COS 211 Hebrew Bible I

Dr. Rodney K. Duke

JOURNAL THOUGHTS & OBSERVATIONS

Thought Tease

What did the scientist/theologian mean when he said,

“I have faith in God, but I do not believe God exists”?

He meant (like the early Church Fathers, and going back before John Duns Scotus):

1)God had revealed Himself sufficiently for him to entrust himself to God (“faith”). Therefore, God is real; but,2)God’s ‘existence’ is NOT the same as our understanding of being/existence in our natural world. If we equate God’s being with natural being, we make God a nature god and practice idolatry. We can only talk about God’s ‘being’ by using the language of our experience through analogy.

Codex Vaticanus and Codex SiniaticusTwo excellent parchment copies of the entire New Testament which date from the 4th century (325-450 A.D.).

Old Papyrii (118 texts)Papyrus copies of portions of the New Testament date from 100 to 200 years (180-225 A.D.) before Vaticanus and Sinaticus. The outstanding ones are the Chester Beatty Papyrus (P45, P46, P47) and the Bodmer Papyrus II, XIV, XV (P46, P75).From these five papyrii manuscripts alone, we can construct all of Luke, John, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, and portions of Matthew, Mark, Acts, and Revelation. Only the Pastoral Epistles (Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy) and the General Epistles (James, 1 and 2 Peter, and 1, 2, and 3 John) and Philemon are excluded. [“Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?, Jimmy Williams. www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bib-docu.html]

[Duke: Some people claim that Diocletian's persecution (303-311) resulted in most NT manuscripts (mss) being destroyed, which is why Constantine ordered the production of fifty Bibles; and, they claim that these Bibles were rewritten to present new Christian teaching/doctrine. Not only is the case of Diocletian overstated, but the evidence is that the manuscripts PRIOR to Diocletian agree with the manuscripts that are AFTER Diocletian.]

Over 5700 Greek manuscripts

About Mid-Second Century Copies in a Region Begin to Get “Standardized” (take on similar characteristics).

“Families” / text types

Copyists in different regions have different copying “techniques” that can be identified.

Author and Work Author's Lifespan Date of Events Date of Writing*Earliest Extant

MS**Lapse: Event to

WritingLapse: Event to

MS

Matthew,Gospel

ca. 0-70? 4 BC - AD 30 50 - 65/75 ca. 200 <50 years <200 years

Mark,Gospel

ca. 15-90? 27 - 30 65/70 ca. 225 <50 years <200 years

Luke,Gospel

ca. 10-80? 5 BC - AD 30 60/75 ca. 200 <50 years <200 years

John,Gospel

ca. 10-100 27-30 90-110 ca. 130 <80 years <100 years

Paul,Letters

ca. 0-65 30 50-65 ca. 200 20-30 years <200 years

Josephus,War

ca. 37-100 200 BC - AD 70 ca. 80 ca. 950 10-300 years 900-1200 years

Josephus,Antiquities

ca. 37-100 200 BC - AD 65 ca. 95 ca. 1050 30-300 years 1000-1300 years

Tacitus,Annals

ca. 56-120 AD 14-68 100-120 ca. 850 30-100 years 800-850 years

Seutonius,Lives

ca. 69-130 50 BC - AD 95 ca. 120 ca. 850 25-170 years 750-900 years

Pliny,Letters

ca. 60-115 97-112 110-112 ca. 850 0-3 years 725-750 years

Plutarch,Lives

ca. 50-120 500 BC - AD 70 ca. 100 ca. 950 30-600 years 850-1500 years

Herodotus,History

ca. 485-425 BC 546-478 BC 430-425 BC ca. 900 50-125 years 1400-1450 years

Thucydides,History

ca. 460-400 BC 431-411 BC 410-400 BC ca. 900 0-30 years 1300-1350 years

Xenophon,Anabasis

ca. 430-355 BC 401-399 BC 385-375 BC ca. 1350 15-25 years 1750 years

Polybius,History

ca. 200-120 BC 220-168 BC ca. 150 BC ca. 950 20-70 years 1100-1150 years

“Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?”, Jimmy Williams http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bib-docu.html

Nature of Oral Transmission of Tradition

NATURE OF ORAL TRANSISSION OF HISTORICAL NARRATIVES (Assign. #6)

1. main point retained 2. incidental details dropped 3. tends to shorten 4. follows*stereotypical form+5. in Mid-east, closing evaluative statements, kept exact

+Wisdom/instructional material, often memorized word-for-word. Depends on setting.

(Article by Bailey on oral tradition posted Duke: ALPS site)

* ARCHETYPAL PATTERNS1. Once something has happened in our lives, we tend to find similar

happenings to the first. (We interpret the present by the past.)2. We have cultural patterns: gunfight at high-noon3. Later OT and NT events compared events to "archetypes" in OT. (See Literary Description, Literary Features, CoursePack, p. 26.)

