Isaiah 36-39
This section of Isaiah is the same story found in II Chronicles chapter 32. Isaiah is a minor character in that telling, but here he is a major player in the life of the king of Judah. In this story the Assyrian king sends his troops to Judah in order to take over the land and own Jerusalem. This is a fine example of what makes the Old Testament so interesting and worthy of studying. The Bible narrative is like a spiral with the past not necessarily repeating itself over and over again, but each new generation's experiences echo that of the previous ones. The gift of the prophet is being able to see this pattern and try to get people to break the negative cycles in order to begin positive, more beneficial ones. This is why a prophet will usually verbally repeat the entirety of Jewish History before beginning a new prophecy. Its hard to see the echos when you are in the thick of it, but if you remove yourself and look at things as an outsider patterns are much more obvious.
The story of Isaiah and Hezekiah is considered to be the end of Proto Isaiah. The story is a more fleshed out of the same telling in the II Chronicles version with Isaiah having a more expanded role. The events that are mentioned in the book of Isaiah, while similar to the story of Chronicles, do not necessarily match up to what we know about archaeological history. There are disagreements about specific dates for these kings and the conflicts with the surrounding nations mentioned in the Bible, but that does not mean that they should be discounted entirely.
Time is a tricky thing and with our many revisions over the centuries of how we measure it, not to mention how ancient cultures measured it, its easy to find discrepancies in recorded history. However, there is plenty of evidence to show that this story is based on actual events. Besides these written accounts that can be dated back to an origin of at least 300-150 B.C. there are actual cuneiform records from the Assyrian Empire that date back to the actual time the events took place. The tunnel that Hezekiah built to keep water flowing to Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege is still preserved and one of the oldest, unchanged, biblical sites today.
The King of Assyria mentioned in the book of Isaiah, Sennacherib, was an actual person. He was the King of Assyria during the late 600s B.C. There are records of his campaigns against surrounding nations that are dated to 690 B.C. and record events that are mentioned in the Old Testament such as the Assyrian attack on Samaria mentioned in II Kings 17-18 as well as his conquest against the city of Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Judah. The cuneiform even mentions Hezekiah by name and claims that he was shut up in Jerusalem like a 'caged bird'. Where it differs is that it has no mention of any major losses due to an attack from Judah, neither from divine angels of destruction or well equipped army. It was the practice of the ancient kings to only record victories and sometimes to even claim a victory when in reality they were defeated. There are many examples in archaeology of records being found concerning a battle between two ancient nations and each side claiming an enormous victory.
That is what makes this story so compelling, and the idea that the prophet Isaiah was actually a real person. The other players mentioned in the story are verifiable, but there is no other source outside of the Hebrew scriptures that mentions this man or his role in this historical event. Regardless, his importance in Judaism and Christianity is significant. Christians use many of the prophecies of Isaiah to point to their fulfillment in Jesus. The Jews of Jesus's time used the prophecy to keep their culture strong in the face of Roman occupation and a few, such as the Essenes, even used it as a guidebook to prepare for the end of days. There are some theories that the Essenes may have actually been the inspiration for John the Baptist and Jesus's movement. Physical, historical, verifiable Isaiah is not, but that doesn't mean he is not an important influence on the history of the world as we know it.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Warning to the Nations
Isaiah 12-35
The next 27 chapters of Isaiah are considered to be the actual words of warning made by the Prophet Isaiah to his people and the surrounding nations. It is widely believed that these chapters could contain the original material from the time of this prophet, but there is also evidence that it could have been added and edited before arriving (between the 1st and 3rd century B.C.E.) at the final version we have now.
In the time that these chapters are set, 719-702 B.C.E., Israel is no longer the glorious kingdom it used to be. Not only had it fractured into two smaller kingdoms, but the northern half was obliterated by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Judah was still going strong. When it came to the concept of monotheism in the world at this time, Judah was still the only game in town. The Temple of Yahweh was still standing and the Kings of Judah still remembered the God of their ancestors. However, the people of Judah followed in the ways of their pagan neighbors and worshiped foreign gods alongside of Yahweh. Isaiah was there to remind the chosen people of Yahweh their role in this ancient world. The covenant made between them was slowly unraveling and the consequences of their broken promises are explained to them by the prophet Isaiah.
The surrounding kingdoms are also warned. Just as the old Canaanites were given warning before the Israelites came to settle so to are the contemporary kingdoms of the time. Babylon, Moab, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Tyre are the surrounding empires and upcoming players in the political and military landscape. Each has their own special warnings. Some will suffer alongside Israel at the hands of invading armies. Others will rip themselves apart from internal civil war.
