The Bible and Its Influence CHAPTER 1 THE HEBREW SCRIPTURE

Tanakh The Jewish title for the Hebrew Scriptures. Acronym formed from Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. The books share one central theme: the relationship between God and humans. Israel is God’s “chosen people,” set apart to be an example to the world.

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible Torah- “Teaching” Includes the first 5 books of the Bible. Contains the following information and accounts:  central teachings and laws of Judaism,  humanity’s beginnings,  religious history of Israel,  instructions for conducting worship and celebrating festivals,  genealogies.

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible, continued Nevi’im- “Prophets” This section includes both historical narratives and prophetic messages.  Religious history of Israel from the arrival in the Promise Land to the fall of the kingdom of David  Destructive conquests by the Assyrian empire  Conquests by the Babylonians  Poetic messages addressed to the people of Israel

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible, continued Ketuvim- “Writings”  The assortment of literary forms include  Prayers  Poetry  Wise sayings  Short narratives  The continuation of Israel’s religious history

How Jews Read the Bible Jews may draw on one or any of these ways to understanding the Bible.  Plain sense-surface meaning of the text  Inquiring-interpretive reading  Allegorical-looks for parallels between scripture and more abstract concepts  Mystical-a symbolic code

Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses

Christians and the Hebrew Scriptures Ordering of the books is different. Christians see Hebrew text as pointing toward Jesus Christ and a new covenant established in the New Testament. Christians call the Hebrew scriptures the Old Testament.

Characteristics of Hebrew Literature The importance of word  The entire universe comes into being at God’s spoken command. Symbolic word choices  Personal and place names have symbolic meanings. Parallelism and repetition  Made it easier to commit to memory. Figures of Speech  Simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, and personification

Midrash A Jewish tradition of free and creative commentary on the Scriptures. Uses storytelling to illustrate point of teaching. Rabbis would suggest possible interpretations of biblical texts by inventing their own narratives, describing what might have happened, often drawing on clues they perceived hidden in the biblical texts’ wording. See handout for example.

Biblical Allusions Macbeth, William Shakespeare Absalom, Absalom, William Faulkner John Donne “Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T. S. Eliot 60% of allusions on Advanced Placement Exams are biblical allusions. See list of most common biblical allusions.

Chapter 1 Vocabulary 1. Torah 2. Nevi’im 3. Ketuvim 4. Tanakh 5. Plain sense 6. Inquiring 7. Allegorical 8. Mystical 9. Midrash

Literary Analysis The introduction to the Hebrew Bible indentified various genres contained in the Hebrew Scripture. How do these genres parallel those used in the selections from your literature textbook? Use specific examples in your response.

CHAPTER 2 GENESIS-ORIGINS The Bible and Its Influence

Genesis- “origin” “When God began to create heaven and earth-the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water-God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light”—Genesis 1:1 God creates by spoken command.

God the Creator The abyss-the primal chaos that is “formless and void” It is not an evil force that must be overcome. Rather, the abyss needs to be ordered to reach its full potential. The God of Genesis, who needs nothing, chooses to create anyway. Genesis gradually reveals a God who loves zealously, who chooses favorites, who inflicts terrible punishments, and shows mercy beyond measure, but who is never distant or detached.

7 Days Complete the following chart: Pairing of Days and Works Day OneDay Four Day TwoDay Five Day ThreeDay Six

Stewardship of Creation According to Genesis 1:26-28, what distinguishes humans from other created things? What is the relationship of the human beings to nature?

Themes of the Creation Account Creation has the responsibility to obey the limits set by the creator. Humans are intended to be social, to find community with other humans. The relationship between men and women was intended to be fundamentally good and holy.

A Note on Names Adam- “humankind” or “earth” Woman- “closely related to man” Eve- “mother of all living”

“Never Again Would Birds’ Song Be the Same”— Robert Frost Who is the “he” in the poem? Who is the “she”? What “belief” of Adam’s does the poem describe? To what common human experience does this poem allude?