Differences between Oral and Writing Cultures

Oral Culture Writing Culture

•Authority based on spoken (memorized words) of teacher/tradent

•Based on communal knowledge

•Words are dynamic, visual and dramatic

•Performance oriented

•Fluidity to respond to audience and situation

•Communal interpretations

•Text as authority/orthodox

•Knowledge comes from the text

•Text as unchanging artifact

•Teaching is static

•Rule oriented

•Individual interpretations

Trust in Oral Transmission over WrittenPapias (writing in early 2nd century CE)

“If, then, any one came, who had been a follower of the elders, I questioned him in regard to the words of the elders -- what Andrew or what Peter said, or what was said by Philip, or by Thomas, or by James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other of the disciples of the Lord, and what things Aristion and the presbyter John, the disciples of the Lord, say. For I did not think that what was to be gotten from the books would profit me as much as what came from the living and abiding voice.”

(Eusebius, Church History, III.39.4, quoting Papias)

Setting Expectations for Reading Biblical Accounts

When we work with some biblical texts, we are working with layers of tradition.Story:A woman sees what turns out to be a political assassination that over a few months leads to a war that over a few years leads to new country boundaries. Thirty years later a researcher who is writing an historical account of this war interviews a child of this woman. The child tells the researcher her mother’s story about the day of the assassination.•Do you expect the child only heard the story told once?•Do you expect that the mother told it the same way each time?•Do you expect that the child (now adult) repeats the story exactly as his mother stated it?•Do you expect that the researcher sees the event from the same different perspective of the woman?

Transmission of TraditionSetting Expectations for Reading Biblical Accounts

When we work with some biblical texts, we are working with layers of tradition.

Tradition with 3 settings, perspectives, and purposes.

* Note: For NT, the period of oral transmission overlaps with written.

*

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Addresser

|

Means------------------------|---------------------Referent

|

Addressee

Emotive

Referential

Conative (persuasive)

Poetic

Poles of Communication (Discuss Assign. #2)

GENRE EXERCISE(CP. pp. 13-15)

Discover: That you have highly developed reading

skills,That you recognize different genres

“automatically”That you read different genres

differently

Genre Exercise

Descriptive terms:

Procedure 2

Identify the literary features which tell us what genre the text is:

a) formal elements

b) style

c) content

Procedure 2

Sample Letter

a) Formal elements:

salutation: “Dear …”

body

date

sender’s name and address

recipient’s name and address

closing

signature

Procedure 2

Sample Letter continued

b) Style

formal:

use of title, “Dr.,” not first name

grammar of standard written English

formal phrasing: “writing in regard to”

no slang or idiom

personal: use of 1st and 2nd person pronouns

c) Content (letter of request)

“submit …for your consideration”

Procedure 2

Identify the literary features which tell us what genre the text is:

a) formal elements

b) style

c) content

Procedure 3

Identify how we read this genre by exploring:

a) its audience

b) its purpose(s)

c) what we assume or expect from this type

d) what we focus on for its value or meaning

e) what we do or ask in order to “understand” it

Procedure 3

Sample Letter

a) Audience: particular individual, Dr. H

b) Purpose: persuade Dr. H to accept writer’s paper proposal

c) Assume/Expect:

body to continue describing the paper

maybe a copy of the paper enclosed or at least an abstract

more “buttering up”

friendly closing with signature

Procedure 3

Sample Letter continued

d) Focus for value

Why are we reading this letter? historical, personal

e) Do to understand: (detective work on context)

identify the sender and the recipient

identify what an “SBL meeting” is and what is done there, nature of papers presented, etc.

identify when written

identify, if possible, if letter was successful

Procedure 3

Identify how we read this genre by exploring:

a) its audience

b) its purpose(s)

c) what we assume or expect from this type

d) what we focus on for its value or meaning

e) what we do or ask in order to “understand” it

Genre Exercise Conclusion

When we pick up on literary features (“clues”) which in turn set up our expectations and determine how we read that particular text.

[If not covered on Day 1] Discovery of the Ancient Near East

Objectives1. Explain how the Ancient Near East was

discovered.2. Explain what a “tell” is.3. Identify different kinds of writing material.

What impact did the discovery of the ANE have on the study of the OT?

Goddess Diana statue

Sphinx & PyramidEgypt

Petra Treasure HouseEdom

What constitutes “civilization”?

Tell of Colossae

Tell of Herodium

Ruins of Capernaum

What is a Tell?

ARCHAEOLOGICAL TELL

When did writing begin? How long before Abraham?

CUNEIFORM on clay tablet

Ugartic AlphabetPAPYRUS

EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPICS

What kinds of literature are found in the ANE?

