Northern prophets Hosea 8th C and Amos 8th C coming fall of northern kingdom variously called Israel, Ephraim, Samaria
Early prophets 8th C Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and Micah
Pre-exilic prophets who prophesied before and during the fall of Jerusalem Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Nahum, Habbakuk and Zephaniah
Exilic prophets Daniel, Jeremiah though he didn't go to Babylon, Deutero-Isaiah
Post exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Obadiah, Trito-Isaiah Re-read Ezra and Nehemiah as additional context for these prophets and re-read 2 Kings for a refresher on Elijah
Prophets who prophesied about the fall of Assyria (Nineveh) in 612 B.C. Jonah
Obadiah might be considered post-exilic and Joel lacks sufficient information to be placed
Assyrian power 800s B.C.
Fall of Samaria at hands of the Assyrians 722 B.C.
Assyria falls, Nineveh 612 B.C.
Babylonions 700s B.C.
Rise of Babylonians 600s B.C.
Fall of Jerusalem 597 B.C.
Final Sacking of Jerusalem 587 B.C.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
A New Bible Museum To Open in 2017
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Postlogue - Revisiting 1, 2 Maccabees
Lectionary readings from back in November of 2013, not so very long ago, have occasioned another look at Maccabees, books interesting for their historical context, but books which I found to be heavy, turgid texts filled with events that I had difficulty sorting out.
Basically, if one remembers that the post-Alexandrian world of the Maccabees was divided up between Alexander the Great's generals--for our purposes, Ptolemy in Egypt and Seleucus in Babylonia--and that they and their descendants were constantly in a battle for securing the territory around Judea for themselves, it becomes easier to follow the actions of the books of Maccabees. Inter-laced with this over-arching conflict between Ptolemies and Seleucids is the intrigues of the Jewish priesthood which has its own power grab going on. There are those Jews who valorously remain true to their God, while others cash out and go over to the Greek side in order to enjoy a moment of earthly wealth and power as they kow-tow to their Hellenizing oppressors.
It's good guys versus bad guys with the proviso that while most every Greek ruler is a bad guy, not all the Jews are good guys. Here is a partial list of players. The Jews are: Menelaus (bad), Lysimachus (bad), Jason (bad), Onias (good), Simon (bad), Hyrcanus (not sure), Judas Maccabeus (good), Eleazar (good). The Greeks are: King Seleucus, Heliodorus, Apollonius, Andronicus and Antiochus IV Epiphanes as well as Antiochus V Eupator.
This second reading of 2 Maccabees makes clear that this book recounts three assaults on the temple by the Greek oppressors. Second Maccabees takes a religious perspective, attending more to the temple, its defense, its desecration by foreigners and its subsequent purification (most notably described in Chapter 10 as the eight days of the feast of the booths in the month of Chislev now known as Hanukkah). First Maccabees is considered more of a historical chronicle and perhaps more historically accurate and far less interesting to read.
Second Maccabees gives a vivid picture of the struggle of pious Jews to maintain their religion and culture in the face of all sorts of injustices and temptations visited upon them by their Greek overlords. One such example is the well-known account of the mother and her seven sons who suffer dismemberment and frying for refusing to eat pork.
Equally powerful is the courage of the Maccabean martyr Eleazar who is also put to the test by the despicable decrees of Antiochus Epiphanes and who is also ordered to violate his faith and eat pork. Eleazar refuses, but then he's offered an out.
Obtain a piece of the sort of meat you can eat, suggest his wily friends, and consume that meat in front of your persecutors. In such a way, you will save yourself. Eleazar basically says to them, Get behind me, Satan. He refuses to indulge in this deception not only because it is a deception, but because of the harm it will do to the community of believers, especially those who are younger. If such impressionable ones see Eleazar, apparently a man of standing in the community, betray his faith at the ripe old age of 90, what was his faith worth in the first place? Not only will he endure torture for the sake of honoring God, but he will endure it so as not to endanger the beliefs of others who will, by Eleazar's example, see that God's word is true and that it is worth dying for.
