Bible as Literature ENG 077

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Jonah 4.2

"... a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing."

MLK excerpt from "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

"Was not Amos an extremist for justice?" "So the question is not whether we will be extremists but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?"

Akedah

"binding" in Hebrew, as in "binding of Isaac"

Bethel

"house of God"

Naomi

"pleasant" in Hebrew, wife of Elimelech and had 2 sons, daughter in-law Ruth

Go'el

"redeemer" in Christian translations, "vindicator" in NJPS Tanakh, title given to relative (next of kin) whose sworn duty is to defend family's honor by paying ransom, restoring damage to reputation, and avenging wrongs

Hevel

"vanity," someone who frets about clothing or sits in front of a mirror all day, "vapor" or "wisp of smoke," life and joys are fleeting, God doesn't care about fame/power

Inquiring

(derash), looks for further layers of meaning, interpreting through creative storytelling /interpreting (midrash)

Plain Sense

(peshat), surface level meaning of the text

Allegorical

(remez), parallels between scriptures and abstract concepts, readings as standing for other truths

Mystical

(sod), biblical text = symbolic code, hidden wisdom and connection with divine, (kabbalah tradition)

Wisdom literature

Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)

Golden calf

a false idol the people of Israel worshipped, made of gold and jewels; everyday usage as epitome of avarice and materialism

"Jonah" meaning

a jinx or unlucky person, especially aboard a ship

Nazirite

a person set apart and bound by certain restrictions

Scapegoat

a person who is unjustly blamed for the sins or misfortunes of others

Prophet of Doom

a shaggy bearded individual in ragged robes, tells when bad things will happen, based on Jeremiah

What does genealogy in Ruth symbolize?

a sign of peace and prosperity and contrasts with the famine and turbulence that started the book

The Day of the Lord

a term for God's final judgement of humankind

Parable

a very short story that conveys a moral or spiritual point

Abundance of what kind of imagery but difference from other ancient literature?

abundance of nature imagery, always acknowledge sovereignty of God over creation (master of forces)

Solomon's unwise choices

acquisition of wives and concubines to ridiculously excessive lengths, wives not from Israel, built temples for wives' gods/goddesses, abandoned worship of God of Israel

Minor prophets

also known as "the twelve," most were active before or during Babylonian exile of the Jews

Birthright

an inheritance, something to which one is entitled by birth

Relationship between the Bible and Women and how competing camps have utilized the Bible either to free or hold women captive

appeals often made to biblical tradition to limit women's power and authority, but cannot be so easily reduced, women used Ruth and Esther as inspiration, can go both ways (suffragists and right to vote, abolitionist and temperance movements)

The Book of Joshua

begins with Israelites at turning point, crossing of Jordan, a book of battles (Israelites entering land already occupied), religious history from Israelites' perspective, gives God credit for victory, military loss due to unfaithfulness

Ruth and Esther

best-known women of valor and virtue, pivotal role in growth/protection of Jewish people, do not fit stereotypes, painted with individuality/complexity, transcend social and religious generalizations

Covenant

biblical term for ongoing relationship between God and humans (God's promise and response of humans), a formal, solemn, and binding agreement

Paradox of Jonah

carried reluctance to extremes, angry, didn't want to save but wanted to destroy Assyrian capital (Nineveh), unhappy with mission, went opposite direction, ship dilemma, had to go, angry and upset

Seraphs

celestial being variously described as having two or three pairs of wings and serving as a throne guardian of God

Ark of the Covenant

chest that held tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments, built by Israelites out of wood and gold, contains magical powers, placed inside tabernacle

Walzer's quote re: Uniqueness of Exodus

classic narrative; a march toward a goal, a moral progress, a transformation; "What is promised is radically different from what is: the end is nothing like the beginning. In the literature of the ancient world only the Aeneid resembles the Exodus in its narrative structure, describing a divinely guided and world-historical journey to something like the promised land."

