Hebrew Narrative: an abbreviation of R. Alter's work

1. Who is named

            2. Who is named first

            3. What does their name mean (if you can find it)

            4. Who speaks

            5. Who speaks with God

            6. Who gets the action verbs

            7. What is the context

            8. Everything else: what is the text genre, the story line, what else is included (repetitions, riddles, puns, intentional humor, acronyms, other).

the deutro-canonical (secondary canonical) books whose texts were found in Greek, though certainly first written in Hebrew. These are not found in the Protestant OT or Hebrew Bible but appear, in different numbers in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

the most ancient witnesses, most ancient copies of the OT/ Hebrew Bible, found at Qumran by the Dead Sea.

: an explanation for how things came to be or why things are as they are

an end of time event, a story about the end of the world, a particular type of literature

(see Apocrypha, they are the same entity)

Apocrypha: the deutro-canonical (secondary canonical) books whose texts were found in Greek, though certainly first written in Hebrew. These are not found in the Protestant OT or Hebrew Bible but appear, in different numbers in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

the first 5 books of the Bible

2 parts of the Bible: 

Old Testament and New Testament

Old Testament (OT): 

written in Hebrew (with a bit of Aramaic)

New Testament (NT): 

written in Greek

the 4 letters that stand for God

YHWH = the LORD = the high holy name of Israel's God, God's personal revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 but also found in Gen 2:4-3:24

is the theory for how and when then different books of the Torah were written. It is not proven fact but hypothesis.

J = Yahwist, 9th century BCE

E =Elohist, 8th century BCE (E doesn't really exist separately from J)

D = Deuteronomist, 722 BCE

P = Priestly.....(586 or 9th-4th century BCE)

Do not learn the precise dates but that J is the earliest, D is around the time of the 1st exile and P is the latest.

Yahwist, 9th century BCE

(the earliest)

Deuteronomist, 722 BCE 

(around the time of the 1st exile)

Priestly.....(586 or 9th-4th century BCE)

(the latest)

LORD (the God)

Lord (could be anyone)

God-God of Israel

gods-many gods

easily the most hated of all the Assyrian Kings. He was the power behind the siege of Jerusalem.

(Assyrian leader in charge during the siege of Jerusalem, 701 BCE, the Bible's most detested foreign king, his prism echoes words in 2 Kgs 18)

Sennacherib’s Prism

            “As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in the vicinity and conquered (them) …Himself I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage. I surrounded him with earthwork in order to molest those who were leaving….” (288, ANET)

            “Fear of my greatness terrified Hezekiah. He sent to me tribute: 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, ivory, and all sorts of gifts, including women from his palace.” (288, ANET)

            These words are for you enjoyment and comparison to 2 Kings 18:14 which follows. Sennacherib’s Prism is another Assyrian Document.

“I shut up Hezekiah like a bird in a cage”

2 Kings 17-19

Isaiah 36-39

            -Jewish

            -won the Nobel Peace Prize

            -was a prisoner in Auschwitz

            -wrote the book Night

Passover

matzah

bitter herbs

green vegetable

The Sabbath is God’s gift to humanity

(a sanctuary in time; Israel’s survival is linked to it)

Israel will maintain the Sabbath, and in the end, the Sabbath will maintain Israel

how he talked about seeking a stranger to share Passover/ Seder with

taking care of the needy with dignity

(quietly collecting funds)

dipping a finger in wine and spilling a drop for each of the 3 wonders

(signifies compassion for the Egyptians who were also victims—of their own arrogance)

