Religions of the Middle East Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Monarchy, Captivity, Diaspora, Job, Afterlife, Rabbinic & Modern Judaism Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Monarchy, Captivity, Diaspora, Job, Afterlife, Rabbinic & Modern Judaism

First Midterm Exam  Tu 10/21 at 3pm to Tu 10/28 at 7pm  CEN 456 lab, Cottage Grove Center or approved proctor  See syllabus for further details  Tu 10/21 at 3pm to Tu 10/28 at 7pm  CEN 456 lab, Cottage Grove Center or approved proctor  See syllabus for further details

The Monarchy  Under Judges Israel was a loose confederation of tribes  Secular explanation: no united military defense, no standing army  Religious explanation: God was punishing them for worshiping idols  Under Judges Israel was a loose confederation of tribes  Secular explanation: no united military defense, no standing army  Religious explanation: God was punishing them for worshiping idols

Saul  First King - tall, charismatic, good commander, but insubordinate  Makes a sacrifice reserved for Levites (Priests)  Botches the Amalekite genocide  Resorts to necromancy  Commits suicide, body mutilated, cremated  First King - tall, charismatic, good commander, but insubordinate  Makes a sacrifice reserved for Levites (Priests)  Botches the Amalekite genocide  Resorts to necromancy  Commits suicide, body mutilated, cremated

David  Good King, makes Saul look like a false start  Promised an everlasting Kingdom, model for the Messiah  Sin with Bathsheba results in personal and political consequences  Samuel’s parable of the pet lamb  Good King, makes Saul look like a false start  Promised an everlasting Kingdom, model for the Messiah  Sin with Bathsheba results in personal and political consequences  Samuel’s parable of the pet lamb

Solomon  Asks God for wisdom, given riches as well  Weakness for foreign women, builds temples to their gods  Because of his Father, retains Kingdom, but his son loses it  922 B.C. Israel split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms  Asks God for wisdom, given riches as well  Weakness for foreign women, builds temples to their gods  Because of his Father, retains Kingdom, but his son loses it  922 B.C. Israel split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms

The Divided Kingdom  Secular explanation: Reheboam’s rash threats, regional conflicts and resentment over Solomon’s building projects  “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!”  Religious explanation for split: God is punishing Solomon for idolatry  Secular explanation: Reheboam’s rash threats, regional conflicts and resentment over Solomon’s building projects  “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!”  Religious explanation for split: God is punishing Solomon for idolatry

Successive Conquest  The Split of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 922 B.C.  Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.  Judah falls to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.  The Babylonian Captivity  The Split of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in 922 B.C.  Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.  Judah falls to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.  The Babylonian Captivity

Successive Conquest The Babylonian Captivity  Temple system and sacrifice less important  Emphasis on study of scripture and prayer on Sabbath at local house of worship (synagogue)  Importance of Teacher schooled in Scripture & Tradition (Rabbi) The Babylonian Captivity  Temple system and sacrifice less important  Emphasis on study of scripture and prayer on Sabbath at local house of worship (synagogue)  Importance of Teacher schooled in Scripture & Tradition (Rabbi)

Successive Conquest  The Persians Defeat the Babylonians, Jews return to Judah, rebuild Jerusalem  The Greek Conquest and Maccabean Revolt  Hanukkah  Roman Rule  Rebellion and the Diaspora 70, 130 A.D.  The Holocaust and Restoration of Israel in 1948  The Persians Defeat the Babylonians, Jews return to Judah, rebuild Jerusalem  The Greek Conquest and Maccabean Revolt  Hanukkah  Roman Rule  Rebellion and the Diaspora 70, 130 A.D.  The Holocaust and Restoration of Israel in 1948

Did God keep his promise to David and Solomon?  Promised an “everlasting” kingdom  Conditional promise?  Later Jews (and Christians) came to believe the promise would be fulfilled by a descendent of David who would restore a united Kingdom of Israel (the Messiah)  Promised an “everlasting” kingdom  Conditional promise?  Later Jews (and Christians) came to believe the promise would be fulfilled by a descendent of David who would restore a united Kingdom of Israel (the Messiah)

The Messiah  Hebrew for “annointed one”, sign of being chosen by God, of God’s spirit, royalty  Military leader like the Judges who would deliver Israel from their enemies and establish an everlasting Kingdom  Developed over time as empire after empire conquered Israel  Hebrew for “annointed one”, sign of being chosen by God, of God’s spirit, royalty  Military leader like the Judges who would deliver Israel from their enemies and establish an everlasting Kingdom  Developed over time as empire after empire conquered Israel