The reaction of Eleazar's wily "friends" is a reminder of human pride and the inclination to make ourselves into gods. The friends are angry at Eleazar who has brushed aside their power, their ability to pull strings, their ability to save him. Eleazar lives as we know from the book of Maccabees, at a point in time when there was forming an emergent notion of life after death. At great cost to his physical body, Eleazar demonstrates a secure knowledge that heavenly paradise is the end game, not a few more years on earth because he's entered into a Faustian bargain with some devilish friends. His refusal exposes the friends for what they are---charlatans with swelled heads who think they can offer up a prize that surpasses the one that God offers. It's a powerful reading and humbling.
For a discussion of why 1,2 Maccabees are considered non-canonical by Jews and Protestants see a discussion of requirements for the canon that is forthcoming.
It's good guys versus bad guys with the proviso that while most every Greek ruler is a bad guy, not all the Jews are good guys. Here is a partial list of players. The Jews are: Menelaus (bad), Lysimachus (bad), Jason (bad), Onias (good), Simon (bad), Hyrcanus (not sure), Judas Maccabeus (good), Eleazar (good). The Greeks are: King Seleucus, Heliodorus, Apollonius, Andronicus and Antiochus IV Epiphanes as well as Antiochus V Eupator.
This second reading of 2 Maccabees makes clear that this book recounts three assaults on the temple by the Greek oppressors. Second Maccabees takes a religious perspective, attending more to the temple, its defense, its desecration by foreigners and its subsequent purification (most notably described in Chapter 10 as the eight days of the feast of the booths in the month of Chislev now known as Hanukkah). First Maccabees is considered more of a historical chronicle and perhaps more historically accurate and far less interesting to read.
Second Maccabees gives a vivid picture of the struggle of pious Jews to maintain their religion and culture in the face of all sorts of injustices and temptations visited upon them by their Greek overlords. One such example is the well-known account of the mother and her seven sons who suffer dismemberment and frying for refusing to eat pork.
Obtain a piece of the sort of meat you can eat, suggest his wily friends, and consume that meat in front of your persecutors. In such a way, you will save yourself. Eleazar basically says to them, Get behind me, Satan. He refuses to indulge in this deception not only because it is a deception, but because of the harm it will do to the community of believers, especially those who are younger. If such impressionable ones see Eleazar, apparently a man of standing in the community, betray his faith at the ripe old age of 90, what was his faith worth in the first place? Not only will he endure torture for the sake of honoring God, but he will endure it so as not to endanger the beliefs of others who will, by Eleazar's example, see that God's word is true and that it is worth dying for.
The reaction of Eleazar's wily "friends" is a reminder of human pride and the inclination to make ourselves into gods. The friends are angry at Eleazar who has brushed aside their power, their ability to pull strings, their ability to save him. Eleazar lives as we know from the book of Maccabees, at a point in time when there was forming an emergent notion of life after death. At great cost to his physical body, Eleazar demonstrates a secure knowledge that heavenly paradise is the end game, not a few more years on earth because he's entered into a Faustian bargain with some devilish friends. His refusal exposes the friends for what they are---charlatans with swelled heads who think they can offer up a prize that surpasses the one that God offers. It's a powerful reading and humbling.
For a discussion of why 1,2 Maccabees are considered non-canonical by Jews and Protestants see a discussion of requirements for the canon that is forthcoming.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Postlogue - Tobit
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| Tobias and Azarias Salvator Rosa Phillip Medhurst Collection |
The painting above by Salvator Rosa is included in the text book for our religious education class of first and second grade girls. The text uses beautiful artwork instead of that cartoonish stuff most dumbed-down curriculums have settled for and this particular picture, which occasioned not a small bit of curiosity on the part of the class, corresponded to a chapter dealing with the body and soul and guardian angels. The lesson could have been conveyed without the picture but there were repeated requests, almost a clamor, for an explanation of the fish, the angel and so I managed to recount the tale. The enchanting story in the Book of Tobit lends itself to telling anyway.
Our catechists, though young, could readily understand that after seven failed marriages, Sarah would be "lonely," "sad, " "disappointed," and "heart-broken." They were indignant at the notion that she might have done away with herself out of despair and were relieved that she decided to put her life in God's hands instead. They appreciated the mystery and intrigue in that the true identity of Tobias's travelling companion was known only to us, the readers. Though initially put off by Raphael's instruction to Tobias to kill the fish ("he must really be a bad angel"), they were back on board by the time Tobias had dispersed the demon Asmodeus, and they cheerfully anticipated Tobias's return to his father because they now knew he would apply the fish gall to Tobit's eyes. All would end happily.