Even though chapters 1-39 are believed to be the actual original account and recorded words of the 8th century prophet Isaiah ben Amoz there seems to be some disagreement about the chapters 24-27. This section of the Book of Isaiah is referred to as "Isaiah's Apocalypse" and concerns God's judgment on the entire world in punishment for it's sin. This judgment is supposed to take place long after the outcome of the other prophecy that Isaiah gives to Jerusalem and the surrounding nations in the following chapters. Some think these chapters may have been added at a later date, but others believe it to be part of the original message of the historical prophet and are the first use of Apocalyptic language and ideas. These ideas were of great importance to certain branches of 1st century Judaism like the Essenes and are believed to have influenced other apocalyptic works such as the Book of Enoch and the New Testament's book of Revelation.
In the end the Prophet promises the punishment for Israel and the other nations will be complete and the throne of David will be restored to a man that will lead the nation back to Yahweh. Once again the Jews will be the example of man living with God in balance and evil will no longer dwell in the holy city of Jerusalem. Chapter 34 is a special message to the people of Edom pretty much condemning them to extinction. In chapter 35 there is the promise that new life will arise from the ashes and the Glory of Yahweh will reign again. This is supposed to be the comfort for the people of Judah who are about to go through some terrible times. After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, Judah is now in the sights of the ever advancing Assyrian Empire.
The next 27 chapters of Isaiah are considered to be the actual words of warning made by the Prophet Isaiah to his people and the surrounding nations. It is widely believed that these chapters could contain the original material from the time of this prophet, but there is also evidence that it could have been added and edited before arriving (between the 1st and 3rd century B.C.E.) at the final version we have now.
In the time that these chapters are set, 719-702 B.C.E., Israel is no longer the glorious kingdom it used to be. Not only had it fractured into two smaller kingdoms, but the northern half was obliterated by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Judah was still going strong. When it came to the concept of monotheism in the world at this time, Judah was still the only game in town. The Temple of Yahweh was still standing and the Kings of Judah still remembered the God of their ancestors. However, the people of Judah followed in the ways of their pagan neighbors and worshiped foreign gods alongside of Yahweh. Isaiah was there to remind the chosen people of Yahweh their role in this ancient world. The covenant made between them was slowly unraveling and the consequences of their broken promises are explained to them by the prophet Isaiah.
The surrounding kingdoms are also warned. Just as the old Canaanites were given warning before the Israelites came to settle so to are the contemporary kingdoms of the time. Babylon, Moab, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Tyre are the surrounding empires and upcoming players in the political and military landscape. Each has their own special warnings. Some will suffer alongside Israel at the hands of invading armies. Others will rip themselves apart from internal civil war.
Even though chapters 1-39 are believed to be the actual original account and recorded words of the 8th century prophet Isaiah ben Amoz there seems to be some disagreement about the chapters 24-27. This section of the Book of Isaiah is referred to as "Isaiah's Apocalypse" and concerns God's judgment on the entire world in punishment for it's sin. This judgment is supposed to take place long after the outcome of the other prophecy that Isaiah gives to Jerusalem and the surrounding nations in the following chapters. Some think these chapters may have been added at a later date, but others believe it to be part of the original message of the historical prophet and are the first use of Apocalyptic language and ideas. These ideas were of great importance to certain branches of 1st century Judaism like the Essenes and are believed to have influenced other apocalyptic works such as the Book of Enoch and the New Testament's book of Revelation.
In the end the Prophet promises the punishment for Israel and the other nations will be complete and the throne of David will be restored to a man that will lead the nation back to Yahweh. Once again the Jews will be the example of man living with God in balance and evil will no longer dwell in the holy city of Jerusalem. Chapter 34 is a special message to the people of Edom pretty much condemning them to extinction. In chapter 35 there is the promise that new life will arise from the ashes and the Glory of Yahweh will reign again. This is supposed to be the comfort for the people of Judah who are about to go through some terrible times. After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, Judah is now in the sights of the ever advancing Assyrian Empire.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Meta-Proto-Isaiah
Isaiah 6-12
Who truly wrote the book of Isaiah is a puzzle that archaeologists, historians, and other scholars (theists and atheists alike) are still trying to piece together. The oldest copy of this Hebrew Scripture is called the Isaiah Scroll aka the Great Isaiah Scroll. In 1947 this scroll was one of 220 scrolls discovered at the caves of Qumran located in the West Bank near the Dead Sea; part of the contentious Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has been raging for a few generations now.
These scrolls are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are the remnants of a Jewish sect, most likely the Essenes, that got wiped out a few years after the Roman Revolution of 66 B.C.E. when the Jews kicked Rome out of Jerusalem. The nation of Israel would be independent again for the first time since the fall of Judah to the Babylonians. Of course three years later the Romans return and slaughter everyone and burn the Temple of Yahweh to the ground. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the holy scrolls that the Essenes, or other jewish group on the run, hid away in order to protect before either fleeing or falling to the sword.
What is interesting about the Great Isaiah scroll, though, is the fact that it is the oldest copy of the entire book of Isaiah with a carbon dating placing the scroll between 330-110 B.C.E. The scroll itself is most likely a copy of an even older scroll that has been lost to history and that was probably not the oldest copy of this story, either. There are some slight grammatical and textual differences between this Great Scroll and the modern hebrew versions, but these variances don’t change the meaning of what is being conveyed too drastically. Although, with the extent that mankind likes to twist things to their own advantages that could be debatable.
