This is a good question. "Texts" which began as oral compositions could not be passed on unless they had dedicated tradents. And more people would presumably be needed for this than for written texts. My assumption is that the bulk of the HB (aside from the poetry bits) began as written texts.

When Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders, the war will end.

When Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders, the war will stop.

Check it out here: bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/wer... After you've read the essay, I’ll be very curious to hear all your thoughts on the matter. 6/6

In an essay published now over at "The Bible and Interpretation", I argue that we have little reason to assume that any of the Biblical authors were elites. I also explain why this matters for understanding history, and what it might mean for members of a faith community. 5/6

…it follows that we can hardly expect to know very much at all about the social position the author occupied in the community within which he was embedded. 4/6

…and would they have known or cared about what they were writing? Biblical texts are invariably anonymous, undated and unprovenanced. If we do not know who wrote the text, and if we are unable to compellingly demonstrate when or where the text was written… 3/6

In speaking of an author as a member of an “elite”, one would seem to imply that the writer wields a certain degree of influence upon the general society within which he or she lives and works. Would ordinary Judeans or Israelites have known who the Biblical writers were… 2/6

Not sure I'm convinced. There's a difference between unkempt facial hair and a clean-shaven. I don't read m Mak 3:5 as you do. On the face of it, the rabbis seem to have viewed the prohibition as all encompassing - not relegated to mourning. Not sure how much to read into silence of Roman writters

Thanks for your explanation. Fair enough. But why do you think that Judeans until c. the 2nd / 3rd century CE were clean shaven?