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Judaism I

Judaism I. Ancient Traditions to the Roman Period. The Modern Dilemma.

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Judaism I

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  1. Judaism I Ancient Traditions to the Roman Period

  2. The Modern Dilemma • “The liberal wing of Judaism accepts modern canons of history and reserves the right to question aspects of the accuracy and historicity of the biblical text . . . They distinguish among myth, legend, and history in the biblical text.” (Alan Segal, in Oxtoby, p. 37) • “. . . the traditional wing of Judaism believes every word in the text to be literally true, often in a historical sense. They take it to have been dictated to Moses and the various prophets by divine inspiration.” (ibid)

  3. Early Historical References • Mer-ne-Ptah (Israel) stela, 1230 BCE: “Plundered is Canaan with every evil . . . Israel is laid waste, his seed is not . . . All lands together, they are pacified.” • “Hapiru” or “Habiru”, 18th-12th cent. BCE • “. . . you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.’” --Deuteronomy 26:5 (NRSV) • The decline in Mycenean civilization (ca. 1200 BCE).

  4. Early Narratives: Myth, Legend, & History

  5. “Myth” in the Bible • Myth is a genre; these are tales that express a cultural order • Not “what happened” but “what always happens” • Israel’s myths seem to be both derivative of and contradictory to other ANE myths: • creation • flood • plagues

  6. “Adam” and “Eve” • “Adam” -- “human” • “Eve” -- “living” • nakedness (arom) vs. shrewdness (arum) • “knowledge of good and evil” • “curse”-- work, sexual attraction, pain in childbirth, etc. • humans are “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:26)

  7. Abraham • Resembles the life and context of (semi-) nomadic contemporaries • Covenant with God • Founder/patriarch of both Israel (via Isaac) and Islam (via Ishmael) • Promised a land • “Sacrifice” of Isaac (Gen. 22) • Abraham (Sarah), Isaac (Rebecca), Jacob (Leah & Rachel et al), Joseph (et al)

  8. Moses & the Exodus • “Foundational” narrative (Passover) • Historically probably only represents a portion of Israel • The Divine Name • Sinai/Horeb • Ten Commandments • “Conquest” occurs unevenly, over time, and probably includes a lot of assimilation; also, other Bronze Age civilizations collapse during this period

  9. The Monarchy • “Judges” or “shofetim” (charismatic leadership) • Saul, David, and Solomon • Philistines, iron, and bronze • Jerusalem (ca. 1000 BCE) • The Divided Kingdom (Rehoboam [Judah], Jeroboam [Israel])

  10. Northern Kingdom fall to Assyria in 722 BCE Southern Kingdom (Judah) falls to Babylonia in 587/86 BCE

  11. The Documentary Hypothesis

  12. Prophetic Tradition: Let Justice Flow • The future of a people depends on the justice of their society • Thus, individuals are responsible for their own dealings with others and for the general justice of society • Prophets • Prophetic Guilds (1 Samuel 9-10) • Individual Oral-Only Prophets (e.g., Nathan and Elijah) • Written prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)

  13. The Exile • 586-538 BCE • Also a “foundational” event • “National cult” to “religious heritage” of a dispersed people • more urban than agricultural • Aramaic replaces Hebrew • King (melekh) to prince (nasi) to ????-- Messiah (Cyrus of Persia) • Temple rebuilt in 515 BCE

  14. Hellenism • Alexander conquers Persians (331 BCE) • Septuagint (3rd cent.) • Alexandrian Community • Maccabean Revolt (166 BCE) • Antiochus Epiphanes • Gymnasia • Social Tensions • Hanukkah • Greek Diaspora

  15. Sects, Revolts, Innovations • Essenes/Qumran • Sadducees • Pharisees • Zealots • Jewish War 66-70 C.E. • Destruction of Temple 70 C.E. • Christians

  16. Second-Temple Theology • Diversity • “Shema” theology unites Judaism(s) & appeals to many Greeks • Allegorical Interpretation • Chosen-ness involves responsibility • Apocalyptic theologies emerge • Messianic expectations emerge • Dualism emerges • Belief in after-life emerges

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