Despite the Jewish tradition of the author being the Prophet himself Biblical Studies of the past two centuries have led most scholars to believe that the text was probably written over a large period of time and can be broken into three major sections; Proto-(1st), Duetero-(2nd), and Trito-(3rd)Isaiah. We will get into the 2nd and 3rd Isaiahs later.
The 1st part (chapters 1-39) is believed to have been either written by the prophet Isaiah or a historian of the time soon after Isaiah in the 8th century B.C.E. Chapters 6-8 give a little biography of the man. He was known to use his own self as well as his wife and children as tools for his prophecy. His wife was even known as the Prophetess. These first 39 chapters are believed to be the actual recorded sayings of the ancient prophet Isaiah. Up till chapter 12 is believed to be the early years of the prophet. These are the warnings to the people of Israel that they are living the wrong way according to words of Moses. This is all told in the book of Kings, too, as this would have been during the reign of first King Uzziah and then King Jotham, roughly 750 B.C.E. Uzziah died near the start of Isaiah’s preaching.
Chapters 10-11 warn of the impending doom at the hands of Assyrians. Isaiah warns that Yahweh will use the Assyrians as his instrument of punishment against the Israelites just as he used the Israelites against the Canaanites after warning those heathens for hundreds of years, as well. However, just as Yahweh warned the Israelites all those generations ago, so too does Isaiah issue a warning to Assyria. He tells them in chapter 10 that they will be judged for their transgressions, as well. Just because they are the instrument of God’s wrath does not mean they get to escape that wrath.
In Chapter 11 we get the prophecy concerning the next great leader of Israel. For Isaiah, this prophecy was for a coming king that would lead after Assyria had laid waste to its people. This would be a leader that would call back the people that had been scattered by the conquest of Assyria and restore the kingship of the divided nations back into the one nation of Israel under one King. This king would be a descendent of the last great king, David. Unfortunately, Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom and whoever escaped fled to southern Judah.
Since this king never came, as all kings up until the fall of Judah fell short of this expectation, the prophecy of Isaiah was still used in the days of Roman occupied Israel. These would have been the prophecies that were talked about in the days of Jesus and John the Baptist. The fact that the Great Scroll of Isaiah was the most complete scroll of 220 shows its significance and respect in the ancient Jewish mind. The people of that time, just as today, could use these passages as prophecy for their political situations in that time period. The Essense especially were huge fans of this scroll and had many parallel prophecies of their own using passages from The Great Isaiah Scroll.
Who truly wrote the book of Isaiah is a puzzle that archaeologists, historians, and other scholars (theists and atheists alike) are still trying to piece together. The oldest copy of this Hebrew Scripture is called the Isaiah Scroll aka the Great Isaiah Scroll. In 1947 this scroll was one of 220 scrolls discovered at the caves of Qumran located in the West Bank near the Dead Sea; part of the contentious Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has been raging for a few generations now.
These scrolls are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are the remnants of a Jewish sect, most likely the Essenes, that got wiped out a few years after the Roman Revolution of 66 B.C.E. when the Jews kicked Rome out of Jerusalem. The nation of Israel would be independent again for the first time since the fall of Judah to the Babylonians. Of course three years later the Romans return and slaughter everyone and burn the Temple of Yahweh to the ground. The Dead Sea Scrolls are the holy scrolls that the Essenes, or other jewish group on the run, hid away in order to protect before either fleeing or falling to the sword.
What is interesting about the Great Isaiah scroll, though, is the fact that it is the oldest copy of the entire book of Isaiah with a carbon dating placing the scroll between 330-110 B.C.E. The scroll itself is most likely a copy of an even older scroll that has been lost to history and that was probably not the oldest copy of this story, either. There are some slight grammatical and textual differences between this Great Scroll and the modern hebrew versions, but these variances don’t change the meaning of what is being conveyed too drastically. Although, with the extent that mankind likes to twist things to their own advantages that could be debatable.
Despite the Jewish tradition of the author being the Prophet himself Biblical Studies of the past two centuries have led most scholars to believe that the text was probably written over a large period of time and can be broken into three major sections; Proto-(1st), Duetero-(2nd), and Trito-(3rd)Isaiah. We will get into the 2nd and 3rd Isaiahs later.
The 1st part (chapters 1-39) is believed to have been either written by the prophet Isaiah or a historian of the time soon after Isaiah in the 8th century B.C.E. Chapters 6-8 give a little biography of the man. He was known to use his own self as well as his wife and children as tools for his prophecy. His wife was even known as the Prophetess. These first 39 chapters are believed to be the actual recorded sayings of the ancient prophet Isaiah. Up till chapter 12 is believed to be the early years of the prophet. These are the warnings to the people of Israel that they are living the wrong way according to words of Moses. This is all told in the book of Kings, too, as this would have been during the reign of first King Uzziah and then King Jotham, roughly 750 B.C.E. Uzziah died near the start of Isaiah’s preaching.