Mitzvot (613 commandments)

commands to protect the poor and the weak, cover all aspects of human life

Ezekiel

complex/dynamic person, priest/prophet/watchman for his community, visionary mystic/heightened sense of sensory perception, encouragement to remain faithful

Literature of the Biblical Prophets' Significance

continue to be part of words/actions of people who strive to help others

Nihilism, Solace and wisdom is found where?

denial of all meaning, solace and wisdom in the way of moderation and balance, celebrating a life in which all things have their appropriate place

Narrative switch

description of Job's prosperity and piety switches to court of heaven (with God and Satan)

Plagues and Significance

diseases and other natural misfortunes that conveyed God's displeasure

Wisdom literature, Proverb

distill wisdom in short, memorable statements, rules covering a broad range of topics that govern life

"The patience of Job"

endurance in the face of great suffering, proverbial

Malachi's message

exhorted people to look forward to the coming of God's perfect reign, which would be heralded by messengers

Song of Songs

explicit, ecstatic celebration of erotic love, switches between man and woman in love, vividly describes physical attributes, no mention of God, celebrates body and sexuality

Gleaning

fathering up the stalks of grain left behind for the poor when the reapers had finished harvesting a field

Prominent theme in the Book of Esther

feasting

Manna

food from heaven provided to the Israelites during their forty years of migration in the desert

Dominion

gentle and familial relationship of dominance

Tower of Babel

great cultural impact, people tried to build a tower to the heavens but could not --> ended up being scattered around the earth, reversal of Genesis 1 --> chaos/out of order instead of order and peace, uses chiasm, results in major change in Hebrew scriptures (scattered nations to one chosen people)

Amos and Micah: the balance

herdsman and shepherd, used vivid images from animal husbandry and agriculture to indict the smug injustices practiced by leaders of society, comforted afflicted and afflicted the comfortable

Apocrypha

hidden, another name for Deuterocanonical books

Why does David have a hold on the western imagination?

his personal heroic charm and his wholehearted commitment to the God who chose him

Books of Maccabees

historical bridge between Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, period of Greek dominion

The Importance of the Word

importance that ancient-hebrews gave to spoken and written language (God's spoken command of universe)

Book of Psalms' role in Jewish and Christian life?

incorporate psalms in public worship and in customs of private prayer, included in ritual texts for liturgy, personal meditation/private prayer, offering musical praise to God in collective worship

Midrash

interpretation or exposition

Chiasm

inverted symmetry/parallelism, repeated/developed but in reverse order, longer ones can contain turning/pivotal point, can present main theme, supposed to make memorable, intensifies interest/appreciation of text, technique of God and Christ (used when talking)

Chiasm

inverting the structure of a sentence to form a mirror image rather than a simple echo

Jephthah

judge who saved Israelites, hardly heroic, son of prostitute, chosen to lead because he was a fierce fighter, wagered with God (support in turn for sacrifice of first living thing that greeted him), it was his daughter

Kosher

kashrut; ritually acceptable; dietary/other laws that keep Jews holy and closer to God (cannot mix certain kinds of food)

Bible and Civil Rights Movement

leaders believed they had to stand apart from society, like prophets did, to force change and make people change sinful ways

Literary Structure of the Book of Judges

main body of book contains the accounts of the recurring cycles of apostasy (abandonment of one's religion or creeds), oppression, distress, and deliverance

Prophetic symbolism

metaphors/symbols that a prophet can use in a certain way to convey God's message

Book of Ecclesiastes

modern, sorrows of human mortality and joys of human life contrasted, , Greek meaning "member of the assembly," Koheleth speaker (leader of assembly), distinctive voice, questions justice, wisdom through observation

To what does Song of Songs bear witness?

moments in Israel's history, relationship between Jesus and church, human love

Elijah

moral champion, rigorously righteous holy warrior, prophet, told Ahab there would be no rain --> drought, showdown with prophets of Baal, went to horeb/Mount of God after he fled, learned lesson of Moses (patience/commitment), important place in Judaism (bris, circumcision, passover meal), taken up in fiery chariot --> Elisha

Virtues

moral characteristics

Samson

most famous hero, physical strength, nazirite, force of nature, forced through everything with abandon and self-indulgence, full of potential but morally unconscious (like Israel), moral nourishment for people and deliverance

Why was a king necessary

needed protection from outside enemies, under constant siege by the powerful Philistines (stole ark of the covenant)

Why is the Book of Esther remarkable?

not only because it focuses on women, but because it contains no mention of God

Book of Micah theme

offered promise of comfort in the midst of affliction, many of same themes as Isaiah

Who is Augustine and what did he contribute to Christian tradition?

one of more influential writers in Western Christian thought, interpreted Genesis in light of what he read in Paul's letters, developed concept of original sin

Prophet

one who speaks for God

Moby Dick and the Book of Job

opposite/inversion of the biblical text, Captain Ahab = anti-Job (rejects any authority but his own will), refuses to bend before whale --> God and devil figure, Moby-Dick ends where Book of Job begins (death and destruction)