The first and very immediate question at the conclusion of the telling was Did this really happen? Is this story real? Interesting that such questions cross the boundary of age. My sentiments exactly after reading half the books of the Bible! Even at their tender age, the girls wanted to be able to separate fact from fiction. Is this the truth? Can we hang our hat on this? Will God deliver us from demons, despair and blindness? Will God really heal our broken hearts?
The short answer to Did this really happen? is no. The Book of Tobit, which I knew and know to be part of the Apocrypha, is not considered to be historical. This of course is not what the girls were asking and so I didn't give (exactly) this answer. They wanted to know the category in which memory should store this tale for them--really happened and so Tobias was real like George Washington was real or fairy tale fantasy and so Tobias was not real like Prince Charming is not real? If the story isn't "real," then what makes it any different from other fairy tales they know? If guardian angels and prayers to God are just storybook shenanigans, why come to religious education class. Why believe in God at all? (Which, curiously, is how the class began when one among the group reported that her friend had told her today that he didn't believe in God. Perhaps he had gone to the "bad side" was their reasoning.)
The answer as I tried to construct it is that the story is true even if there's no Tobias, no Sarah and no fish. We do have guardian angels, though they may be as unapparent to us as Raphael in his angelic embodiment was unapparent to Tobit and Tobias. If we have faith, if we praise God as did Tobit, Tobias and Sarah, we'll have hope and with hope we'll be able to carry on even in the face of being as our one young catechist said, heart-broken.
I tried to leave the girls with the admonition to pray without ceasing, to always trust in the power of God and their guardian angel to help them. Hopefully, they'll at least never look at a fish the same way again. That cold, scaly creature has a heart, a liver and a gall. It might jump right up and grab you. If it does, and if you get the feeling that you should hang on, well maybe you should. Do as Tobias did and listen for your guardian angel to guide you.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
End Note
Two years, five months and thirteen days later, I've finished reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and everything in between, no skipping around. It's only taken me from May 16, 2011 to October 29, 2013. I have no idea how people read the Bible in one year or ninety days or whatever else they claim to do.
Perhaps some are looking for a more general overview or maybe they have more of a foundation to begin with. In any case, there's no way I could have completed the reading in one year, and, even with my extended-stay style of reading, I'm not sure that I don't have much more than simply a general overview now that I've finished. Alas! Two and a half years of reading! However, it's the Bible, an account of more than 2,000 years of God's interaction with his creation. There's no reason to expect that it should be an easy read.
What can now follow is a different type of reading. I would not opt for going through and re-reading the Bible again as one might do with a long-ago-read favorite novel although over the past two years I have had to do that, particularly with the book of Genesis. I had thought of re-reading the particular books as they correspond to the daily lectionary readings. It would be a perfect time to begin that because Year C is ending and Year A is just about to begin. But that approach may be a bit of hop-scotching that could lead to confusion. Garrison suggests re-reading according to themes of sin, salvation, fear, grace. He suggests using biographies, an idea I like. It seems neat and manageable. Historical time periods is another possibility. There are other guides as well. I attempted to use this one briefly.
Perhaps some are looking for a more general overview or maybe they have more of a foundation to begin with. In any case, there's no way I could have completed the reading in one year, and, even with my extended-stay style of reading, I'm not sure that I don't have much more than simply a general overview now that I've finished. Alas! Two and a half years of reading! However, it's the Bible, an account of more than 2,000 years of God's interaction with his creation. There's no reason to expect that it should be an easy read.
What can now follow is a different type of reading. I would not opt for going through and re-reading the Bible again as one might do with a long-ago-read favorite novel although over the past two years I have had to do that, particularly with the book of Genesis. I had thought of re-reading the particular books as they correspond to the daily lectionary readings. It would be a perfect time to begin that because Year C is ending and Year A is just about to begin. But that approach may be a bit of hop-scotching that could lead to confusion. Garrison suggests re-reading according to themes of sin, salvation, fear, grace. He suggests using biographies, an idea I like. It seems neat and manageable. Historical time periods is another possibility. There are other guides as well. I attempted to use this one briefly.
