Hi Frank,
    Thanks for your response,
Much ground is covered, so I'll make just a few comments.
FM> I will  not presume to rush to Day's defense as he is perfectly
-> capable of
-> defending himself but will take the opportunity to observe that a
-> "paradigm laid up in heaven" with a political construction needing to
-> be shaped by men as members of poleis
   Perhaps you refer to Plato's Republic.
-> is different in degree from the
-> call to unswerving obedience to a God who becomes increasingly
-> universal over a people who experience history as the "present under
-> God" as it forms the essence of their being.
   Yes, the Republic is different from Amos or Isaiah.  But you
do not address Greek religion, here, only politics.
-> They are given Caanan
-> as a "possession forever" without reference to wise or unwise
-> political action
   The ancient Hebrews apparently infiltrated into  Canaan ca 1200 BCE,
and also carried out conquests as well as assimilations.
   I'm no historian, but didn't the Dorians--who became known as
Greeks--, do likewise around the same time, 1200-1000, BCE.
   And each group rationizes its conquest.
"Aboriginal" culture disappears or is assimilated.
If the  Jews
painted a bad picture of their enemies, surely you know how
the Greek generally spoke of "the barbarians."
-> while in the Greek experience participation in the
-> marketplace and determination by citizens of their political
-> destinies
   This is rather idealized.  The "citizens" were males of
an aristocracy.   Further, you seem to consider only Athens.
-> as the over-arching backdrop for the philosophizing of
-> Plato and his predecessors.
   I'm afraid these brush stokes are too broad for my taste,
Frank.  Obviously Greek and Jews have different approaches.
What you seem to do above, though, is compare Greek political
developments to Jewish religious developments.  Apples
and oranges.
   If you were to look at just the politics,
or just the religions of the two groups, IMHO the comparison
would be more enlightening.  It is further worth noting
that time period must be considered.  In ancient times you are
going to find monarchies and oligarchies, whether you look
at Greeks, Hebrews, Egyptians of Chinese.
   Peace.  Hal.
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