More tales of Incredibly Short Books!
We begin our adventures with Book of Obadiah. The most important and perhaps only real notable thing about this one is that it's another source of information on just whatever became of the house of Esau. It ended, basically.
Book of Jonah, easily the most famous of this collection, is exactly as you probably know. The interesting thing, however, is that I somehow managed to construe even this one as one of the Old Testament's many foreshadowings of Jesus. This time, the parallel is with Gethsemane. I never even considered that before. Has anyone else?
Book of Micah is set during the days of the Bad Kings. But there are some choice quotes to share: "If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying 'I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,' he would be the preacher for this people!' That's a biblical insult for you!
The other one, predictably for this particular commentary, ties in with Jesus: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days."
Later, Micah seems to elevate Miriam to the same level as Moses and Aaron. Balaam is referenced, too. And positively! Just as I've been saying all along! Unless I misinterpreted Micah. In which he is still, nonetheless, referenced. And not outright dismissed. For a change.
One more quote: "He has showed you, O men, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Needless to say, but Book of Micah quickly became a standout for me.
Book of Nahum is also about Nineveh, much like Book of Jonah. Except otherwise it's nothing at all like Jonah.
Book of Habakkuk's most notable feature is its call to keep the faith.
Book of Zephaniah is set in the times of Josiah, which as we know (or should know) is one of the few times in the era of the Bad Kings where there was actually a good king (Josiah, to be clear). Still, it's a classic book of doomsaying.
Book of Haggai is from the days of Darius. It's a rare narrative in this section, basically Haggai presenting himself as the man God calls upon to rebuild the temple. If there's anything peculiar about that, it's that earlier God was not very keen on the idea of a temple in the first place...
Showing posts with label Jonah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonah. Show all posts
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Book of Nehemiah 1-13, Book of Tobit 1-14
Apparently it's in Book of Nehemiah where the term "Jews" first appears in the Bible. I would assume, and maybe this is obvious and well-known already, that it's derived from "Jerusalem," much like Salem is from the other end.
This is a first-person account, although it's not Nehemiah's account, which would have been the obvious belief until Nehemiah himself is referenced later a couple of times and clearly not the speaking party. Whoever the speaker is, he was the cupbearer of Artaxerxes.
This is a book that takes another look at the reconstruction efforts in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. Like previous examples, it's not exactly the same version we've seen before.
I was struck with the idea that this version makes it sounds a lot like Jesus in the New Testament when he talks about tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days. Christians understand this to reference his later passion, but now I'm thinking it might just as easily have been the idea that a motivated people could make a job like that look easy, which is how the reconstruction efforts look like here, a whole cascade of helpers spontaneously taking up work wherever it's needed. I'm not saying Jesus was definitely talking like that, but after reading this book, it's not an inconceivable suggestion. There are doubters who scoff at these efforts, too.
"Should such a man as I...?" is another classic bit of Jewish phrasing, the second such instance I've come across so far. Since Jews are still talking like this today, clearly it's a long-standing part of the culture, as much as the faith aspects.
Some of the doubters suspect that a revitalized Jerusalem might lead to the same war-like tendencies of Hebrews past. So all that fighting in previous books, stretching across generations, certainly left an impression on the neighbors.
Tobias is referenced. It's not clear if it's the same one from the Book of Tobit, but probably it is. Ezra is referenced, too, and then it becomes almost a complete restating of the Book of Ezra, with more emphasis, ironically, on Ezra himself. Zechariah, Baruch, Joel, Jeremiah, and Iddo are also referenced. This is a good time for names to leave an impression in the Jewish tradition! Most of them (Iddo is the exception) have their own books in the Bible.
It becomes somewhat clear that this book was written outside of direct knowledge of prior books now included in the Bible, especially when it's stated within it that at least one of the books of Moses was read again for the first time. There's a marked difference, too, in the way it's written, more as a record than history, the difference being how God is active in the history books while he's not in a record of this kind.
