1. Religions of the Middle East Tuesday October 8, 2013

2. The Tetragrammaton Four letters YHWH Probably “Yahweh” God’s personal name Mistranslated “Lord” or “God” Overly zealous interpretation of 3rd commandment led to disuse Mistake by translator seeing vowel signs for Adonia (Lord) under YHWH as cue to reader led to mangled version “Jehovah”

3. Students for Liberty Wednesday 3:30 CEN 407 Thursday 11:30 – Building 1, Room 212

4. Documentary Hypothesis Applies only to Pentateuch JEPD - separate sources combined by editors (“redactors”) J = Jahwist - Gen 1, early simple style E = Elohist - Gen 2-3, late, high style D = Deuteronomist - focus on Law P = Priestly source - Leviticus - focus on ritual

5. Genesis 1-2:3 Majestic, abstract, poetic style Uses “God” (Elohim) Creation in stages No Fall story

6. Genesis 2:4-3 Concrete, folklorish style Uses Yahweh or Yahweh Elohim (the God Yahweh) God plants a garden & creates man to tend it Fall story attached

7. Genesis 1-2:3 Order Light Sky Sea, land & plants Sun, moon & stars Fish & birds Land animals Man (male & female)

8. Genesis 2:4-3 Order Heaven & earth (no plants yet) Man Garden planted in Eden (modern Iraq) Animals Woman created from Man’s rib

9. Etiological Elements An etiological story explains how things got to be this way. What are some etiological elements of Gen 2-3?

10. The Fall Modesty Patriarchy Why childbirth is so painful Fear of snakes Why snakes slither Work Sin Death

11. Other Etiological Stories Noah and the Ark Why doesn’t God just start over? Why are there rainbows? Why are the Canaanites cursed? The Tower of Babel Why do people speak different languages? Where did different nations come from?

12. The Patriarchs “Father-rulers” Abraham Isaac Jacob (Israel) Abram - Exalted Father Abraham - Father of Many

13. Abraham Covenant of Circumcision Ishmael - settled in N. Arabia - Islam Sodom & Gomorrah – Lot - Abraham’s nephew – Abe’s visitors: Yahweh + 2 angels – Sodom’s sin - homosexuality – Haggling over S&G’s fate – Why does Yahweh need angel intel? – Pillars of salt - dead sea stalagmites

14. Sacrifice of Isaac Seed of mighty nation Beloved son If Yahweh is omniscient, why does he need a loyalty test? Ethical questions Kierkegaard’s “Fear and Trembling” – God’s will trumps human conceptions of right and wrong Emphasis on Obedience

15. Jacob & Esau Why isn’t he the God of Abraham, Isaac and ESAU? Esau Big strong, man’s man Hairy Hunts Dad’s favorite Dim

16. Jacob & Esau Jacob Mamma’s boy Little body hair Likes to cook Clever Sneaky, conniving Ambitious from the womb

17. Jacob & Esau Jacob becomes “first-born” Tricks Esau into trading birthright for bowl of soup Tricks Isaac out of Esau’s blessing Jacob renamed Israel (he who wrestles with God)