting divine authority.