The Book of Tobit is a little like the Book of Ruth (without something as obvious as the origins of David hidden within it), not vital in establishing a part of Jewish lore so much as illustrating Jewish life, so it's generally considered apocryphal. It's also a favorite of mine dating back to college, when I also read Frederick Buechner's On the Road with the Archangel, which is based on it.
Tobit, basically, is the rare faithful Jew. It's the time of the exile, although Tobit himself is apparently taken captive by the Assyrians in Ninevah. He's the father of Tobias, who will in short order become the main subject of the book.
Pentecost is referenced. I always thought of that as a Christian holiday, but apparently it was originally Jewish.
The prophecy of Amos is referenced. Amos also has a book later in the Bible.
Tobit's main action in the story is his penchant for burying the corpses of fallen comrades who have been martyred by the Assyrians, who don't much want him to be doing that, so he's always close to getting in trouble for it. He does wind up blind, which is fine because later in the book he's cured of that.
"Command that I now be released from my distress to go to the eternal abode," he says, referencing perhaps the first suggestion that the heavens have given way to Heaven in the Jewish faith by the time this was composed.
Tobias's future bride is Sarah, who has already lost seven husbands thanks to the demon Asmodeus. This is okay, because someone named Raphael is soon going to help with that, plus Tobit's blindness. Who's Raphael? The first named angel of the Bible! One of seven holy angels. Another thing referenced for the first time is the concept of saints. There's also a fish that nearly swallows Tobias, much as Jonah is in his own book. But don't think about the size of this one, or if it's a whale, because Tobias and Raphael end up eating it.
The phrase, "eat, drink, and be merry" is uttered. Tobias invokes Adam and Eve when delivering an ode to matrimony. Tobit an ode, too, and says, "Many nations will come from afar to the name of the Lord," once more giving rise to the belief right there in the Old Testament that one day gentiles would be included in the faith (which is known as Christianity).
"Hallelujah" is uttered. Jonah is referenced directly. This one may not be considered essential, but it's certainly a good one to see the workings of everyday Judaism. It's also a fine break into narrative that doesn't have anything to do with bad kings. And that's a mighty fine relief at this point!
This is a first-person account, although it's not Nehemiah's account, which would have been the obvious belief until Nehemiah himself is referenced later a couple of times and clearly not the speaking party. Whoever the speaker is, he was the cupbearer of Artaxerxes.
This is a book that takes another look at the reconstruction efforts in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. Like previous examples, it's not exactly the same version we've seen before.
I was struck with the idea that this version makes it sounds a lot like Jesus in the New Testament when he talks about tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days. Christians understand this to reference his later passion, but now I'm thinking it might just as easily have been the idea that a motivated people could make a job like that look easy, which is how the reconstruction efforts look like here, a whole cascade of helpers spontaneously taking up work wherever it's needed. I'm not saying Jesus was definitely talking like that, but after reading this book, it's not an inconceivable suggestion. There are doubters who scoff at these efforts, too.
"Should such a man as I...?" is another classic bit of Jewish phrasing, the second such instance I've come across so far. Since Jews are still talking like this today, clearly it's a long-standing part of the culture, as much as the faith aspects.
Some of the doubters suspect that a revitalized Jerusalem might lead to the same war-like tendencies of Hebrews past. So all that fighting in previous books, stretching across generations, certainly left an impression on the neighbors.
Tobias is referenced. It's not clear if it's the same one from the Book of Tobit, but probably it is. Ezra is referenced, too, and then it becomes almost a complete restating of the Book of Ezra, with more emphasis, ironically, on Ezra himself. Zechariah, Baruch, Joel, Jeremiah, and Iddo are also referenced. This is a good time for names to leave an impression in the Jewish tradition! Most of them (Iddo is the exception) have their own books in the Bible.
It becomes somewhat clear that this book was written outside of direct knowledge of prior books now included in the Bible, especially when it's stated within it that at least one of the books of Moses was read again for the first time. There's a marked difference, too, in the way it's written, more as a record than history, the difference being how God is active in the history books while he's not in a record of this kind.