(spilling three drops of wine, and then later, the ten drops, when reciting ten plaguesà manifest our sadness)

fifth cup is intended for the prophet Elijah (who more than any other prophet is linked to the ultimate redemption of Israel)

records tragic events (he is a witness)

peacemaker

bearer of secrets/ ultimate secret

one day he will come to stay and he will accompany the Messiah

Elijah will one day tell how many cups are supped to be consumed during the Seder

he is kind

he is compassionate

he is wise

defined on the inside cover of Wiesel's text

book of readings for the seder service celebrating Passover  

left Haran and went to Israel to worship 1 god

chasing after lot

gave Sarah away to Pharoh

he was a man of God

Father of the 3 monothesisc religions

peacemaker

listened to Gabriel 

founder of the Qur'an

Founded Islam

Kadesh: reciting the Kiddush

U’Rechatz: washing of the hands

Karpas: blessing for the green vegetable

Yachatz: breaking of the middle matzah

Maggid: telling the story

Rachtzah: washing the hands before the meal

Motzi Matzah: prayer for the beginning of the meal and blessing for the matzah

Maror: blessing for the bitter herbs

Korech: Hillel’s sandwich

Shulchan Orech: the meal

Tzafun: the afikoman

Barech: saying grace

Hallel: Psalms of praise

Nirtzah: conclusion of the service

What are the 5 basic tenets of Islam and the requirement for becoming a Muslim?

(A-K, 6, you only need to know 3 of these.)

1. Five basic tenets of Islam and the requirement for becoming Muslim?

1. The declaration of faith

2. Prayer

3. Fasting

4. Pilgrimage

5. Donation to charity

*1^st pillar: declaration of faith: all that is necessary to become a Muslim

must pray five times a day; dawn, early afternoon, late afternoon, sunset, and evening

prayers consist of certain passages from the Qur’an, recited in Arabic

In Islam, worship (Muslim prayer) and supplication (humble request) (comes at the end of the prayer) are separate

During prayer, Muslims speak directly to God in God’s presence during this ritual of worship

head covering is simply a way of showing respect

all prayers may be performed at home, individually, but also may be prayed in the mosque

in the mosque, prayers are led by the imam, who recited portions of the prayer aloud and keeps everyone synchronized

(imam may simply be someone who can recite enough verses to lead the prayer, or he may be someone who is learned in Islamic jurisprudence)

(women have historically led prayers and continue to do so today)

Mosques are really only gathering places, not innately holy buildings (praying at home is no less valid a religious act)

God first revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad

the ninth month of the Islamic year when Muslims do not eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset

another one of the five pillars

Ka’ba in Mecca (incorporates the original Black Stone—Muslim’s believe God gave Adam a special stone, called the Black Stone, when he was expelled from heaven)

Every adult Muslim of sound mind must annually donate a percentage of his or her total wealth to charity unless debts are owed

called zakat

“submission” and “peace”

followers of an Earlier Revelation because they each received a scripture or revelation for God

same angels inhabited Muslim tradition as Christian tradition (i.e. angel Gabriel)

Islam recognizes numerous other prophets besides Muhammad, many of whom are common to the Judeo-Christian tradition

[important prophets in Islam are Adam, Abraham (whom Islam considers the first Muslim), Moses, Jesus, Noah, and David]

[Muslims believe Jews, Muslims, and Christians are all descended from Abraham, who had two sons, Isaac and Ismail. Isaac’s descendants became Jews and Christians. Ismail’s descendant became Muslims]

It is clear in the Qur’an that Jesus was a human, albeit extremely respected, messenger of God

In Islam, people who believe in one God and do good things go to heaven

men and women are treated in Islam as equals

In Islam, if someone sins but repents and mends his or her ways, then God is merciful (Islam does not reserve heaven for Muslims only)

Like poetry, the Qur’an is not written in prose but unmetered verse. It even rhymes. Originally, the Qur’an was recited, just as poetry is.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to Jesus' tomb where they are greeted by an angel

the women are commissioned as missionaries (to tell Jesus' disciples that he has risen)

The bribe: the leaders ironically spread the rumor of the event the guards at the tomb were to prevent (Jesus' disciples stole his body from the tomb while the guards were asleep)

The Great Commission: Jesus instructs his disciples to gather more disciples and baptize with the Holy Spirit

Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome go to Jesus' tomb

Young man tells them Jesus has risen, and commissions them to tell Jesus disciples (the do not fulfill the commission)

The women flee from the tomb in terror

They didn't tell anyone b/c they were afraid

The women discover Jesus' tomb empty and they tell the apostles

The apostles don't believe the women, but Peter goes to the tomb and sees for himself