Chapters 10-11 warn of the impending doom at the hands of Assyrians. Isaiah warns that Yahweh will use the Assyrians as his instrument of punishment against the Israelites just as he used the Israelites against the Canaanites after warning those heathens for hundreds of years, as well. However, just as Yahweh warned the Israelites all those generations ago, so too does Isaiah issue a warning to Assyria. He tells them in chapter 10 that they will be judged for their transgressions, as well. Just because they are the instrument of God’s wrath does not mean they get to escape that wrath.
In Chapter 11 we get the prophecy concerning the next great leader of Israel. For Isaiah, this prophecy was for a coming king that would lead after Assyria had laid waste to its people. This would be a leader that would call back the people that had been scattered by the conquest of Assyria and restore the kingship of the divided nations back into the one nation of Israel under one King. This king would be a descendent of the last great king, David. Unfortunately, Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom and whoever escaped fled to southern Judah.
Since this king never came, as all kings up until the fall of Judah fell short of this expectation, the prophecy of Isaiah was still used in the days of Roman occupied Israel. These would have been the prophecies that were talked about in the days of Jesus and John the Baptist. The fact that the Great Scroll of Isaiah was the most complete scroll of 220 shows its significance and respect in the ancient Jewish mind. The people of that time, just as today, could use these passages as prophecy for their political situations in that time period. The Essense especially were huge fans of this scroll and had many parallel prophecies of their own using passages from The Great Isaiah Scroll.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Time to Shake Things Up
Isaiah 1-5
This book begins the collection of scrolls of the Major Prophets. The events of the book of Isaiah take place during the periods mentioned in II Kings and II Chronicles. Isaiah is a prophet that preaches in Judah, the southern Kingdom, during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah; 740-690 B.C.E. During this time period Assyria was the dominant civilization, with Babylon making rapid progress as well. It was also within this time period that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians; around 729 B.C.E. The origin of this book of the Tanakh is interesting and I will be able to get into it as we get deeper into the story of Isaiah. For now, though, lets soak up the atmosphere of the time and place of ancient Judah. We don’t learn anything about the prophet until Chapter Six, but the story opens right up with a harsh critique of the people of Judah in the year following the reign of King Uzziah, who ruled Judah from around 791-739 B.C.E.
Under King Uzziah the nation of Judah was rich and powerful. Since Uzziah was a boy of sixteen when he became king (II Kings 15:2) his reign lasted fifty-two years. He was one of the most prosperous kings since King Solomon. He also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to scripture. The events in II Kings and II Chronicles indicate an event late in his life where Uzziah’s pride got the best of him and he sinned against God (II Chronicles 26:19-21). He was struck with leprosy and died (2 Kings 15:5, 27; 2 Chronicles 26:3) leaving the kingdom to his son Jotham (II Kings 15:5) in roughly 739 B.C.E.
It is under the rule of King Jotham that the Book of Isaiah opens upon. Jotham is a good king. He rebuilds many towns and fortresses as well as the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem. Over his sixteen year reign as king he does well to stay within God’s favor. Unfortunately, the people grow lazy and proud with his success and his piety does not rub off on them. That’s where Isaiah comes in.
The first five chapters are an admonition to the people of Judah warning them of their proud ways and teaching that the descendants of Abraham and Jacob have a unique relationship with the God of gods, but they are failing to live up to their end of the covenant. Isaiah warns the people that their refusal to honor the Lord by taking care of the less fortunate people (widows, orphans, the poor, etc), as well as their love of things other than Yahweh, would cause them to lose the favor of Yahweh. They had entered into an agreement with the Creator and were not living up to their end of the bargain. Isaiah then explains exactly what the consequences for their behavior will be.
Finally, in chapter five Isaiah explains that because Israel has failed, generation after generation, to fulfill its covenant with Yahweh they will be uprooted and scattered to the four winds. This does not mean that God’s plan of bringing the nations of the world back into his grace, explained to Abraham in the book of Genesis, has failed and ends here with the Jews. It just means that the next phase is about to begin.
Under King Uzziah the nation of Judah was rich and powerful. Since Uzziah was a boy of sixteen when he became king (II Kings 15:2) his reign lasted fifty-two years. He was one of the most prosperous kings since King Solomon. He also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to scripture. The events in II Kings and II Chronicles indicate an event late in his life where Uzziah’s pride got the best of him and he sinned against God (II Chronicles 26:19-21). He was struck with leprosy and died (2 Kings 15:5, 27; 2 Chronicles 26:3) leaving the kingdom to his son Jotham (II Kings 15:5) in roughly 739 B.C.E.
It is under the rule of King Jotham that the Book of Isaiah opens upon. Jotham is a good king. He rebuilds many towns and fortresses as well as the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem. Over his sixteen year reign as king he does well to stay within God’s favor. Unfortunately, the people grow lazy and proud with his success and his piety does not rub off on them. That’s where Isaiah comes in.