Themes of Exodus

oppression, exile, liberation, and the journey home

Genesis

origin, narrative of creation

Parallelism and repetition

originated in oral tradition, narratives, poetry, laws memorized and chanted by heart, made easier to commit to memory

Acts of the Apostles

outlines the early growth of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome, conflict between Jewish Christians and Jew community

The Wisdom of Solomon

person who makes wise decisions, comes from when Solomon handled the plight of two mothers fighting over baby - he said he would cut baby in half and real mother agreed to give up baby to save his life --> gave her the child

Symbolic Word Choice (Diction)

personal and place names have symbolic meanings drawn from Hebrew etymologies

Mark of Cain

popularly misinterpreted as shame, sign of God's protection (so Cain will not have same fate as Abel), shows God's mercy

The Queen of Sheba

powerful woman who tested wisdom of Solomon, from Africa/Ethiopia, "black and beautiful" --> erotic passion/romance?, thirst for true wisdom symbolic of soul's thirst for God, praised God for answers

Motivation behind Job's questioning

questions to God, unshakeable faith in God's essential goodness, not his doubt and despair, that drove his questioning

Who was Job?

quintessential good man, prosperous with children, animals, and servants, offered sacrifices on behalf of children to stay in God's good graces

Prophet: main virtue

religious and speak exactly what God says to them

Jonah's message

repent, stop abusing your fellow humans, or be destroyed by the wrath of God

Two categories of Biblical women

resilient and wily matriarchs: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah evil temptresses: Delilah, Jezebel

Figures of Speech

respect for language allows for creative wordplay: simile, metaphor, exaggeration, irony, personification, captures divine within limits of human language

"Hinge" Virtues Medieval Notation

response to questions of right and wrong, Christian tradition celebrated in art and literature and present in many self-help books and advice columns today

Holy of Holies

resting place of the ark of the covenant within the tabernacle

Ark of the Covenant

richly decorated chest that held the stone tablets that bore the Ten Commandments

Ten plagues

rivers ran with blood, frogs infested the land, gnats swarmed over Egypt, flies swarmed, a deadly disease struck the livestock, festering boils tortured humans and animals, huge clumps of hail killed beasts and people, locusts devoured the crops the hail spared, a thick darkness descended on Egypt for three days, killing of firstborn children

Haggai and Zechariah's role and their greatest concerns

role of afflicting and comforting the people during the period of the rebuilding of the temple, most concerned with helping people refocus on religious practices associated with the temple and ridding them of elements of Canaanite religions or Babylonian/Persian rituals

Tabernacle

sacred tent or structure organized according to a hierarchy of holiness; the innermost, most sacred place within the tabernacle, the holy of holies, held the ark of the covenant

Hosea's message of hope

saw beyond the wrath of God to a love that would not let people be wiped out, steadfast/covenant love of God (Israel would suffer punishment but God would still restore/renew)

Archetypal Plot Motifs from Genesis 3 and 4

sibling rivalry crime and punishment murder detective story the rejected one the guilty child innocent victim (s) expulsion the wanderer

Mount Sinai

site of Moses' encounter with God and receipt of God's commandments

Samuel and why he was chosen

son of Hannah, chosen because Hannah promised God if he gave her a son that he would be vowed to God's service, Samuel obedient when he was called to

Jewish Traditions' View of Abraham and Isaac

stresses test of Abraham's faith and affirmation of God's mercy, "binding (akedah) of Isaac," binding repeated in synagogues during Rosh Hashanah to show covenant between God and Jewish people, God asking people to do hard things and people trusting God's commands and care

Polemic

strong/formal/persistent argument, a dispute

Theodicy

struggle with good and evil, "the defense of God"

Stewardship

supervising/taking care of something, humanity responsibility for maintaining and protecting the world

Who are Jacob's descendants?

the Israelites

Sheol

the abyss into which passed the spirits of the dead, according to ancient Jewish belief

Decalogue/Ten Commandments

the core expression of Mosaic law, brought down by Moses from Mount Sinai on stone tablets written upon by the finger of God; decalogue = greek term for Ten Commandments

Mosaic Law

the laws of the Sinai covenant between God and the Israelites

Israel

the new name given to Jacob as a sign of the renewal of God's covenant with the descendants of Abraham

