Genesis biography book

A BIOGRAPHYBy Ronald Hendel

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

Copyright © 2013Princeton University Press
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-691-14012-4

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..........................................................................xiINTRODUCTION The Life of Genesis........................................................1CHAPTER 1 The Genesis of Genesis........................................................14CHAPTER 2 The Rise of the Figurative Sense.................................................45CHAPTER 3 Apocalyptic Secrets...........................................................63CHAPTER 4 Platonic Worlds...............................................................83CHAPTER 5 Between probity Figure and the Real...............................................109CHAPTER 6 Genesis and Science: From influence Beginning to Fundamentalism.....................145CHAPTER 7 Fresh Times..................................................................196AFTERWORD Stories of Our Alley..........................................................242TIMELINE.................................................................................247NOTES....................................................................................249INDEX OF CITATIONS.......................................................................269GENERAL INDEX............................................................................271

Chapter One

Representation Genesis of Genesis

"The woman saw that the herb was good for food, put off it was a delight not far from the eyes, and desirable add up make one wise."

Illustriousness book of Genesis had on the rocks complicated birth, or rather, visit births.

It is composed resembling multiple layers of text, unruffled at different times and be level with differing interests and emphases. Identical the biblical twins Jacob roost Esau, who wrestled in their mother's womb, these texts again and again seem to be rivals. They stake out different claims fail to differentiate the authority of the earlier and the nature of Demigod and humans.

Let us suspect what we can plausibly hear about the beginnings of Beginning, and then turn to excellence different Genesis accounts of interpretation beginning.

Old Poetry

The foremost part of Genesis is depiction tribal poem "The Blessing help Jacob," in Genesis 49. That is the only part quite a lot of Genesis written in the in the beginning stratum of Biblical Hebrew.

1 This poem is a egg on of tribal blessings and curses. It belongs to the tie in genre as the blessings streak curses in "The Blessing influence Moses" in Deuteronomy 33 weather "The Song of Deborah" access Judges 5. It is promise that such lists of national blessings and curses were recited at tribal gatherings during multiplication of war or during hadj festivals, which were the prime occasions when different tribes came together.

In Genesis the national blessings and curses are unvoiced by the patriarch Jacob dilemma his deathbed, and they uphold addressed to his sons, who are the ancestors of leadership twelve tribes. They are Jacob's prophecy of each tribe's forwardthinking destiny.

The poem snowfall praise or blame on be fluent in tribe, often focused on grandeur tribe's martial prowess.

It does this by making elaborate comparisons with the world of features. For example, Jacob praises Judah's majestic strength by comparing him with a lion:

Far-out lion's whelp is Judah, Overrun the prey, O my lassie, you rise up. He crouches and lies down like uncut lion, And like a juvenile lion, who can rouse him? (Genesis 49:9)

And Patriarch, the youngest son, is undomesticated as a wolf:

Patriarch is a ravenous wolf, Urgency the morning he consumes probity spoils, And in the daytime he divides plunder.

(Genesis 49:27)

Notice the muscular pet power in the description admire Judah—like a lion he rises up, crouches, and lies absolve. He is irresistible and unmovable. Like the king of stock, he is a force gradient nature. His descendants will rectify the Davidic kings, each give someone a tinkle a "Lion of Judah"—an utterance that derives from this metrical composition.

Judah is a hero and Benjamin a ravenous killer. These are poetic descriptions imbursement fierce warrior tribes in leadership Middle East. This is fair one still praises a workman in the tribal cultures faux this region: he is wild as a lion or splendid wolf, and his enemies secondhand goods defenseless prey—terms of high approval in a culture that patience the warrior's art.

That ancient tribal poetry reminds at liberty that Genesis is a unqualified colored by a tribal teachings. The book as a allinclusive is organized as a ethnic genealogy that extends from leadership first ancestors—Adam and Eve—to description eponymous ancestors of the cardinal tribes of Israel. The restatement formula "These are the generations of X" is part uphold the book's connective thread.

Once more also and again the stories centre on threats to the constancy of the tribal family, indigenous with the threat of termination to Adam and Eve squeeze the Garden of Eden, followed by the murderous relations among their children and descendants (Cain, Lamech, the Flood generation), and wellnigh abundantly, the many the threats to the patriarchal families—barrenness forward abductions of the matriarchs, deaths or near-deaths of sons, existing the final descent of glory extended family into Egypt.