The first five chapters are an admonition to the people of Judah warning them of their proud ways and teaching that the descendants of Abraham and Jacob have a unique relationship with the God of gods, but they are failing to live up to their end of the covenant. Isaiah warns the people that their refusal to honor the Lord by taking care of the less fortunate people (widows, orphans, the poor, etc), as well as their love of things other than Yahweh, would cause them to lose the favor of Yahweh. They had entered into an agreement with the Creator and were not living up to their end of the bargain. Isaiah then explains exactly what the consequences for their behavior will be.
Finally, in chapter five Isaiah explains that because Israel has failed, generation after generation, to fulfill its covenant with Yahweh they will be uprooted and scattered to the four winds. This does not mean that God’s plan of bringing the nations of the world back into his grace, explained to Abraham in the book of Genesis, has failed and ends here with the Jews. It just means that the next phase is about to begin.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The Book That Makes You Blush
Song of Solomon 1-8
The Song of Songs, as it is also known, is the last piece of work of the section of the Tanakh known as the Ketuvim (Writings). It is a story about a man and a woman who are in love and going through the different stages of romance. It starts of with them romancing each other and ends with the final act of love. It is a very odd piece of scripture to be included among the other writings. In fact, through the whole short work of Song of Songs there is only one mention of God. Solomon is never mentioned as the protagonist in the story, in fact Solomon is referenced by the man in the story as the King, which leads one to believe that this main character is someone other than King Solomon. Some people think the song was written for Solomon rather than by him.
According to the Talmud, the Jewish book of tradition compiled by the Jews after the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., King Solomon is the author of the Song of Songs and he wrote this piece after first writing the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. However, according to modern scholars the authorship of this book cannot be specified. Scholars can not even agree on an estimated date of authorship. The estimates of these scholars put the origin of this book between 950 B.C.E. to 200 B.C.E. There are some schools of thought that state the original author existed in the 900s B.C.E. and wrote in the language style of that day. Other scholars state that some of the language used in the original texts is actually Persian, which would put the date of composition sometime during or after the exile in 500 B.C.E.
The love story contained within the Song of Songs can be a little sexy compared to the rest of the Tanakh. It really is a mystery as to why it was included in the Jewish Holy scriptures. The use of the book has been, traditionally, as a metaphor for God’s love for his chosen people. Later, it was included in the Christian Canon and used as a metaphor for God’s love for all of his children. Early church history has some of the original leaders interpreting it for their followers and using it as an allegory for Christ’s relationship with Israel and the Gentiles. Some interpretations have lended it to the idea that this is a metaphor for the soul in relation to Christ.
Despite the mystery and uncertainty over the history this is a very beautiful piece of poetry and I bet it's even better when read in its original language.
According to the Talmud, the Jewish book of tradition compiled by the Jews after the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., King Solomon is the author of the Song of Songs and he wrote this piece after first writing the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. However, according to modern scholars the authorship of this book cannot be specified. Scholars can not even agree on an estimated date of authorship. The estimates of these scholars put the origin of this book between 950 B.C.E. to 200 B.C.E. There are some schools of thought that state the original author existed in the 900s B.C.E. and wrote in the language style of that day. Other scholars state that some of the language used in the original texts is actually Persian, which would put the date of composition sometime during or after the exile in 500 B.C.E.
The love story contained within the Song of Songs can be a little sexy compared to the rest of the Tanakh. It really is a mystery as to why it was included in the Jewish Holy scriptures. The use of the book has been, traditionally, as a metaphor for God’s love for his chosen people. Later, it was included in the Christian Canon and used as a metaphor for God’s love for all of his children. Early church history has some of the original leaders interpreting it for their followers and using it as an allegory for Christ’s relationship with Israel and the Gentiles. Some interpretations have lended it to the idea that this is a metaphor for the soul in relation to Christ.
Despite the mystery and uncertainty over the history this is a very beautiful piece of poetry and I bet it's even better when read in its original language.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Life? Don't Talk To ME About Life
Ecclesiastes 1-12
Before we delve into this book of the Book I’d just like to say that this is my favorite one in the Tanakh. I admit that there are a lot more compelling stories, characters and theology throughout the Old Testament, but this book is my absolute favorite from start to finish. It is attributed to my favorite character in the Hebrew Scriptures, Solomon. When I first read this book ten years ago I felt like it was drawn right from my own personal worldview. I completely agreed, and still do somewhat, with Solomon’s perspective. There is a sort of depressing view that one could take when reading this book, but I love reading it. It is a very freeing philosophy that Solomon presents because he encourages the reader to indulge in the pleasures that life has to offer, but at the same time he cautions the reader against becoming a fool because of it. This is the true Wisdom that Solomon is sharing. That’s just my opinion, though. Let’s get into the history of this book.
The title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Latin version of the Greek word (Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklesiastes) for the Hebrew title קֹהֶלֶת which sounds like Koheleth. Koheleth literally translates to ‘Gatherer’, but is traditionally translated as ‘Teacher’. Koheleth is written in First Person and the author claims to be the son of David and the king in Jerusalem. Though Solomon is the author by tradition, the actual author is anonymous.