Revelation
Book Written: Both HC and Baker link the time of writing to periods of religious persecution. One such period is during Nero's reign (54-68 A.D.) 68 A.D. and a later possibility is during Domitian's reign (81-96 A.D.) in 96 A.D.
Time Period/Setting: The author writes to seven Christian communities in Asia Minor: Pergamum, Thyatira, Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia, Ephesus and Laodicea. Yet, these communities would not likely have been being actively persecuted at the time Revelation was written. HC notes that the persecution under Nero affected mostly Christians in Rome. HC says the evidence is scant that Domitian promoted any kind of official persecution of Christians in Asia Minor. Both HC and Baker remind that the book may be a warning of things to come.
HC refers to the author of Revelation as a member of the Johannine community, but certainly not the apostle John. Here, Baker agrees that authorship is uncertain, perhaps attributable to a disciple of John, if not the apostle himself. The author does identify himself as having been on Patmos, Ch. 1, 9.
Title: From the Greek apokalypsis meaning 'revelation,' 'the revealing or disclosure of something hidden' as in Ch 1, 1 "the revelation of Jesus Christ."
I've written a bit here about apocalyptic literature but here are a few helpful reminders concerning such literature since we're on this page. Apocalyptic literature: depicts a conflict between Satan and God or between a present evil time vs. a better time to come; is told in the first person; is abundant in symbolism; may present an "interpreting angel." Regarding symbolism, Baker reminds us that "almost every material thing mentioned stands for something else." Definitely. Babylon is Rome. The 'great whore' is Rome. The beast is the Roman empire. The 'little scroll' is revelation. A lampstand is this, a dragon is that. The number 7 is mentioned 57 times. Baker also admonishes that we not presume the book of Revelation refers to or predicts present-day struggles. The message of the book is specific to its historical time period.
HC refers to the author of Revelation as a member of the Johannine community, but certainly not the apostle John. Here, Baker agrees that authorship is uncertain, perhaps attributable to a disciple of John, if not the apostle himself. The author does identify himself as having been on Patmos, Ch. 1, 9.
Title: From the Greek apokalypsis meaning 'revelation,' 'the revealing or disclosure of something hidden' as in Ch 1, 1 "the revelation of Jesus Christ."
I've written a bit here about apocalyptic literature but here are a few helpful reminders concerning such literature since we're on this page. Apocalyptic literature: depicts a conflict between Satan and God or between a present evil time vs. a better time to come; is told in the first person; is abundant in symbolism; may present an "interpreting angel." Regarding symbolism, Baker reminds us that "almost every material thing mentioned stands for something else." Definitely. Babylon is Rome. The 'great whore' is Rome. The beast is the Roman empire. The 'little scroll' is revelation. A lampstand is this, a dragon is that. The number 7 is mentioned 57 times. Baker also admonishes that we not presume the book of Revelation refers to or predicts present-day struggles. The message of the book is specific to its historical time period.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Letter of Jude
Book Written: Baker says the date is around 70 A.D. HC only notes that this book could be among the earliest NT writings.
Time Period/Setting: Where Jude writes from or to whom is a bit murky, but HC places Jude in Palestine as a leader of Jewish Christians.
Title: Jude seems to be the agreed-upon author. He is held to be the brother of James, author of the letters and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and so a cousin of Jesus.
Jude is warning the Christian community (probably Gentile Christians according to Baker, but see above) of the dangers of giving in to "certain intruders" (v.4) who distort the gospel. These "waterless clouds," these "trees without fruit" are "blemishes on your lovefeasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves" (v. 12). Pretty damning language.
This book includes the beautiful doxology:
Time Period/Setting: Where Jude writes from or to whom is a bit murky, but HC places Jude in Palestine as a leader of Jewish Christians.
Title: Jude seems to be the agreed-upon author. He is held to be the brother of James, author of the letters and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and so a cousin of Jesus.
Jude is warning the Christian community (probably Gentile Christians according to Baker, but see above) of the dangers of giving in to "certain intruders" (v.4) who distort the gospel. These "waterless clouds," these "trees without fruit" are "blemishes on your lovefeasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves" (v. 12). Pretty damning language.
This book includes the beautiful doxology:
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
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