The Babylonian Captivity ( BC)  No Temple, so no animal sacrifices (afterwards less important)  Worship in private homes centered around study of scriptures and prayer (become Synagogue system)  Rising importance of a Rabbi (“teacher”) to interpret scripture  Talmud Begins  No Temple, so no animal sacrifices (afterwards less important)  Worship in private homes centered around study of scriptures and prayer (become Synagogue system)  Rising importance of a Rabbi (“teacher”) to interpret scripture  Talmud Begins

The Afterlife in Early Judaism (2000 BC - 538? BC)  The dead go to Sheol (“the grave”)  No conscious experience good or bad  Eternal rest unless you break God’s law and conduct a séance (necromancy)  The dead go to Sheol (“the grave”)  No conscious experience good or bad  Eternal rest unless you break God’s law and conduct a séance (necromancy)

Later Judaism 538? BC to Present  Bodily Resurrection  Persian Zoroastrian Influence  Ezekiel’s Vision - Valley of Dry Bones  Questions about God’s Justice  Daniel 12:2 ONLY unambiguous reference in entire Tanakh  Bodily Resurrection  Persian Zoroastrian Influence  Ezekiel’s Vision - Valley of Dry Bones  Questions about God’s Justice  Daniel 12:2 ONLY unambiguous reference in entire Tanakh

Job  Early view: Punishment for sin  Later view: Test from God, Satan  Early view: Punishment for sin  Later view: Test from God, Satan

Job  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Wager between God and Satan  Satan borrowed from Persians?  Only TWO other references in Tanakh  1 Chronicles 21:1, (cf. 2 Sam 24:1)  Zechariah 3:1-2  Is. 14:12-22 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 refer to the Kings of Babylon and Tyre, not Satan  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Wager between God and Satan  Satan borrowed from Persians?  Only TWO other references in Tanakh  1 Chronicles 21:1, (cf. 2 Sam 24:1)  Zechariah 3:1-2  Is. 14:12-22 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 refer to the Kings of Babylon and Tyre, not Satan

Why do bad things happen to good people?  A test of our faith from Satan  We can’t hope to understand God’s ways; we should just trust and obey  No corporate responsibility  Rejection of misfortune as a manifestation of divine wrath? (Deuteronomy 28)  A test of our faith from Satan  We can’t hope to understand God’s ways; we should just trust and obey  No corporate responsibility  Rejection of misfortune as a manifestation of divine wrath? (Deuteronomy 28)

The Holocaust  The theme of Job writ large  6 million Jews killed, most in gas chambers  Garnered international sympathy  Israel made a nation after WW II without it?  The theme of Job writ large  6 million Jews killed, most in gas chambers  Garnered international sympathy  Israel made a nation after WW II without it?

Judaism  Meaning in History  God works through the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people  Human problem = sin (willful disobedience to God’s commands)  Solution: Concentrate on one group of people, give commands and enforce them. Animal sacrifices early on, later repentance only  Meaning in History  God works through the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people  Human problem = sin (willful disobedience to God’s commands)  Solution: Concentrate on one group of people, give commands and enforce them. Animal sacrifices early on, later repentance only

Major festivals  Passover (Exodus celebration)  Shavuot (Pentacost - Law given 50th day after Passover)  Sukkot (Wilderness Wandering - Tablernacles)  Purim (Saved from Persians by Esther)  Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year)  Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)  Hanukkah (Festival of Lights, independence from Greeks/Seleucids)  Passover (Exodus celebration)  Shavuot (Pentacost - Law given 50th day after Passover)  Sukkot (Wilderness Wandering - Tablernacles)  Purim (Saved from Persians by Esther)  Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year)  Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)  Hanukkah (Festival of Lights, independence from Greeks/Seleucids)

The Talmud  Commentary on The Law  Theology, Demonology, Practical Application (e.g. how to keep Sabbath)  Opinions of Rabbis from the Babylonian Captivity on  Authoritative but not inspired  Commentary on The Law  Theology, Demonology, Practical Application (e.g. how to keep Sabbath)  Opinions of Rabbis from the Babylonian Captivity on  Authoritative but not inspired

Four Branches of Judaism  Orthodox  Conservative  Reformed  Reconstructionist  Orthodox  Conservative  Reformed  Reconstructionist