In fact, many scholars agree that the book was written between 400 and 100 B.C. and so could not possibly have been written by the actual first son of David because that guy is supposed to have lived in the tenth century B.C. The main argument against Solomonic authorship is the fact that this book contains words that do not appear in any other ancient texts until hundreds of years after the time of King Solomon.
However, this argument can be challenged by the fact that there are a limited number of texts from the ancient Near East so there can be no definitive way to verify when a certain word was in use or not. Another challenge to the 400-100 B.C. authorship lies in the Koheleth borrowing phrases from even older works such as the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, 9:7-10 being the most used example. Add to that the lack of any reference to any later works of wisdom such as the classic Greek texts from the fifth century to the first B.C. This could support the notion that Solomon was the actual author because he was a king that would have had access to great works of other foreign nations’ history on account of his many wives from those nations.
This book may trouble certain people. It can come across as very cynical and depressing. It may be especially troubling for Christians because Koheleth talks a lot about the finality of death. There is no talk of a happy afterlife or God rewarding you for your good works. There is no concept of salvation because that is not what the author was about. In fact, I'm not even sure there was a concept of salvation in those old days.
Yet, this book was included for a reason. When it came time to decide what made it into the Hebrew Scriptures this was a known piece of work and deemed worthy of inclusion. There is much wisdom in these pages if you can see past the grim portrayal of the Real World.
Before we delve into this book of the Book I’d just like to say that this is my favorite one in the Tanakh. I admit that there are a lot more compelling stories, characters and theology throughout the Old Testament, but this book is my absolute favorite from start to finish. It is attributed to my favorite character in the Hebrew Scriptures, Solomon. When I first read this book ten years ago I felt like it was drawn right from my own personal worldview. I completely agreed, and still do somewhat, with Solomon’s perspective. There is a sort of depressing view that one could take when reading this book, but I love reading it. It is a very freeing philosophy that Solomon presents because he encourages the reader to indulge in the pleasures that life has to offer, but at the same time he cautions the reader against becoming a fool because of it. This is the true Wisdom that Solomon is sharing. That’s just my opinion, though. Let’s get into the history of this book.
The title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Latin version of the Greek word (Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklesiastes) for the Hebrew title קֹהֶלֶת which sounds like Koheleth. Koheleth literally translates to ‘Gatherer’, but is traditionally translated as ‘Teacher’. Koheleth is written in First Person and the author claims to be the son of David and the king in Jerusalem. Though Solomon is the author by tradition, the actual author is anonymous.
In fact, many scholars agree that the book was written between 400 and 100 B.C. and so could not possibly have been written by the actual first son of David because that guy is supposed to have lived in the tenth century B.C. The main argument against Solomonic authorship is the fact that this book contains words that do not appear in any other ancient texts until hundreds of years after the time of King Solomon.
However, this argument can be challenged by the fact that there are a limited number of texts from the ancient Near East so there can be no definitive way to verify when a certain word was in use or not. Another challenge to the 400-100 B.C. authorship lies in the Koheleth borrowing phrases from even older works such as the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, 9:7-10 being the most used example. Add to that the lack of any reference to any later works of wisdom such as the classic Greek texts from the fifth century to the first B.C. This could support the notion that Solomon was the actual author because he was a king that would have had access to great works of other foreign nations’ history on account of his many wives from those nations.
This book may trouble certain people. It can come across as very cynical and depressing. It may be especially troubling for Christians because Koheleth talks a lot about the finality of death. There is no talk of a happy afterlife or God rewarding you for your good works. There is no concept of salvation because that is not what the author was about. In fact, I'm not even sure there was a concept of salvation in those old days.
Yet, this book was included for a reason. When it came time to decide what made it into the Hebrew Scriptures this was a known piece of work and deemed worthy of inclusion. There is much wisdom in these pages if you can see past the grim portrayal of the Real World.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Job and Friends
Job 3-42
The poem of the trials of Job is a fascinating read. I really wish I could read and understand the original Hebrew because the language and flow of the poem is probably lost in the translation. It took some real focusing when I first started into the book. I kept getting lost in the language and the characters. I’m thankful for all the footnotes and extra information that is included in my Bible. I don’t think I fully appreciated the advice from Job’s buddies the last time through. These wise old men from the early days of civilization all provide some great insight and observation of the nature of God. However, even though they may speak some truth they also are condemning their poor friend for wrongs and trespasses that he did not necessarily commit. The lesson I gained from their statements was that even though they were wise in understanding the nature of God based on the information they had at the time it is arrogant to assume you can possibly know everything about God.
The poem runs in a set of three cycles. Each cycle starts with Job and is an interaction with each of his friends in the same order. At least up until chapter 31. After that some other character pipes up that was not mentioned in the previous chapters. He claims to be the ‘youngest’ of the old men, but he kind of just shows up out of nowhere to reprimand everyone.
