1 / 75

Genesis 6-50

Genesis 6-50. Genesis Myths and The Patriarchal Legends. Agenda. Interpretative Key to the Bible Important Pre-patriarchal Myths Enoch Sons of God Noah and the Flood Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers The Ancestral Narratives Recognition of Literary Devices.

zora
Download Presentation

Genesis 6-50

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Genesis 6-50 Genesis Myths and The Patriarchal Legends

  2. Agenda • Interpretative Key to the Bible • Important Pre-patriarchal Myths • Enoch • Sons of God • Noah and the Flood • Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers • The Ancestral Narratives • Recognition of Literary Devices

  3. A. Interpretative Key to the Bible • The Bible (Genesis to Kings) was put together for the first time during the Exile (6th century B.C.E.) • Its sole purpose is to explain that Exile and give hope for their return to the land promised to them • Though some parts are older than others, ALL the final editing was done during the Exile

  4. B. Important Pre-patriarchal Myths Enoch Gen. 5:21 ¶ When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Gen. 5:22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Gen. 5:23 Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Gen. 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him. What happened here?

  5. B. Important Pre-patriarchal Myths Sons of God Gen. 6:1 ¶ When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, Gen. 6:2 the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Gen. 6:3 Then the LORD said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” Gen. 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown. A positive or a negative story?

  6. B. Important Pre-patriarchal Myths Noah Open your bibles to: Gen. 6:5 ¶ The LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. . . Respond to the following questions by reading only the verse asked Students in front section answer I Students in back section answer II

  7. Flood Narrative Questions 1. What were the conditions which brought about the flood? I 6:5-7 • wickedness of humankind was great • thoughts of hearts was evil continually • the LORD was sorry, grieved and decided to exterminate II 6:11-13 • earth corrupt, full of violence • God saw that earth and flesh were corrupt • God decided to exterminate

  8. Flood Narrative Questions 2. Who decreed that there would be a destruction? I 6:7 • the LORD II 6:13 • God

  9. What is the difference between “favour” and “blameless”? Flood Narrative Questions 3. Why was Noah to be spared? I 6:8 • Noah found favour in the sightof the LORD II 6:9 • Noah a righteousness man • blameless in his generation • Noah walked with God

  10. Flood Narrative Questions 4. How many of each animal were transported? I 7:2-3 • 7 pairs of clean (14 total) • 1 pair of unclean (2 total) • 7 pairs of birds (14 total) II 6:19-20, 7:9 • 2 of every kind (male & female) • according to its kind • 2 & 2, male and female

  11. Flood Narrative Questions 5. Who commanded Noah? I 7:5 • the LORD commanded him II 6:22 • God commanded him

  12. Flood Narrative Questions 6. Who went in? I 7:7 • Noah with sons, wife, and sons’ wives II 7:13 • Noah, Shem, Ham, Japeth, wives

  13. Flood Narrative Questions 7. Who oversaw the boarding of the ark? I 7:16b-second part of the verse only • the LORD shut him in II 7:16a-first part of the verse only • went in as God commanded

  14. Flood Narrative Questions 8. How long was it upon the earth? I 7:17 • the flood continued 40 days on the earth II 7:24 • waters on the earth 150 days

  15. Flood Narrative Questions 9. Who covenanted to never destroy with such force? I 8:21 • the LORD said … II 9:12-15 • God said …

  16. Flood Narrative Summary • Both accounts tell a complete account of the flood story if separated • Clearly someone has taken two different versions and spliced them together • One author was interested in the LORD as god and a story of his having selected a man out of compassion to preserve humanity and who physically ‘shuts the door’ • Another author has the unnamed God choose a deserving ‘perfect’ man and preserve humanity while including details such as names and days

  17. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material

  18. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material E.g., Two creation stories, two flood accounts, three Abrahamic covenant accounts

  19. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God

  20. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God J = Yahweh [LORD] E = Elohim ‘God’ P = Elohim ‘God’ [until Exodus, then Yahweh] D = Yahweh [LORD]

  21. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God 3. Contrasting author perspectives

  22. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God 3. Contrasting author perspectives J understanding of divine/human relationship versus P understanding of divine/human relationship

  23. Non-Pentateuchal but still a biblical example: Prov. 26:4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself. Prov. 26:5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.

  24. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God 3. Contrasting author perspectives 4. Variation in vocabulary and literary style

  25. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God 3. Contrasting author perspectives 4. Variation in vocabulary and literary style J creation story more like a Greek myth P clearly interested in establishing a powerful god

  26. C. Documentary Hypothesis Literary Identifiers 1. Duplication and repetition of material 2. Variation in the ways of referring to God 3. Contrasting author perspectives 4. Variation in vocabulary and literary style 5. Evidence of editorial activity (examples)

  27. 205 -70 135 5. Evidence of editorial activity • inconsistencies (Example 1) Gen. 11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Gen. 11:32 The days of Terah were 205 years; and Terah died in Haran. Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. Gen. 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; … Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.