Moabite Stoneroyal inscription,c. 840 BCE Assyrian Map

Zondervan Image Archive

THE MYSTERY OF SHELET(2 Sam 8:7 // 1 Chronicler 18:7; Song of Sol 4:4; Ezek 27:11 )

Jlvshield or quiver?

Answer: Bow & arrow case

How would you characterize Israel’s impact on the world of the ANE?

Compare Mesopotamia (Babylonia & Assyria) to Egypt.

What was their natural geographies like? Were they relatively protected or unprotected? How might their geographies have shaped their world views?

How unified were they as a people?

What were their gods like?

What was their attitude toward this world/life?

What was their view of kings?

Copyright: Logos Bible Atlas

CANAANITE CITIES

THE CANAANITES

Ba’al from Ugarit El from Ugarit

Canaanites (1 of 2)

Texts forbidding Canaanite practices: Hosea 4:10-14; Deut 23:17f.

Gods connected with nature, and therefore fertility (Ba’al). Myths about fertility (agricultural) cycle.

*What made Canaanite religion attractive? Mimetic practices to manipulate the gods: something people could do. [See Lev. 26:1-5]

“horned” altar from Megiddo a Canaanite city taken by Joshua

Canaanite (2 of 2)

Ivory figure from Megiddo, a Canaanite city taken by Joshua

Texts using literary allusions: Isa 27:1; Ps 74:13f; Ps 29; Ps 48:2.

*Main Point: Israel borrowed poetic, mythical imagery, but adapted it to Yahwistic theology.

Culture

Hebrew and Greek

Israelite Functionaries and Institutions

NT assumes knowledge of these roles and institutions

King: monarchy, national identity, term "messiah," Davidic dynasty NT: David lineage, Messiah, messianic & political expectation of Jesus’ dayPriest: cult, sacrificial system, Temple, the Law NT: sacrificial imagery, Jesus as High Priest and atoning sacrifice,Sadducees, Christians as a royal priesthoodProphet:(unlike ANE: court/temple/shrine) independent "preacher"/ activist /demonstrator /conscience of the people NT: John the B, Jesus, apostles, prophets, “pastors,” etc. Sage: court advisor, scribe (school?)NT: wisdom forms of Jesus' teaching, Pharisees, scribes and rabbis.

Israelite/Jewish Religion:A Religion of Historical Heritage

Read Deuteronomy 26:1-11

What is happening in this text?

What is the significance?

Historical Creed (G. von Rad)

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (New International Version)Firstfruits and Tithes

 1 When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor.

7 Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors,and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, LORD, have given me.” Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

History of IsraelDifficulties for Reconstructing Israelite History (1 of 4)

1. The OT documents are difficult to date ("literary" problem) and often seem to be much later than the event they record. Why a problem?"Distance" in time between the date of events and the date of the records, leads to skepticism about the accuracy of the records.

2. External sources (other ANE artifacts) for corroborative evidence are often lacking and sometimes appears contradictory. Problem?Historians are skeptical about relying on one source.

Scholars divide Israelite history into 2 periods (Prehistorical and Historical). Why?Biased in favor of political history

Prehistorical Period (before Kingdom): (a) very little external evidence, and (b) OT sources seem quite late.

Merneptah Stele, first external mention of Israel, c. 1220 BCE

History of IsraelDifficulties for Reconstructing Israelite History (2 of 4)

History of IsraelDifficulties for Reconstructing Israelite History 2 of 3

Historical Period (political Israel): (a) more external evidence, and (b) OT sources more contemporary.

(E.g. Jehu, King of Israel paying tribute to Shalmaneser III of Assyria, 825 BCE.)

3. OT history is presented from a theological perspective.Why a problem?

(a) Seems less objective to modern historians who search for atheistic / “natural” causes to events. [The Israelite bias should be recognized; however, all history writing is interpreted/biased!]

(b) Causes the OT history to focus on different topics than on what the modern historian would focus, leaving "gaps" in the record.

History of IsraelDifficulties for Reconstructing Israelite History (4 of 4)

The Story of God’s GloryNature of biblical history

The main biblical character, even when not mentioned, is God. The biblical story is about God’s creation, plan, and actions, particularly within the life of Israel.

We learn about God, humanity, reality, the way life works, etc. (Purpose: “Wise unto salvation”)

Biblical history ultimately reveals God’s history of redemption (“Salvation History”).

The “mission” of Israel (and now the Church) was/is to so display the HOLINESS of God that people will give glory to God and worship God.

THEREFORE: The Biblical story is a story about the glory of God:

What happens when people recognize God’s glory and glorify Him through holy lives.

What happens when people refuse to recognize the glory of God.

What happens when people are used by God to bring others to recognize His glory and worship Him = MISSIONS.