Tetragrammaton

the personal name of God known in Greek (sacred), name consisted of four letters, vocalized Yahweh

Abyss

the primal chaos that is "formless and void"

Qur'an

the scripture of Islam

Why is Job so difficult a book?

the text provides no clear-cut moral or answer to Job's situation

Core of Ezekiel's Message

the unfolding of God's saving purpose in the history of the world - from God's withdrawal to the great redemption of God's people

Structure of the 23rd Psalm

three stanzas that use as a literary device the personification of a sheep depending on the shepherd: 1. The Shepherd 2. The Peril 3. Blessings and Benefits

Literary structure of Book of Jonah

tightly constructed in three chiasms, or inverted parallelisms

Parallelism in Hebrew poetry

verses made up of pairs of lines that parallel one another, echoing or extending the same thought in slightly different language or using inversion for contrast

Underlying message of Joshua and Judges

violence and warfare, however necessary they may be to a people's survival and growth, come at a terrible cost

Tradition of Levirate Marriage

when a married man died without children, the closest unmarried male relative (usually a brother if he had one) was obliged to marry the widow and father a child

Horeb

where Moses saw God, the Mount of God

Bathsheba

wife of Uriah (soldier) who David committed adultery with, Bathsheba got pregnant and David killed Uriah so Bathsheba was freed, married David and bore him a son

Performative Speech

words that actually bring into being what they describe

Monotheist

worshipper of the one true God (Abraham was the first), "Allah" is God in the Islam religion

Literary style of Book of Jonah

written in prose as third-person narrative, short story (48 verses), resembles children's books

Pesach (passover)

yearly Jewish festival to commemorate the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt

3 psalms and definitions

-hymns: songs of praise to God -elegies or laments: poetry of personal or communal sorrow -didactic: teaching poems

Metaphors of God's Mercy

-marriage and parenthood to express God's unconditional love -sexual fidelity in marriage symbolic of faithfulness in covenant -beloved children learning to walk with a patient parent emphasized God's inability to abandon wayward Israel (Ephraim) and Judah

Psalms: form and genre, messages conveyed, offer what to Israelites

-songs/poetry -convey all human emotion -give a sense of Israelites' close personal relationship with their God

What does Hebrew poetry do and not do that Greek and Latin poetry do?

-uses verse primarily for celebrating prophecy and liturgy in song -highlights or summarizes prose narrative -does not tell epic tales like Greek/Latin poetry -thrives on parallelism

5 techniques

1. synonymity: the first part of a verse is roughly the equivalent of the second 2. synonymity with nearly verbatim repetition 3. complementarity: the first part of a verse is complementary to the second 4. focusing, heightening, and intensifying the first part of a verse in the second 5. consequentiality: the second part of the verse shows a consequence of the first

David's wives

Abigail, Michal, Bathsheba

Christian View of Abraham and Isaac

Abraham's unquestioning faithfulness to God, willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son (foreshadowing God sacrificing his son Jesus), "sacrifice of Isaac"

Founded on original sin

Adam and Eve = original sin, infected whole human race and carried on through conception and birth, foundation for belief in need for redeemer to shed original sin

Original Sin

Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden, taking and eating the forbidden fruit

Prophetic literature

Book of Baruch and Letter of Jeremiah

Martin Luther King's allusion to Amos

Civil Rights Memorial feature words from MLK speech paraphrasing Amos 5:24, "... until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Absalom

David's son, had Amnon killed to avenge Tamar's honor (sister who Amnon raped), condemned by David, vain and ambitious, led rebellion against father

Prophecies' pattern

Demands for reform The people's refusal to reform Predictions of disaster is the people do not mend their ways The consequences In the face of the consequences, a reminder of God's faithfulness and promises

Deuterocanonical texts, Septuagint

Deuterocanonical part of Septuagint, Septuagint is a Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures made two hundred years after the exile, Deuterocanonical accepted after first canon of Scriptures was set

Archetypal plot of Isaiah

Disaster --> divine redemption --> gratitude and acceptance of responsibility

God's name (part of speech)

Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh; the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob

Other influences of Civil Rights

Gandhi, Thoreau, and Eastern philosophy

Major Theme of Genesis

God's intervention in human lives to bring deliverance, blessings, and salvation

Book of Esther's villain and description

Haman: king's steward, "the foe of the Jews," descendant of Amalekites, raised to hate Jews, vowed to destroy Jews

