Third Class October 9, 2010 Pentateuch and Earlier Prophets Rev. Timothy M. Hayes – Deacon Class

Opening Prayer Let Your Scriptures be my chaste delight… O Lord, perfect me, and reveal those pages to me! See, Your voice is my joy… Give me what I love… May the inner secrets of Your Word be opened to me when I knock. This I beg, by our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3) These are the treasures I seek in Your books. -- St. Augustine, The Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 2, Nos. 2-4 From the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults

The Scriptural Texts The Pentateuch --Genesis --Exodus --Leviticus --Numbers --Deuteronomy

Session 5: Topics to be considered Creationism/Evolution Debate Genesis 12-50: The Patriarchal Narratives Family Genealogy Etiological Tales

Session 6: Topics to be considered Visit to the PCJ Library – Reserves and Stacks Exodus: The Story of the Exodus and the Covenant The Desert Experience Prophetic Use of the Exodus Metaphors for the Spiritual Journey

Presentations Creationism/Evolution Debate - Terry Acox Midterm Due Exodus: The Story of the Exodus and the Covenant - Dan Murray The Desert Experience - Lee Weisend - Chris Reis – on Shekinah

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis Abraham Abraham’s relatives Sarai/Sarah Genesis 11 Hagar Genesis 16 Keturah Genesis 25

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis Wife/Sister You are my sister: although Abraham's deceit may not be fully defensible, his statement was at least a half-truth; Sarah was indeed his relative, called "a sister" in Hebrew; cf Genesis 20:12. Moreover, the ancient traditions on which this story and the parallel ones in Genesis 20:1-18; 26:6-11 are based, probably come from the Hurrian custom of wife- sister marriage. Among the Hurrians, with whom Abraham's clan lived in close contact at Haran, a man could adopt his wife as his sister and thus give her higher status.Genesis 20:12Genesis 20: :6-11

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis Abraham’s sons – Ishmael, Isaac Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Origin and Travels of Abraham Abraham’s call

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis God’s Promises to Abraham §Descendants §Blessing §The Land Covenant Ritual

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis Isaac + Rebekah Genesis 24 Jacob and Esau Laban Significance of a Well Jacob Wives and Concubines of Jacob

Characters among the Patriarchs Genesis Jacob-Israel The 12 Sons of Jacob Joseph Cycle Egypt Goshen Pharaoh

Etiological Tales §Etiology (alternately aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation. Derived from the Greek αιτιολογία, "giving a reason for" (α ἰ τία "cause" + -logy). ["Aetiology," Oxford English Dictionary. (Oxford University Press ] §The word is most commonly used in medical and philosophical theories, where it refers to the study of why things occur and the reasons behind the way that things act. It is also used in philosophy, physics, psychology, government, medicine, and biology in reference to the causes of various phenomena.

Etiological Tales §In a religious context, an etiological myth is an effort to explain a name or create a mythic history for a place or family. The Oxford English Dictionary defines myth as "A traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces or creatures, which embodies and provides an explanation, etiology, or justification for something such as the early history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural phenomenon. " §[ "Myth," Oxford English Dictionary. (Oxford University Press, 2002) ]

Etiological Tales §Humanity often searches for meaning in science, religion, or philosophy through a quest for the origins of things. Yet, many religious traditions teach that a preoccupation with etiology distracts one from the importance of daily life, living in the current moment, and seeking to improve the world's conditions. §

Etiological Tales “[M]ost scholars nowadays agree that the stories of Genesis were by and large originally written as etiological tales (in Gunkel’s sense);4 that is, they aimed at using figures from the ancient past (sometimes wholly invented ones) to explain various aspects of the writer’s own world— using, for example, the figure of Cain to “explain” the murderous and lopsided vengeance practiced his alleged descendants, the Kenites; or depicting the early rivalry of two brothers, Jacob and Esau, in order to explain the close connection yet unceasing rivalry of their putative offspring, the peoples of Israel and Edom.”

Etiological Tales § The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures §ISSN § § and §

Etiological Tales §“That is why…” §“To this day,…” §“It was called”

Etiological Tales §“That is why…” [Genesis 2:21-24] So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

Etiological Tales §“That is why…” [Genesis 11:5-9] The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men had built. Then the LORD said: "If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says." Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.

Etiological Tales §“To this day,…” [Genesis 32:24-33] After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions, Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob's hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled. The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me." "What is your name?" the man asked. He answered, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” §

Etiological Tales §“To this day,…” [Genesis 32:24-33] At sunrise, as he left Penuel, Jacob limped along because of his hip. That is why, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket, inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle. §

Exodus Question of Historicity Meaning of Exodus Liturgical Celebration Prophetic Use of Exodus Story Christian Transformation: Paschal Mystery