The Book of Tobit is a little like the Book of Ruth (without something as obvious as the origins of David hidden within it), not vital in establishing a part of Jewish lore so much as illustrating Jewish life, so it's generally considered apocryphal. It's also a favorite of mine dating back to college, when I also read Frederick Buechner's On the Road with the Archangel, which is based on it.
Tobit, basically, is the rare faithful Jew. It's the time of the exile, although Tobit himself is apparently taken captive by the Assyrians in Ninevah. He's the father of Tobias, who will in short order become the main subject of the book.
Pentecost is referenced. I always thought of that as a Christian holiday, but apparently it was originally Jewish.
The prophecy of Amos is referenced. Amos also has a book later in the Bible.
Tobit's main action in the story is his penchant for burying the corpses of fallen comrades who have been martyred by the Assyrians, who don't much want him to be doing that, so he's always close to getting in trouble for it. He does wind up blind, which is fine because later in the book he's cured of that.
"Command that I now be released from my distress to go to the eternal abode," he says, referencing perhaps the first suggestion that the heavens have given way to Heaven in the Jewish faith by the time this was composed.
Tobias's future bride is Sarah, who has already lost seven husbands thanks to the demon Asmodeus. This is okay, because someone named Raphael is soon going to help with that, plus Tobit's blindness. Who's Raphael? The first named angel of the Bible! One of seven holy angels. Another thing referenced for the first time is the concept of saints. There's also a fish that nearly swallows Tobias, much as Jonah is in his own book. But don't think about the size of this one, or if it's a whale, because Tobias and Raphael end up eating it.
The phrase, "eat, drink, and be merry" is uttered. Tobias invokes Adam and Eve when delivering an ode to matrimony. Tobit an ode, too, and says, "Many nations will come from afar to the name of the Lord," once more giving rise to the belief right there in the Old Testament that one day gentiles would be included in the faith (which is known as Christianity).
"Hallelujah" is uttered. Jonah is referenced directly. This one may not be considered essential, but it's certainly a good one to see the workings of everyday Judaism. It's also a fine break into narrative that doesn't have anything to do with bad kings. And that's a mighty fine relief at this point!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Second Book of Kings 11-25, First Book of Chronicles 1-10
We pick right back up with the succession of unfortunate Jewish kings. There's an incidental reference to God sending Israel a savior of some kind. The dying Elisha performs an act out of later Arthurian legend, signaling a destination of some sort with an arrow through a window. His bones are also the first recorded Judeo-Christian relics to serve as the catalyst for a miracle.
Jonah is referenced. Nineveh, separately, is also referenced.
The temple is desecrated. There is a consistency now in the fact that pagans built their altars on high ground. Hebrews generally behaving badly, acting a lot like the ones who came out of Egypt, and even create themselves some molten calves. Second Kings makes it a point to say that they're reverting to former ways. Only Judah remains a bastion of the faith.
Babylon looms heavily.
The phrase "you are now relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff," making it clear where that nation now stands. The Aramaic language is specifically referenced.
A lot of this makes me think that this is the period where the Jewish faith began to be reconciled into one tradition, and this is before we Josiah, much less First Chronicles, which I contend may have actually been written first, making both books of Kings another act of prequel, like Genesis and the books of Moses. But we'll get to that.
Isaiah enters the picture! He's extremely instrumental in leading a religious revival under Hezekiah. He also introduces the doctrine of God having a plan rather than humanity goofing up, which supports my predestination theory from earlier, in that Adam and Eve were always meant to fall. No matter how often humanity fails God, he's always leading them in a specific direction, starting with Abraham. You might also say that some of this was shaped in a certain direction by later extrapolation of the historic record.
The angel of the Lord smites the Assyrians.