  28. 5. Evidence of editorial activity • inconsistencies (Example 2) Gen. 4:26 To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the LORD. Gen. 15:7 Then he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” Ex. 6:2-3 God also spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘The LORD’ I did not make myself known to them.

  29. 5. Evidence of editorial activity • inconsistencies (Example 3) Gen. 37:28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Gen. 37:36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

  30. Gen. 11:31 Terah took his son Abram … and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; … What clue do you find in this verse to help you date the writing of the passage?

  31. Gen. 12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. What clue do you find in this verse to help you date the writing of the passage?

  32. Gen. 36:31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites. What clue do you find in this verse to help you date the writing of the passage?

  33. Num. 12:3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth. Who most likely wrote this verse? A) Moses B) Someone who thought highly of Moses C) Someone who disliked Moses D) Someone who did not know Moses

  34. Deut. 34:1-12 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, … Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD’S command. … Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. Most likely date of this text? A) During time of Moses? C) Shortly after the mourning? B) The period of mourning? D) Considerable time later?

  35. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically DIAGRAM OF PENTATEUCH THEORY

  36. YAHWIST (J) The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically

  37. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically ELOHIST (E)

  38. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically Combined Sources — JE “Old Epic”

  39. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically DEUTERONOMIST (D)

  40. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically PRIESTLY (P)

  41. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically Combined Sources — JEP

  42. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Chronologically Final Form of Pentateuch — JEDP = TORAH

  43. The Documentary Hypothesis Viewed Geographically Priestly Source (P) Written in Babylonia 6th Century B.C.E. Elohist Source (E) Written in Israel 9th Century B.C.E. Deuteronomist (D) Written in Jerusalem 7th Century B.C.E. Yahwist Source (J) Written in Judah 10th Century B.C.E.

  44. D. The Ancestral Narratives 1950s and 1960s Biblical Scholarship • Argued for the historicity of the narratives based on a comparative approach • Compared alleged parallels with 18th cent B.C.E. royal documents from Mari (on Euphrates) and 15th cent. B.C.E. legal documents from Nuzi (on the Tigris) (see next slide) • They mention pastoral nomadic tribal groups, kinship relations and legal documents that suggest that the Patriarchal narratives are at least credible

  45. The site of Mari, has been the source of the rediscovery of Amorite civilization since the first of tens of thousands of Old Babylonian cuneiform texts began to emerge about seventy years ago. These texts represent a city fully integrated with the surrounding culture including the later Israelites. They date from the middle part of the eighteenth century B.C.E. To: Zimri-LimFrom: Yassi-Dagan Ever since I acquired the steppe lands of the Euphrates, Benjaminites (banu-yamina) have been continuously conducting raids. On one occasion they stole many sheep. I sent armed soldiers after them and killed them, so that no one got away and all the stolen sheep were recovered.

  46. A library of tablets dating from 1600 to 1350 B.C.E. was located at Nuzi, an ancient trade center in Assyria. Among the more interesting discoveries in the tablets were some of the social and religious practices of the periods as recorded in the deeds, wills, marriage agreements, and adoptions. They possibly shed light on many of the customs that are documented in the Bible. In the case of a childless couple, the wife could locate another wife for the husband. “If Gilimninu (the wife) will not bear children, Gilimninu shall take a woman of Lulluland as a wife for Shennma (the husband).” Sarah provided Hagar for Abraham (Gen 16:3) for the purposes of bearing children. Should the first wife later bear a son, he would rank over a son born to the second wife. Such was the case when Isaac was born (Gen 21:1-10)

  47. D. The Ancestral Narratives Recent Scholarship: • Argues that the evidence is flawed and unreliable • That the archaeological evidence does not prove the biblical stories as historically accurate • The ‘minimalist’ position holds that there is absolutely no historicity in the narratives

  48. D. The Ancestral Narratives A Balanced Approach: • Recognizes that the stories were not written down until the period of the monarchy • Understands that the characters may simply be constructs or composites whose actions represent biases, customs and attitudes of a later period • That they are shadowy figures at best • That they more legend than fact • Yet they do contain how the Israelite chose to recall their past and on that basis are relevant

  49. D. The Ancestral Narratives Significant Events: • Highlight what will be significant for later events • Genesis 12:1-3 is meant to place the first ancestors in a particular geographic region (see map on next slide)

More Related