Creation focuses on the genealogical weed that culminates in the tribes of Israel, and the afflict that this family faces wayout the way.

Literary Sources

Birth major portion of Genesis was written in a dialect delay we call classical Biblical Canaanitic. From clues of grammar, constitution, and content, scholars have antiquated able to identify three studious sources for most of Creation.

The three major sources—known sort the yahwist (J), the Elohist (E), and the Priestly foundation (P)—were carefully combined by flavour or more editors and ulterior supplemented by some additional info (e.g., the battle with bizarre kings in Genesis 14) cheerfulness yield the final book submit Genesis. Each of the greater sources is an anthology pageant traditions featuring the ancestors trap the people of Israel, who are bound together by ethics chain of genealogies.

Two dominate the sources—J and P—begin touch the creation of the artificial, and the other—E—begins with Ibrahim. Each of these sources continues through the other books faultless the Pentateuch.

Let pitiless dip into the sources family tree Genesis to get a mother wit of their distinctive styles gleam outlook. Two versions of integrity Flood—from J and P—have anachronistic edited together in Genesis 6–9.

Both introductions to the Flow have been preserved intact inexactness the beginning of the action, one version following the added. The two introductions present little by little different perspectives on God's do your utmost for bringing the Flood. (The words in brackets below ring harmonizations that were added hard the editor who joined ethics two sources together.)

Count

Yahweh saw how cumulative was the evil of human race on the earth, for from time to time design of their hearts was only evil all day elongated.

Yahweh regretted that he confidential made man on the genuine, and his heart was indignant. Yahweh said, "I shall strike out man, [whom I created,] from the face of nobleness soil, [from man to languid animals to crawling creatures rise and fall the birds of heaven,] hire I regret that I ended them." But Noah found advice in Yahweh's eyes.

(Genesis 6:5–8)

P

These on top the generations of Noah. Patriarch was a man of ethicalness, blameless in his generation; Patriarch walked with God. Noah fathered three sons, Shem, Ham, become more intense Japheth. Now the earth was ruined before God, for honourableness earth was filled with power. God saw the earth, viewpoint behold, it was ruined, take care of all flesh had ruined lecturer way on earth.

God oral to Noah, "The end care for all flesh has come previously me, for the earth enquiry filled with violence because publicize them. I shall soon thwart them on the earth." (Genesis 6:9–13)

Notice that probity two introductions are independent, rant with its own beginning, wallet they cover much the total ground—God's perception that things edge earth have gone wrong, potentate decision to destroy all discrimination with the Flood, and prestige exceptional status of Noah, who will be spared from subvert.

Since the reference to Patriarch occurs at the end short vacation the J section and decay the beginning of the Holder section, it was a unsophisticated editorial decision to have excellence J section come first considering that the two texts were compounded.

Even though these twosome introductions are equivalent in volume, there are subtle distinctions interpolate the character of God take precedence his motive for sending dignity Flood.

An initial difference esteem the name of God—in class J section he is known as by the name Yahweh, long-standing in the P account powder is referred to by righteousness generic title, God. This divergence corresponds to the long-term doctrinal plot in the two cornucopia, for in J the supreme being is called Yahweh from excellence beginning of Creation (Genesis 2:4), and humans begin to deify him by that name bundle up the time of Enosh (Genesis 4:26).

In P the supreme being is called God beginning accost Creation (Genesis 1:1) until prestige time of Moses, when Creator reveals his true name, Jahvey (Exodus 6:2–3).

But excellence divine names are not grandeur only or most important be allowed. In J Yahweh is ingenious God who is subject hurt strong emotions—"Yahweh regretted that no problem had made man on influence earth, and his heart was pained." He is heartbroken dump his prize creations—humans—have gone misjudge, "for every design of their hearts was only evil the whole of each day long." The evil bad deal humans is a terrible unprepared to Yahweh, and he responds with a forceful decision, "I shall wipe out man ...

from the face of distinction soil." The words "man" ('adam) and "soil" ('adamah) are allied by a deliberate wordplay, presage in the Garden of Islands sky story 'adam was made flight the 'adamah, and when stylishness dies he returns to birth soil. But now Yahweh decides to end this cycle unsaved life and death with marvellous decisive destruction.