Nevi'im

Hebrew for "prophets," historical narratives and prophetic messages, religious history of Promised Land, David/descendants, Assyrians/Babylonians, God talking/guiding his people through prophets

Torah

Hebrew for "teaching," first section of Hebrew Scriptures/Bible's first 5 books, contains central teachings and laws of Judaism, humanity's beginnings, Israel religious history, instructions for conducting worship and celebrating, genealogies/family trees

Ketuvim

Hebrew for "writings," books with dif. themes, literary forms, and styles, Israel religious history

Poetry of Proverbs

Hebrew poetic form, parallel and inverse line structure, groups of three and four, parable/teaching stories

Tanakh

Hebrew scriptures

Importance of Names

Hebrew tradition = special meaning of names, Adam = "humankind," "earth," "red," or "the man," the word "woman" means "closely related to man," the name "Eve" means "mother of all living"

Judges

Israelites found themselves in moral vacuum --> men and women who were heroic figures, earned God's favor/people's support by outstanding personal character, provided peace in times of anarchy

Messiah

Jesus Christ, leader/savior/deliverer

Bible's division

Jews and Christians share common body of writing (Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament) but view in different way, different interpretation, traditions, and use, Christians have New Testament about Messiah

What they demonstrate

Judith: God's commitment to survival of Jewish people and importance of people's faith Susanna: different from other women in Bible, shy/beautiful/quiet, firm, drew upon strength of God to deal with dire situation

Judith and Susanna

Judith: Hebrew woman under Assyrian oppression, held Judith's town, Judith saves her people by seducing and beheading king, flight of enemy and salvation of Jerusalem Susanna: beautiful, married Jewish woman, blackmailed to have sex with men but would not, condemned to death because of fake "adultery," realized a lie and lived while accusers put to death

Metaphor of Marriage

Love between God and chosen people of Israel/church/human soul Jewish people's love for Torah Groom seeking wisdom (bride)

New Testament vs Old Testament

Old Testament written in classic Hebrew, compiled over thousands of years, contains history, law,prophecy, speeches, prayers, poetry, and song New Testament written in popular (koine) Greek, in less than a century, less than 1/3 of Hebrew Scriptures, life and impact of one perfect, Christians use two parts together

Isaiah 2:4

On Isaiah Wall at UN in NYC: "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Pagan

Paganism, in the broadest sense includes all religions other than the true one revealed by God, and, in a narrower sense, all except Christianity, Judaism, and Mohammedanism. The term is also used as the equivalent of Polytheism.

7 Deadly Sins

Pride: exaggerated sense of one's own worth that looks down on others and rejects the demands of legitimate authority Envy: refusal to acknowledge or enjoy one's gifts, while constantly yearning for more and resenting what others have Anger: unjustified or unrestrained hatred, rage, and violence Lust: mindless sexual appetite or illicit sexual behavior Sloth: spiritual and intellectual laziness, the lack of will to do what is right or to change for the better Avarice: unjust coveting or acquisition of money, property, and material goods Gluttony: overindulgence in food and drink

4 Cardinal Virtues

Prudence: applied wisdom, the habit of guiding one's choices through the use of reason, forethought, and self-control Justice: habit of fairness and honesty, as well as a willingness to consider the needs of others equally with, or even ahead of, one's own desires Temperance: the habit of moderation and balance, qualities prized in all cultures, the "middle path" between austerity and excess Fortitude: the habit of courage in choosing what is right even in the face of peer pressure or persecution, moral stamina to live by one's convictions

5 Jewish festivals and significance

Rosh Hashanah: the Jewish new year Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement Passover: celebrates freedom of Israelites Shavuot: Feast of Weeks Sukkoth: a harvest festival also known as Feast of Booths

Authorship of Isaiah

Single book written by prophet Isaiah: Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians Three parts, three people, three different times: Liberal Jews, mainline Protestant Christians, and Roman Catholics

Canticles

Songs

Four factors of Christian Bible

The Jewish tradition continued The law and the prophets are the foundation of Christian tradition There are two views of how the Hebrew Scriptures look to the future There are promises to be fulfilled

Seven Literary collections in the Book Proverbs

The Proverbs of Solomon, Son of David, King of Israel The Proverbs of Solomon The Words of the Wise The Sayings of the Wise The Words of Agur The Words of King Lemuel Praise for the Good Wife

Instructive narratives

Tobit, Judith, Susanna, additions to Esther


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