Religions of the Middle East Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Monarchy, Captivity, Diaspora, Job, Afterlife, Rabbinic & Modern Judaism
First Midterm Exam § Tu 10/21 at 3 pm to Tu 10/28 at 7 pm § CEN 456 lab, Cottage Grove Center or approved proctor § See syllabus for further details
The Monarchy § Under Judges Israel was a loose confederation of tribes § Secular explanation: no united military defense, no standing army § Religious explanation: God was punishing them for worshiping idols
Saul § First King - tall, charismatic, good commander, but insubordinate § Makes a sacrifice reserved for Levites (Priests) § Botches the Amalekite genocide § Resorts to necromancy § Commits suicide, body mutilated, cremated
David § Good King, makes Saul look like a false start § Promised an everlasting Kingdom, model for the Messiah § Sin with Bathsheba results in personal and political consequences § Samuel’s parable of the pet lamb
Solomon § Asks God for wisdom, given riches as well § Weakness foreign women, builds temples to their gods § Because of his Father, retains Kingdom, but his son loses it § 922 B. C. Israel split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms
The Divided Kingdom § Secular explanation: Reheboam’s rash threats, regional conflicts and resentment over Solomon’s building projects § “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!” § Religious explanation for split: God is punishing Solomon for idolatry
Successive Conquest § The Split of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 922 B. C. § Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 B. C. § Judah falls to the Babylonians in 587 B. C. § The Babylonian Captivity
Successive Conquest The Babylonian Captivity § Temple system and sacrifice less important § Emphasis on study of scripture and prayer on Sabbath at local house of worship (synagogue) § Importance of Teacher schooled in Scripture & Tradition (Rabbi)
Successive Conquest § The Persians Defeat the Babylonians, Jews return to Judah, rebuild Jerusalem § The Greek Conquest and Maccabean Revolt § Hanukkah § Roman Rule § Rebellion and the Diaspora 70, 130 A. D. § The Holocaust and Restoration of Israel in 1948
Did God keep his promise to David and Solomon? § Promised an “everlasting” kingdom § Conditional promise? § Later Jews (and Christians) came to believe the promise would be fulfilled by a descendent of David who would restore a united Kingdom of Israel (the Messiah)
The Messiah § Hebrew for “annointed one”, sign of being chosen by God, of God’s spirit, royalty § Military leader like the Judges who would deliver Israel from their enemies and establish an everlasting Kingdom § Developed over time as empire after empire conquered Israel
The Babylonian Captivity (587 -538 BC) § No Temple, so no animal sacrifices (afterwards less important) § Worship in private homes centered around study of scriptures and prayer (become Synagogue system) § Rising importance of a Rabbi (“teacher”) to interpret scripture § Talmud Begins
The Afterlife in Early Judaism (2000 BC - 538? BC) § The dead go to Sheol (“the grave”) § No conscious experience good or bad § Eternal rest unless you break God’s law and conduct a séance (necromancy)
Later Judaism 538? BC to Present § § § Bodily Resurrection Persian Zoroastrian Influence Ezekiel’s Vision - Valley of Dry Bones Questions about God’s Justice Daniel 12: 2 ONLY unambiguous reference in entire Tanakh
Job § Early view: Punishment for sin § Later view: Test from God, Satan
Job § § Why do bad things happen to good people? Wager between God and Satan borrowed from Persians? Only TWO other references in Tanakh § 1 Chronicles 21: 1, (cf. 2 Sam 24: 1) § Zechariah 3: 1 -2 § Is. 14: 12 -22 and Ezekiel 28: 12 -19 refer to the Kings of Babylon and Tyre, not Satan
Why do bad things happen to good people? § A test of our faith from Satan § We can’t hope to understand God’s ways; we should just trust and obey § No corporate responsibility § Rejection of misfortune as a manifestation of divine wrath? (Deuteronomy 28)
The Holocaust § § The theme of Job writ large 6 million Jews killed, most in gas chambers Garnered international sympathy Israel made a nation after WW II without it?
Judaism § Meaning in History § God works through the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people § Human problem = sin (willful disobedience to God’s commands) § Solution: Concentrate on one group of people, give commands and enforce them. Animal sacrifices early on, later repentance only
Major festivals § Passover (Exodus celebration) § Shavuot (Pentacost - Law given 50 th day after Passover) § Sukkot (Wilderness Wandering - Tablernacles) § Purim (Saved from Persians by Esther) § Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) § Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) § Hanukkah (Festival of Lights, independence from Greeks/Seleucids)
The Talmud § Commentary on The Law § Theology, Demonology, Practical Application (e. g. how to keep Sabbath) § Opinions of Rabbis from the Babylonian Captivity on § Authoritative but not inspired
Four Branches of Judaism § § Orthodox Conservative Reformed Reconstructionist
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