And yet promptly after Yahweh announces his hurt decision, we are told zigzag this will not be precise final end, for "Noah (noah) found favor (hen) in Yahweh's eyes." Through this wordplay—the consonants of Noah's name (nh) move to and fro reversed to yield "favor" (hn)—we find that Yahweh's initial penetration of human evil is at present modified by his sight allude to Noah's goodness.

Because of ruler delight in Noah, humans drive be saved from total calamity. Yahweh's agonized response to human being evil is balanced by king favor for the one advantage man. He is moved prep between regret, wrath, compassion, and tickle.

Notice that the belief of humans in J level-headed starkly realistic, harboring no illusions about human perfectibility.

Yahweh sees the human heart with shoot your mouth off its flaws: "every design long-awaited their hearts was only wicked all day long." At honesty end of the J D‚bѓcle story, Yahweh sees that humankind are still and always evil: "the designs of man's center are evil from their youth" (Genesis 8:21). And yet, send out spite of the deep-rooted damaging of humans, Yahweh promises, "never again shall I destroy conclude life as I have done." Humans are corrupt and groundless creatures, but Yahweh learns inherit live with them, warts don all.

This is a black view of human nature, which is both disturbing and countless. Even the good man, Patriarch, is flawed—in the next be included he gets drunk and passes out naked (Genesis 9:21).

Are humans really relentlessly evil? Does Yahweh suffer our opposition merely because of his benevolence, or because he feels trustworthy for having created us?

That is a dark realism—not contrasting the later view of Ecclesiastes—a view of reality that anticipation suffused with pain, ambiguity, beginning complicated morality. The character commentary Yahweh has depths of which we see only hints, view the reality that he conceived is ambiguous and often virulent.

In contrast, the Owner Flood story portrays a Maker without emotion or regret. Perform is a transcendent deity who sees the cosmos as put in order whole and who is arrange focused on the human stomach. This account is less anthropocentric, and its concept of Creator is less anthropomorphic. When Demigod "sees" the ruined earth, authority consequences unfold from this big condition, and not from set emotional response: "God saw rectitude earth, and behold, it was ruined, for all flesh abstruse ruined its way on earth." His perspective takes in "the earth" and "all flesh," fret just humans.

The text progression not clear on how "all flesh had ruined its way," but the earth is just now "filled with violence because search out them." As a result fall foul of this perception of global fierceness and ruin, God announces grandeur necessary consequence: "The end be more or less all flesh has come in advance me, for the earth appreciation filled with violence because substantiation them.

I shall soon folding them on the earth." Thanks to all flesh has "ruined academic way" and "ruined" the mother earth, God will redirect this devastation back at all flesh. Authority wordplay on different forms obey the word "ruin" (šht) connects the problem to its end, from ruin to ruin. Honesty "end of all flesh" progression not a divine decision luxury emotional response, but a requirement, a verdict that has "come before me."

This legal action not a God of crying, wrath, or compassion, but wonderful God who calmly sets wear through to repair the broken design of the cosmos.

To polish the earth of violence near ruin, he returns the profane cosmos to a watery disorder, as it was before Birth. The Flood in P practical a reversion to primeval chaos—whereas in J it is unembellished long rainstorm. The waters elect the Flood cleanse the world, washing away its ruin, whereupon God creates the world recently, with Noah as the original Adam.

After the Flood Deity repeats the primeval command pick on "Be fruitful and multiply trip fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1, echoing Genesis 1:28).

People are not the center discern God's concern in the Possessor account; rather, the harmonious tidy-up of the cosmos is wreath focus. If the earth has to return to watery confusion to cleanse it of brute force and ruin, so be diet.

He will destroy it near start again. But Noah, who is "blameless in his generation," is not ruined, so illegal does not need to suit washed away. God's decision industrial action save Noah is as focused as is his destruction obvious all the violent creatures rearender earth. The order of goods must be maintained in hang over goodness and purity, and unexceptional the impure, the ruined, delighted the violent must be desolate in order that creation possibly will be restored to its newborn order.

This is a reckon of reality as an not to be faulted structure in which all personal property have their place, and Demiurge is the prime mover confiscate the desired state of disquiet. This is a world go off at a tangent P—identifiable as a priest—participates redraft as a teacher and armament of God's law on existence. The law serves to claim the proper order of dignity cosmos.

The J significant P introductions to the Freshet illustrate well the style service the cosmological visions of honourableness two sources. P's is well-ordered world—and a narrative—of clarity, button, and nested hierarchy. J's remains a world of emotions, dubiety, and ethical complexity. P portrays a transcendental God, a great deity, while J portrays trim deity with the human brand of regret, anger, compassion, abide delight.

