Inference

[Elmud]

The books of the bible are full of allegory,metaphor and hyperbole. I just was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion as to why?

[Khethil]

Originally Posted by Elmud

The books of the bible are full of allegory,metaphor and hyperbole. I just was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion as to why?

Good question; applicable to many ancient writings...

My attempt at Objectively: No clue. How can anyone come close to knowing the personalities who wrote this stuff thousands of years ago, thousands of miles away living in societies whose norms we can only guess at. Much evidence exists and some inference can be drawn; however, it is only presumption that says "Oh, yea we know!" - we don't. In other words (and metaphorically speaking of course), we don't even know the color of the skies in these people's world.

My Guess: I've always believed it has to do with the way myth has always been handed down; stories - though quite possibly based in fact - get embellished, exaggerated and are made to "come alive" with "the moral of the story is"-attributions added. What was scribed doesn't necessarily have much to do with what was said, done or what necessarily happened. "Poetic License", throughout much of ancient history, was commonly taken by those actually recording this or that.

Thanks

[WithoutReason]

My thought would be because of the nature of spiritual truths. It would seem they are best expressed through metaphor, as human language does not have suitable terms for explicit expression of spirituality.

[boagie]

YO!

When you do not have the answer/s to that great mystery there is little choice but to use metaphor, obscurity and pretense, for their ambition was to make concrete that which is transcendent and beyond the human intellect. "Those whom say they know, do not know, those whom know that they do not know, know." The Upanishads

[Dichanthelium]

Originally Posted by boagie

YO!When you do not have the answer/s to that great mystery there is little choice but to use metaphor, obscurity and pretense, for their ambition was to make concrete that which is transcendent and beyond the human intellect. "Those whom say they know, do not know, those whom know that they do not know, know." The Upanishads

Boagie, my friend!

You always express the dimmest view of such things! You admit that the topic is "that great mystery" but then you accuse the writers of obscurity and pretense and trying to "make concrete that which is transcendent and beyond the human intellect."

Should no one talk about such things at all? Is there any appropriate means of expression? The writers are wrong for even trying?

[nameless]

Originally Posted by Elmud

The books of the bible are full of allegory,metaphor and hyperbole. I just was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion as to why?

Because, at times, that is the best and often only means of communicating something.
Especially when;
"To speak, is to lie!" -Rene' Guinon
And;
"Those who know, don't speak; who speak, don't know!" -Lao Tsu

It leaves room for 'personal interpretation' (understanding) at whatever depth of understanding one enjoys at the moment.

[boagie]

Originally Posted by Dichanthelium

Boagie, my friend!

You always express the dimmest view of such things! You admit that the topic is "that great mystery" but then you accuse the writers of obscurity and pretense and trying to "make concrete that which is transcendent and beyond the human intellect."

Should no one talk about such things at all? Is there any appropriate means of expression? The writers are wrong for even trying?

Dichanthelium,

No they are not wrong for trying, but when they take their metaphors for the end in itself, then it does not really give us anymore of the answer, yet closes the door to wonder. Those whom say they know, do not know. I think one should realize in ones speculations that concrete explanations will never do, it is true that poetry can sometimes go passed the word and perhaps give us a sense of the sublime, but literalism kills.

[Elmud]

Originally Posted by boagie

YO!

When you do not have the answer/s to that great mystery there is little choice but to use metaphor, obscurity and pretense, for their ambition was to make concrete that which is transcendent and beyond the human intellect. "Those whom say they know, do not know, those whom know that they do not know, know." The Upanishads

Would you apply this principle to parables as well?

[Didymos Thomas]

Several reasons: one, when you are talking about that which transcends language, you have no choice but to use figurative language.
Second, because that's what makes good literature!

[boagie]

Originally Posted by Elmud

Would you apply this principle to parables as well?

Elmud,

Well as DT says in the above post, there are reasons for the use of these things just in the formation of literature. Parables are reasonably straight forward, the only place a problem arises is when the metaphor is taken literally, as where the term god is it, a denotation, the whole ball of wax, no need for further wonder. The body of the virgin Mary, literally ascending to heaven, and heaven as literal place with longitude and latitude.