The way to Emmaus: Jesus meets two women and he goes in with them to break bread

the messiah's final appearance to his eleven disciples and their companions, commission, and departure

Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus tomb, sees it is empty and runs to get Simon Peter and the other disciple (they go to the tomb and see that Jesus has risen)

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene runs to tell Jesus' disciples

Jesus appears again to his disciples (but Thomas was not with them)

Jesus appears again to Thomas

Jesus appears again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (his disciples go fishing but don't catch any fish, Jesus tells them to cast their nets, and they catch a lot of fish) (Jesus prepares breakfast for his disciples)

Jesus and Simon Peter: Peter professes his love to Jesus  three times (this parallels the threefold denial)

That they end so abruptly

The women see Jesus' tomb is empty and run in terror

Into for Matt

Matt was the favorite of the early church

Matt starts with a genealogy and contains a birth story, mission and passion

Birth story in Matthew (focus on Joseph)

Tells the Christmas story

Matthew wanted to prove that Jesus was the new Moses

Intro for Mark

The earliest narrative of Jesus’ life

No birth story

Lacks nativity account

Mark records no resurrection appearances

Intro for Luke

3^rd the of Synoptic Gospels

Luke is connected to the Acts of the Apostles

Contains a birth story (focuses on women, Mary/ Elizabeth)

Tells the Christmas story

Passion Story

And Resurrection

Declares the life and ministry of Jesus to be the fulfillment of “the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms”

Probably written in the late first century, shortly after the destruction

Intro for John

Probably written in the last decade of the first century CE

No birth story

Passion story

And Resurrection

Two contexts: ministry of Jesus (26-30 CE); and the situation of the author and his community after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE

John begins at the beginning of the world

Acts

Sequel of Luke’s Gospel

Account of the glorious Christian march from Jerusalem to Rome

Proclaims Jesus the messiah

Probably written in the decades following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (70-73 CE)

Opening versus sets the stage for the narrative begins with the ascension

In the second major section of the narrative, the mission moves beyond Jerusalem throughout the regions of the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, primarily from Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria

The third major section is organized around two Pauline journeys

The forth major section opens with Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem, giving account to the elders, and his entry into the Temple, prompting trials before the Roman tribune in the presence of the chief priest and the Temple Sanhedrin

Luke, the addressing to Theophilus

writing style is the same

Into to John

the term "the Jews" was a term to kill Jews

Jesus:

be able to state 3 notable actions or characteristics of Jesus

Jesus performs miracles

(paralytic, Mt 9:1-8; Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26)

(walking on water, Mt 14:25-33; Mk 6:48-52; Jn 6:15-21)

(catching of fish, Jn 21:1-14)

he baptized Jesus

some believe he was Elijah

not mentioned in NT, resided in Qumran, copiers and/ or collectors of Dead Sea Scrolls 

(John the Baptist sounds like him sometimes)

(men, did not marry)

The fiftieth day after Passover, the popular Feast of Weeks of early harvest

Galileans speak in tounges

In Jerusalem, Peter, standing with the eleven disciples, addresses the people of Judea and Jerusalem, and attests that Jesus is the true prophet

Saul/ Paul attempts to prosecute Jesus' followers and on the way to Damascus he is approached by Jesus, and he looses his sight for three days

Disciple named Ananias receives a vision from the Lord to help Saul/ Paul.. Ananias goes to Saul/ Paul and restores his sight.. Saul/ Paul gives thanks to the Lord

Standard features of a Pauline letter:

a) opening greeting

b) thanksgiving

c) body of the letter

d) benediction

1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, and Galatians are written by Paul

The authors of Hebrews and John are unknown

the one that stands against Christ

found in 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 1 John 4:3 and 2 John 1:7

1 John 2:18, "Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour." 

1 John 2:22, "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son."

1 John 4:3, "and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you hae heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world"

2 John 1:7, "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!"

Accepts everyone through faith.

"But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no long male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise."

Acts 15

the decision that not everyone had to be circumcised because it was more important to welcome

see Matt 1:18-25 and 2:19-23

Mary's fiance