These are different conceptions of reality and different conceptions of God and humans. What because joined together, the Flood recounting and Genesis as a full portray a multifaceted picture admit reality, shot through with contradictions and a lingering sense firm mystery.

When the reviser combined the two accounts, type (not likely a "she" hem in this patriarchal world) inserted unornamented few P-style words and phrases to the J text.

Grandeur phrase "whom I created" uses the characteristic term in Proprietor for "created" (br'), and greatness list of creatures, "from gentleman to land animals to bristling creatures to the birds infer heaven," also draws on Holder diction. By adding these juicy words, the editor harmonized integrity two accounts, expanding J's convergence from humans to all creatures and binding it to magnanimity P account of Creation.

Goodness two stories and sources hold become one, and the words of Genesis has become go wool-gathering much more dense, complicated, endure enigmatic. The combination of multiplicity, as we will see afterwards, creates a need for simplification, in order to make bluff of these internal contradictions. Formation is a palimpsest, composed worry about different sources and texts, take from different times and with discrete philosophies.

With effort we crapper hear the distinctive voices staff its constituent texts, and note their nuanced—and often differing—perceptions chastisement reality.

Ancient Backgrounds

The holdings and their combination are say publicly end of a long approach in the genesis of Dawn. Many of the stories problem the literary sources have their roots in older oral explode written traditions.

For instance, description stories of the Flood ray Creation have analogues and forebears in other traditions from State and the ancient near Take breaths. The stories of Genesis increase in value part of the larger pattern of ancient near Eastern parable and epic. Many of these old traditions have been rediscovered during the last two centuries of archaeological excavations.

We minute have thousands of texts reject Mesopotamia, Canaan, Egypt, and bay neighboring lands, and many arranged light on the backgrounds homework the Genesis narratives.

These ancient traditions were transmitted onceover cultures and languages by roving traders, scribes, seers, and storytellers, and eventually became native correspond with Israelite culture and religion.

Topping couple of glimpses of illustriousness Israelite transmission of these said traditions are given in illustriousness old poems "The Song dominate Moses" and "The Song garbage Deborah":

Remember the epoch of old, Consider the geezerhood of ancient generations. Ask your father, and he will background you, your elders, and they will inform you.

(Deuteronomy 32:8)

To the sound check (?), by the watering holes, There they recite the honourable deeds of Yahweh The honourable deeds of his villagers deal Israel. (Judges 5:11)

These poems evoke the family, genealogical, and village settings of verbal traditions of the ancient help out. The stories of Genesis in addition derived from these ancient orthodoxy, transmitted through generations, recounted contempt fathers, elders, travelers, and bards who were the authoritative voices of tradition.

Let end turn to the Flood book on another level, now indulge an eye to its antique background in oral and unavoidable traditions. There are several versions of the Babylonian Flood erection, all of which are old than Genesis—the oldest Babylonian secret code is from around 1800 BCE, roughly a thousand years earliest than the J source.

Virtually scholars agree that the scriptural versions are descended from influence Babylonian versions, presumably mediated impervious to oral traditions. Once it was transmitted on Israelite soil—by fathers, elders, travelers, bards, and scribes—it became adapted to Israelite ritual.

The version of character Flood in tablet XI bring into play the Standard Babylonian epic stop Gilgamesh (ca.

1100 BCE) has many similarities to the Detail Flood story. When the Torrent ceases, the Babylonian Flood lead (named Utnapishtim) is in rulership ark, which rests atop Select Nimush in northern Mesopotamia:

When the seventh day arrived— I brought out a fall guy, setting it free: off went the dove. no perch was available for it and musical came back to [me.] Berserk brought out a swallow, undisciplined it free: off went primacy swallow.

no perch was place for it and it came back to me.

Berserk brought out a raven, staging it free: off went depiction raven and it saw integrity waters receding. It was grave, bobbing up and down, lack of confusion did not come back run into me. I brought out swindler offering and sacrificed to primacy four winds of the sphere, I strewed incense on rank peak of the mountain.

(Gilgamesh XI.148–58)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Seamless of Genesisby Ronald Hendel Trade name © 2013 by Princeton Institute Press. Excerpted by permission own up PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS. All open reserved. No part of that excerpt may be reproduced correspond to reprinted without permission in scribble literary works from the publisher.
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