Hezekiah seems to tempt the Babylonians in much the way Egypt and the Philistines were previously induced to consider the spoils of the Hebrew faith. Isaiah prophesies the exile. Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah, is so bad that God swears holy vengeance against his people no matter what, and "no matter what" happens to mean Josiah, who enacts a greater religious revival than Hezekiah. He reigns in Jerusalem for 31 years. He discovers the book of the law, which is presumably the ark, and by this may have helped solidify Jewish faith to that point. He is given an all but cursory appearance nonetheless. He dies in battle at Megiddo, another reason to associate it with apocalypse.
Jeremiah is referenced!
Then, unfortunately, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of the Babylonians. He has already taken dominion over the Egyptians, but that only stands to reason at this point. Jerusalem is besieged. The Hebrews become, actually, amicable citizens of Babylon, not like the bondage in Egypt anyway. Second Kings ends.
First Chronicles begins with a real chronicle, all right, a thick tangle of genealogy that does a more thorough job than any biblical precedent before it. Caleb seems to be more significant in this record than Moses, who receives a cursory reference, but at least his descent from Levi is finally completed, unlike in Exodus. This makes it seem like Moses was originally part of a separate tradition, and perhaps indeed he was.
Then the repeats begin. The Philistines start our story here, and Saul's war against them and his suicide. No real distinction is made about where he stands in the tradition except that he was, like most of the kings in the books of Kings, someone who didn't do right by God.
Jonah is referenced. Nineveh, separately, is also referenced.
The temple is desecrated. There is a consistency now in the fact that pagans built their altars on high ground. Hebrews generally behaving badly, acting a lot like the ones who came out of Egypt, and even create themselves some molten calves. Second Kings makes it a point to say that they're reverting to former ways. Only Judah remains a bastion of the faith.
Babylon looms heavily.
The phrase "you are now relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff," making it clear where that nation now stands. The Aramaic language is specifically referenced.
A lot of this makes me think that this is the period where the Jewish faith began to be reconciled into one tradition, and this is before we Josiah, much less First Chronicles, which I contend may have actually been written first, making both books of Kings another act of prequel, like Genesis and the books of Moses. But we'll get to that.
Isaiah enters the picture! He's extremely instrumental in leading a religious revival under Hezekiah. He also introduces the doctrine of God having a plan rather than humanity goofing up, which supports my predestination theory from earlier, in that Adam and Eve were always meant to fall. No matter how often humanity fails God, he's always leading them in a specific direction, starting with Abraham. You might also say that some of this was shaped in a certain direction by later extrapolation of the historic record.
The angel of the Lord smites the Assyrians.
Hezekiah seems to tempt the Babylonians in much the way Egypt and the Philistines were previously induced to consider the spoils of the Hebrew faith. Isaiah prophesies the exile. Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah, is so bad that God swears holy vengeance against his people no matter what, and "no matter what" happens to mean Josiah, who enacts a greater religious revival than Hezekiah. He reigns in Jerusalem for 31 years. He discovers the book of the law, which is presumably the ark, and by this may have helped solidify Jewish faith to that point. He is given an all but cursory appearance nonetheless. He dies in battle at Megiddo, another reason to associate it with apocalypse.
Jeremiah is referenced!
Then, unfortunately, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of the Babylonians. He has already taken dominion over the Egyptians, but that only stands to reason at this point. Jerusalem is besieged. The Hebrews become, actually, amicable citizens of Babylon, not like the bondage in Egypt anyway. Second Kings ends.
First Chronicles begins with a real chronicle, all right, a thick tangle of genealogy that does a more thorough job than any biblical precedent before it. Caleb seems to be more significant in this record than Moses, who receives a cursory reference, but at least his descent from Levi is finally completed, unlike in Exodus. This makes it seem like Moses was originally part of a separate tradition, and perhaps indeed he was.
Then the repeats begin. The Philistines start our story here, and Saul's war against them and his suicide. No real distinction is made about where he stands in the tradition except that he was, like most of the kings in the books of Kings, someone who didn't do right by God.
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