RELG 313: Opening Genesis

Prof. Dale Hathaway

hathawayd@winthrop.edu

Aug. 29, 2017

Winthrop University

Able to be startled

"We're not in Kansas any more"

Names of God

yhwh

יהןה

(Yahweh or LORD) This is the holy name of God; cf. Exodus 3, where Moses learns about this name, although it had been used from the beginning of the text of Genesis. By the time of Jesus, it was no longer pronounced.

adonai

אדני

(Lord) This is the ordinary hebrew word which would have referred to a person. The name "Jehovah" was mistakenly derived from combining the vowels of the word "adonai" with the consonants of the tetragrammaton "yhwh". "HaShem" is used when even saying "adonai" is too holy to speak.

'el ; 'E:lohiym

אלהים

(God) "Elohim" is another name used for God. It is a plural form of an older name for God "el".

Bible

Tanak

תנך

  • "Torah" {Torah}
  • "Nebi'im" Prophets
  • "Ketuvim" Writings
  • Old & New Testament (Covenant)

Ancient Hebrew

We are dealing with layers of textual work The earliest manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures are written with no vowels and no punctuation.

THR WS CRTN MN FRM RMTHM ZPHT FRM TH HLL CNTRY F PHRMWHS NM WS LKNH SN F JRHMTH SN F LHTH SN F THTH SN F ZPHN PHRMT H HD TW WVS N WS CLLD HNNH ND TH THR PNNNH PNNNH HD CHLDRNBT HNNH HD NN YR FTR YR THS MN WNT P FRM HS TWN T WRSHP ND SCRFC T TH LRD LMGHTY T SHLHWHR HPHN ND PHNHSTH TW SNS F LWR PRSTS F TH LRD

1st Sam 1:1-3 (NIV)

History

Referring back to the timeline for the earth and the beginning of written language at about 3,000 BCE, there are some key dates to hold in mind when studying the Hebrew Scriptures.

http://prezi.com/z0amb_jvtndc/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

History of Interpretation

In addition to the challenges of gathering accurate texts and translating them, throughout the last 3 millenia there have been differing understandings of what "scripture" was, what was to be included in it (and obviously excluded)

Destruction of temple (1) Destruction of temple (2) Separation of Judaism and Christianity Separation of Greek from Latin church Separation of the Protestant Reformation

Methods of interpretation

  • Source criticism
  • Form criticism
  • Redaction criticism
  • Literary criticism
  • Contextual criticism

Arrangement of the text (pp 23-24)

  • Intro
  • In case you were wondering
  • Read the passage
  • Looking closely at the text
  • Discussion of the text

Geography

We are talking about a part of the world that is the presumed origin of written language and of civilization, the "fertile crescent", "Mesopotamia" (between the rivers). It is hugely in today's horizon of awareness.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ezT0-tUjVZRWl5QUxKbjhJMW8/view?usp=sharing

Overview Genesis

We are beginning at the 2nd section.

Why begin ch. 12

When the skies above were not yet named Nor earth below pronounced by name, Apsu, the first one, their begetter, And maker Tiamat, who bore them all, Had mixed their waters together, But had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds; When yet no gods were manifest, Nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed, Then gods were born within them… ( Enûma Eliš (Babylonian))

tribal life

We are dealing with a culture very different from our own, separated by values, time, etc.

  • tribal nomads
  • angels and gods
  • sacrifice and horned altars
  • Canaanite religion
  • polygamy, concubines
  • Family is not "family" to us

oral-written

Who are you? Where are you from?**

Created by Dale Hathaway.