[aron]

Actually I too quickly dismissed the "ask the experts" question, seeing it as a dodge to get off the subject of the glaring lacks in the LSM hermeneutical programmme.

But while we're on the subject, there's a useful field of scholarship expanding knowledge of the conversation occurring around the time that Jesus and his disciples lived, taught, and wrote. It is called, roughly "Second Temple Studies". What did an apostle mean when he wrote something? What did shared meanings did a parable convey? What imagery was suggested by a turn of phrase?

We don't know much of what Jesus himself believed, other than that he was the Messiah, a rabbi (teacher), the King of Israel, Savior of the World, and Son of God. He repeatedly taught that he would suffer, be rejected, killed by men, and rise on the third day to glory. Beyond that, we should be cautious. . . the details of "outer darkness" or some other phrase are usually obscure.

These experts, though they understand Hebrew, and Greek, don't presume to know the meaning of every single phrase. They're usually humble in their assessments. "This could mean" such-and-such, not "this is the recovered truth". A little humility and reticence seem in order, and goes a long way. And they allow differences of interpretation to exist, and mutual uncertainty, instead of resorting to calling each other "dark" and "ambitious" and "divisive". It's rather refreshing, really. . . quite, um, Christian, even.

Devorah Dimant
John J. Collins
Annette Yoshiko Reed
James C. VanderKam
Peter W. Flint
Esther Chazon
Carol A. Newsom
Josef T Milik
John M. Allegro
Lawrence H. Schiffman
Gabriel Boccaccini
Yisrael Yadin
James H. Charlesworth
Emile Puech
Emanuel Tov

This is a good list to start. There are a lot more. Happy trails. See you at the finish line, whenever that may be.

(And don't go beyond what is written).