CROSSROADS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WORLD

Overview of OT history as told in OT: 4 Main Events

A) Abraham - "called" by God, promised descendents would become a nation, land, etc. (ethnic identity) B) Exodus & Law - key event was deliverance from slavery in Egypt, led to covenant relationship, giving of law. (religious ID) C) Enter land and become a nation. (landed and political ID) D) Exile and restoration (marks division between "Israelite" and "Judean" history)

HebrewsIsraelitesJews

Monastery at possible location of Mt. Sinai

CREATION(Genesis 1-11)

OriginsGlobal perspectiveBasic Israelite world

view regarding: divine sphere, human sphere, and natural sphere

E.g. Yahweh is distinct from nature

Creation TheologyGen 1. Humanity meant to “participate” in the nature of

God: created in God’s image and likeness, given sovereignty over the domains of the earth. “distinguish” creational activity, priestly duties (good

vs. evil)Gen 2. Humanity [of God’s breath of life] meant to

participate in relationship with God : walk and talk with, serve in Garden, AND obey. “work” and “guard,” priestly duties

Creation-- Total corruption

Flood

Noah Total corruption

Abram

Israel

From Creation to Clan

Sin

CLAN(Genesis 12 - 50; +Job)

Period: Patriarchs (Fathers)Character: AbrahamEvent: “Call” and

Promise/Covenant: Son Nation Land Fate of Nations -blessing or

curse“Birth” of ethnic identity

Gen 12:2-3. Promises to Abraham: A Mission to the World

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.

I will make your name great, and you be a blessing.

I will bless those [plural] who bless you, and whoever [singular] curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth shall be blessed through you.

[blue = volitional, NOT future]

CONFINEMENT400 years (Exodus 1-19)

Period: Slavery in Egypt

Character: Moses (at end of this period)

Over time the Hebrews went from guests to slave laborers

Purposes of the Exodus Event

Exodus 9:13b: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. …16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Purposes of the Exodus Event

Exodus 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

COMMANDMENTS2 years (Exodus 20 - Leviticus 27)

Period: Giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai

Character: MosesEvent: religious

“birth” of Israel“I’ll be your God and

you will be my people, if you will be holy as I am holy.”

wnyhlahwh

ydha

[mvlarfy

hwhy

Purposes of the LawReveal the Holy character of God, that the

Israelites might live according to His character and be blessed (Deut. 5:39-40; 6:1-3), AND

Be a holy witness to the nations:Deuteronomy 4:5-6 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD

my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."

CAMPING40 years (Numbers)

Period: Wandering in Wilderness

Character: MosesEvent: rebelled when

told to conquer the Promised Land; they will have to wait until the next generation comes of age

COVENANT1 month (Deuteronomy)

Period/Event: Renew Covenant w/ next generation

Character: MosesReady to enter the

Land

How would you defend the statement: "All of Israelite history may be viewed as a theology of covenant"?

• Specific relationships/covenants: Adam, Noah, Abraham & sons, Moses & Israel, David.•Books of “Former Prophets” (Deuteronomistic History) interpreted course of Israel's history according to covenant.•Kings assessed according to covenant faithfulness.•Prophets held people accountable to standards of covenant.•Basis for the story line of Pentateuch.

Covenant Theology

CONQUEST14 years (Joshua)

Period: take the Land (birth of landed ID)

Character: Joshua

Play BibleMaps “Conquest” here

Logos Bible Atlas, 1994

Joshua’s Conquest of Canaan

CYCLES(Judges - 1 Samuel 8)

Period: Judges

(Judges = charismatic, temporary military leader

Cycles:rebel against God subjugated by neighborsrepent and cry outdelivered by “judge”

CROWNS120 years (1 Samuel 9 - 1 Kings 11; + 1 Chronicles 1 - 2

Chronicles 9; Psalms - Song of Solomon)

Period: United Monarchy (“birth” of political ID)

Characters: 1st 3 kings:Saul (Benjamin)David (Judah)Solomon (son of

David)

CHASM200 years (1 Kings 12 - 2 Kings 16; + 2 Chronicles 10 - 28;

Isaiah; Hosea - Micah)

Period: Divided Monarchy

N. Kingdom = IsraelS. Kingdom = Judah

CHASM: DIVIDED MONARCHY

CAPTIVITIES200 years (2 Kings 17 - 25; + 2 Chronicles 29 - 36;

Jeremiah - Daniel; Nahum - Zephaniah)

Fall of Kingdoms:N. Kingdom to

Assyria in 721 BCES. Kingdom to

Babyonia in 586 BCE

CONSTRUCTION*120 years (Ezra - Esther; +Haggai - Malachi)

Period: Return and Rebuild under Persian control

Characters: Ezra and Nehemiah

*Undeserved restoration / grace should bring humility (Ezek 36:24-32)