Satan: The Accuser, the one that accuses man of breaking the Laws of God and reports back to the Creator. Being the one that focuses on the negative aspect of humanity over thousands of years would probably skew the perspective of an individual. This story sort of presents a prologue for the story of the Enemy, as he is referred to in the New Testament. You see the beginning of the rebellious nature of this angel as his accusations switch from humanity to a challenge of God’s omnipotence.
Job: The righteous sufferer. The poem revolves around his perspective that he is an innocent man suffering for no good reason. Time and time again he brings up the fact that he has led an honest life and been a decent human being to all those he has come in contact with. He has always been loyal to his God and given him praise for all the blessings he has received. Even when he is at his wits end and covered in sores he does not accuse God of doing wrong. He simply wants an answer as to what he has done to offend God. I was really drawn to the passage Job 13:26 where Job hints at the fact that he knows he has done something wrong or some things wrong and it may have happened in his early days. We are all idiots in our late teens and early twenties, no matter how good we want to be. Everyone makes mistakes. Yet, to Job the punishment does not match the crime. He simply wants an explanation.
When God shows up at the end and gives the Ultimate Beratement (my favorite part, btw) the response to Job is righteous indignation and almost a mocking tone when God asks if Job had ever caused the sun to rise or the oceans’ tides to change. God never tells Job about the stakes at play with Satan’s challenge. God makes it very clear that there is no need for the approval from the creation to rule as the Creator sees fit. However, God does offer praise to Job in the fact that Job represented the Creator the most accurately compared to the other guys.
Eliphaz: The name of Job’s first friend is an interesting one. Eliphaz is called a Temanite in the text. Teman is a major city in the ancient land of Edom. In the book of Genesis we find the name Eliphaz again, as the eldest son of Esau, nephew to Jacob (Israel), and the father of the Edomites. The name is believed to have been chosen because the perspective of Eliphaz’s argument to Job is based in Edomite philosophy. That philosophy being grounded in the principle that the righteous people of the world do not suffer, possibly even conquering death. Only the wicked suffer and in equal measure to their sin. He believes that Job is either lying to his friends or to himself about the sins that have warranted this punishment.
However, when God shows up he is shown the error in his logic. The same God is also the healer in life as well as the one who punishes. Eliphaz believed that these two things were based only on whether a person does good or does bad. Very black and white. God convicts Eliphaz of having a false understanding of Divine Dispensation. Job understands the fact that, from a human perspective, things work much more randomly.
Bildad: Another fun name to dissect. Bildad is referred to as a Shuhite from the lands near ancient Chaldea (Babylon) and Arabia. These people are supposedly descendants of Shuah, the son of the Patriarch Abraham and his second wife Keturah. Bildad has a slightly softer approach and tries to offer support for Job. Yet, he always ends up sounding like Eliphaz only a little more so. In fact there is almost an hysterical element as he ramps up his argument and accuses Job of speaking wickedness and impiety towards the Creator of All Things. Bildad even goes so far as to say that Job’s children deserved to die for whatever sins they committed.
Zophar: Probably the quietest of the three he is by no means the least harsh. He is referred to as a Naamathite, but the land of Naaman is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and I can’t find a lot of information about it. One thing that was interesting is that the name Zophar is a Gentile name. Gentiles were non-hebrew. He kind of sounds like he might be the oldest and he kind of rambles on and on about the consequences of sin and how Job is getting what he deserves. Zophar is pretty blunt and really rips into Job accusing him of being a really wicked person.
Elihu: Where did this guy come from?!? According to the text he is descended from Nahor which can be traced back to the descendants of Shem, son of Noah. He definitely has a softer and kinder approach towards Job than the other three, but that doesn’t stop him from cutting the poor guy down. Elihu argues that the righteous and the wicked suffer and prosper equally. However, it is always at God’s discretion as to why these things happen. A wicked person may prosper by the standards of the world, but eventually God’s justice will be meted out. He claims that the righteous may suffer in the present to avoid an even greater sin from arising in the future. Sometimes suffering is used to make the person stronger or even a warning sign of future dangers. After Elihu speaks he is again gone from the story and God shows up for his big monologue. Interestingly enough Elihu is the only not chastised by God, like the other three friends, for misrepresenting the nature of God. Job is also given praise, after a heavy lecture, as being the only one that represented the nature of God correctly. Not sure what happened to Elihu. Some think he may have been inserted later on in the construction of the Old Testament as a counter argument to the other three friends similar philosophies.
The poem of the trials of Job is a fascinating read. I really wish I could read and understand the original Hebrew because the language and flow of the poem is probably lost in the translation. It took some real focusing when I first started into the book. I kept getting lost in the language and the characters. I’m thankful for all the footnotes and extra information that is included in my Bible. I don’t think I fully appreciated the advice from Job’s buddies the last time through. These wise old men from the early days of civilization all provide some great insight and observation of the nature of God. However, even though they may speak some truth they also are condemning their poor friend for wrongs and trespasses that he did not necessarily commit. The lesson I gained from their statements was that even though they were wise in understanding the nature of God based on the information they had at the time it is arrogant to assume you can possibly know everything about God.
