Exploring Ethical Monotheism: The Legacy of Ancient Israelites
School
University of California, San Diego**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
MMW 11
Subject
Religion
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
2
Uploaded by HighnessField15827
Outline Lecture Five—The Ancient Israelites and Ethical MonotheismKey Focus:1)The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as written record of the collective memory and aspirations of the ancient Israelites2)The birth of ethical monotheism as a lasting and pervasive religious traditionI)Why Study the History of the Ancient Israelites? a)Their tradition provided the foundation for three major religions today: Judaism, Christianity and Islami)Why would this outcome have been surprising to their historical contemporaries?ii)Why not the polytheism of the much more powerful empires at the time?iii) Why a belief system that had belonged to a nomadic people?—a small, relatively weak, desperate underdognation?b)What can explain the lasting appeal of “ethical monotheism”? i)Thomas Cahill’s The Gift of the Jews(1) The metaphor of The Wheel (cyclical) vs. that of The Journey (teleological)(2) Flip-side of monotheism, however, is also an emphasis on individualism(3) The moral demands and responsibilities that One God places on the individualii)Personal, inwardemphasis of Judaism made it far less susceptible to political shifts and upheaval(1) Defined by a contractual, interpersonal, and evolving relationship with their God(2) Centered on a moral covenant with their God(3) Hebrew Bible is the story of the forging of this covenant—an incremental journeyfrom a henotheistic context to a firmly monotheistic one II)The Question of Texta)The Christian designation “Old Testament” Jews refer to as the “TaNaK”i)Three sections of the “TaNaK”(1) “Torah” or “Laws”; “Nevi’im” or “Prophets”; “Kethuvim” or “Writings”b)The “Torah” or the “Pentateuch” (The Five Books”)i)Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy(1) No central unifying principle, but “Laws” in a very inclusive sense(2) “Torah” also implies “teaching” or “instruction”ii)Who wrote it?(1) Judaic-Christian tradition since antiquity: Moses on Mount Sinai(2) Around the 18thcentury, alternate conclusion from three independent sources(3) A compositework: “A chorus of different voices, a distillate of ancient Israel’s experience with God over the centuries” C(4) Hypothesis confirmed by more specialized bible scholars in the 19thcenturyiii) The “Documentary Hypothesis”(1) Four sources embeddedin the Torah—J, E, P, and D (2) Different nomenclature for God(a)“J” refers to “LORD” or YHWH (Yahwistic)(b) “E” refers to “God” or Elohim (Elohistic)(3) Doublets of same story yet with different, even contradictory, emphasis
(4) “P” source—separate narrative strain in “E” reflecting priestly interests(5) “D” stands for Deuteronomy, (a)“Authors” of D may also have edited the other four books(6) Cues to a vastly conflicting set of agendas and perspectivesiv)Clever editorial sleight-of-hand that links the two versions on creation: “These are thegenerations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (Genesis 2.4)c)Portrayal of the One Godi)“E” source depicts God/Elohimas a more detached, transcendental overseer ii)“J” source depicts the LORD/Yahwehas more fallible, complex, intimate, and anthropomorphic characteriii) Fallible God sorry for the mistake of making humans(2) “And the LORD was very sorry that he has made humankind on the earth and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis, 6.5)iv)Common emphasis on the idea of a progressionof faith, an evolving relationship between the ancient Israelites and their God—this henotheisticsensibility is very pervasive in GenesisII)The Basis of Ethical Monotheisma)The “Calling” or “Courtship” of Abrahami)Of all people, why does God choose Abraham? ii)Fitting symbols of an underdog culture, a threatened minority, a nation in flightiii) “Hebrew” vs. “Israelites” vs. “Jews”b)Abraham’s historical background(1) Semi-nomadic tribe from Ur around 1900 B.C.E.(2) Trajectory of his journey and its profound symbolism(3) Heading in the wrong direction away fromheart of civilization(4) Underdog culture, threatened minority, nation in flight?c)Cultural symbolism Abraham’s attributes as a personi)Resourceful survivor—e.g. of Pharaoh and Saraiii)Skilled negotiator—Staying Yahweh’s wrath over Sodomiii) Hospitality—Generosity to strangers who visit—gives them water and food(1) Paralleled by Lot’s hospitality towards the secret divine guests(ii) Lack of greed(iii)Humility—willingness to submit to God unconditionally(1) Sacrifice of Isaac(a)Blind obedient faith? Or trust in God’s mercy?d)Implicit causalitybetween these righteous acts and God’s promise to multiply his land and off-springs(i)“Calling” of Abraham is not justa story about the Jews seeing themselves as God’s “Chosen People,” but also speaks to whythey were chosene)The Shaping of the Covenant or Contract(i)If “Genesis” is about the shaping of this covenant, “Exodus” represents the history ofthe cementingof this covenant(ii) A history defined by flight and suffering—“alien in a foreign land”(iii)The defining role of adversity