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Re: Man born blind

On Sat, 15 Oct 1994, David Coomler wrote:

> Does anyone have an explanation for John 9:2 other than a belief in some
> sort of transmigration of souls or reincarnation?  It is the tale of the
> "man born blind," concerning whom the disciples asked, "Hrabbi, tis
> hEmarten, houtos E hoi goneis autou, hina tuphlos gennEthE?"(Rabbi, who
> sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?).
> 
> David

Why couldn't this simply be a case of the "sins of the fathers visited 
upon the sons"? Jeremiah cites an old proverb which he says is to be used 
no more in Israel to this effect: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and 
the children's teeth are set on edge." But doubtless the old belief 
continued, I would think.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu  OR cwc@oui.com
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