The poem runs in a set of three cycles. Each cycle starts with Job and is an interaction with each of his friends in the same order. At least up until chapter 31. After that some other character pipes up that was not mentioned in the previous chapters. He claims to be the ‘youngest’ of the old men, but he kind of just shows up out of nowhere to reprimand everyone.
Satan: The Accuser, the one that accuses man of breaking the Laws of God and reports back to the Creator. Being the one that focuses on the negative aspect of humanity over thousands of years would probably skew the perspective of an individual. This story sort of presents a prologue for the story of the Enemy, as he is referred to in the New Testament. You see the beginning of the rebellious nature of this angel as his accusations switch from humanity to a challenge of God’s omnipotence.
Job: The righteous sufferer. The poem revolves around his perspective that he is an innocent man suffering for no good reason. Time and time again he brings up the fact that he has led an honest life and been a decent human being to all those he has come in contact with. He has always been loyal to his God and given him praise for all the blessings he has received. Even when he is at his wits end and covered in sores he does not accuse God of doing wrong. He simply wants an answer as to what he has done to offend God. I was really drawn to the passage Job 13:26 where Job hints at the fact that he knows he has done something wrong or some things wrong and it may have happened in his early days. We are all idiots in our late teens and early twenties, no matter how good we want to be. Everyone makes mistakes. Yet, to Job the punishment does not match the crime. He simply wants an explanation.
When God shows up at the end and gives the Ultimate Beratement (my favorite part, btw) the response to Job is righteous indignation and almost a mocking tone when God asks if Job had ever caused the sun to rise or the oceans’ tides to change. God never tells Job about the stakes at play with Satan’s challenge. God makes it very clear that there is no need for the approval from the creation to rule as the Creator sees fit. However, God does offer praise to Job in the fact that Job represented the Creator the most accurately compared to the other guys.
Eliphaz: The name of Job’s first friend is an interesting one. Eliphaz is called a Temanite in the text. Teman is a major city in the ancient land of Edom. In the book of Genesis we find the name Eliphaz again, as the eldest son of Esau, nephew to Jacob (Israel), and the father of the Edomites. The name is believed to have been chosen because the perspective of Eliphaz’s argument to Job is based in Edomite philosophy. That philosophy being grounded in the principle that the righteous people of the world do not suffer, possibly even conquering death. Only the wicked suffer and in equal measure to their sin. He believes that Job is either lying to his friends or to himself about the sins that have warranted this punishment.
However, when God shows up he is shown the error in his logic. The same God is also the healer in life as well as the one who punishes. Eliphaz believed that these two things were based only on whether a person does good or does bad. Very black and white. God convicts Eliphaz of having a false understanding of Divine Dispensation. Job understands the fact that, from a human perspective, things work much more randomly.
Bildad: Another fun name to dissect. Bildad is referred to as a Shuhite from the lands near ancient Chaldea (Babylon) and Arabia. These people are supposedly descendants of Shuah, the son of the Patriarch Abraham and his second wife Keturah. Bildad has a slightly softer approach and tries to offer support for Job. Yet, he always ends up sounding like Eliphaz only a little more so. In fact there is almost an hysterical element as he ramps up his argument and accuses Job of speaking wickedness and impiety towards the Creator of All Things. Bildad even goes so far as to say that Job’s children deserved to die for whatever sins they committed.
Zophar: Probably the quietest of the three he is by no means the least harsh. He is referred to as a Naamathite, but the land of Naaman is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and I can’t find a lot of information about it. One thing that was interesting is that the name Zophar is a Gentile name. Gentiles were non-hebrew. He kind of sounds like he might be the oldest and he kind of rambles on and on about the consequences of sin and how Job is getting what he deserves. Zophar is pretty blunt and really rips into Job accusing him of being a really wicked person.
Elihu: Where did this guy come from?!? According to the text he is descended from Nahor which can be traced back to the descendants of Shem, son of Noah. He definitely has a softer and kinder approach towards Job than the other three, but that doesn’t stop him from cutting the poor guy down. Elihu argues that the righteous and the wicked suffer and prosper equally. However, it is always at God’s discretion as to why these things happen. A wicked person may prosper by the standards of the world, but eventually God’s justice will be meted out. He claims that the righteous may suffer in the present to avoid an even greater sin from arising in the future. Sometimes suffering is used to make the person stronger or even a warning sign of future dangers. After Elihu speaks he is again gone from the story and God shows up for his big monologue. Interestingly enough Elihu is the only not chastised by God, like the other three friends, for misrepresenting the nature of God. Job is also given praise, after a heavy lecture, as being the only one that represented the nature of God correctly. Not sure what happened to Elihu. Some think he may have been inserted later on in the construction of the Old Testament as a counter argument to the other three friends similar philosophies.
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