Well, I wasn't as vigilant as I really should have been (I must admit, I hate putting my thoughts and feelings into a public place), but I'll try to sum up some of the thoughts that have been bumping around in my head.
The translation of Moses with a horn. Awesome idea. I even looked up "horned people", and one of the searches came up with a wonderful manga, Elfen Lied, here's a link to it:
http://www.mangavolume.com/elfen-lied/chapter-elfen-lied-1/1
It's a relatively short manga (only 107 chapters, or 6-ish hours of reading) and is very popular. It had been suggested to me by four people before reading it, and since it showed up on Google I reckoned I would take a peek at it. Don't let the cover fool you; it's not porn, it's actually very deep and interesting. And when reading it, remember it's Japanese, so read the panes right-to-left.
The Slave was alright. It wasn't groundbreaking for me, nor did it inspire an epiphany. It did, however, provide several very interesting things to look into. For example, the Talmud, (and the Mishnah and Gemara) Akdamut, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Tishabov, 17th day of Tammuz (these last five are holidays), tying a knot to symbolize an unbreakable pledge, the Kabbalah, the Midrash, Rashi, and matzoth were all new things, and were fun to look up on Wikipedia. I probably learned just as much about religious practices from this book as I did reading the Bible.
Folklore in the Old Testament had a concept that was intriguing as well: ultimogeniture. In ultimogeniture, the last son is the proper heir.This throws a little bit of a spin on several tales: Jacob and Esau, David, Joseph, and more-or-less all the "underdogs" were youngest sons, and were God's chosen. But, according to ultimogeniture, they weren't really underdogs; they were the right choice, the ones that should be chosen. Which makes the interpretation of God - who always seem to choose the most unlikely - seem a little more like a "likely" chooser. Or, he places his bets on the stronger candidates.
Anyway, these are some final thoughts that I felt would be good to share.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Our group presentation, and my personal one
Our group presentation was a Jeopardy game, in which we asked questions about the mountain. We had four categories, The Bible, Frye 1, Frye 2, and Literary references. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a way to embed the program, so you won't get a download for it. Sorry! But our questions focused mainly on the different aspects of the Mountain, such as how it is a natural symbol, how it is representative of the "U" shape Frye believes the Bible follows, and how ascension of the Mountain brings man closer to God and the kerygmatic.
My presentation was about how Battlestar Galactica, the reimagined TV Series, is a modern interpretation of the Bible. As I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy reading a paper, I'll try to lay it out in a more entertaining fashion:
So, first there are the easy parallels. Between the characters, we have figures of Moses in Laura Roslin (the dying leader/prophet), Paul is Saul Tigh (a military commander that persecutes Cylons, then finds he is one), and Gaius Baltar as Satan, just to name a few.
Also, the basic storyline follows that of Genesis and Exodus: There is a fall from Paradise (Kobol), and then the Twelve Tribes - like those of Israel - travelled out to new lands - in this case worlds - to continue their ways. Then came an exodus from those worlds, at which point they lived in the wastes - outer space - for several years, endured many hardships, then came to the Promised Land. Oh, and their leader died right when they reached it.
However, the storyline also follows the basic comedic style of the Bible, the "U." This happens in almost every episode - high at the beginning, then a catastrophe causes a fall, but they overcome it and reach a high point at the end - but so does the main plot points. They begin in paradise, but fall, then they rise to prominence on their twelve worlds, but those twelve worlds are laid waste by the Cylons, so they had to leave, but they found a new planet to inhabit, but the Cylons found them there too and the humans were enslaved, and there was another Exodus, and then they found Earth, and they populated the land and interbred with the natives (which were humans, just 150,000 years ago, but still homo sapiens). Notice the parataxis? Of course you did.
Anyway, we can also find it in the symbols: the mountain, garden, cave, and furnace. The characters experience epiphanies upon alighting on the Mountains of Earth, they inhabited the Gardens of Paradise (Kobol in actually in a couple episodes, and is pretty much a jungle) they drifted through the Cave of space, and they were purged through the Furnace of war and some nebulae.
Another point I talked about concerned the kerygmatic. Professor Sexson often said that the kerygmatic answers the question: "How can I live a fuller life?" The Bible attempts to answer this question. Battlestar Galactica asks the same question, but in a different form: "Why should humans survive?" This series provides no tangible solution, but you are left with a feeling that you understand why we should survive. The characters also undergo this kerygmatic process; upon reaching earth, each human goes out and finds his needful thing. For some, it's a spouse; for others, it's a nice, quiet farmstead. For Bill Adama, the Joshua or military leader, it's a cabin up on the mountain that his lover wanted to build.
Anyway, I would strongly recommend Battlestar Galactica to anyone, even if only for the cultural experience. For, as Frye says on page 97 of Words with Power, "The many religions of the world... accept a specific mythological background and then translate it into a conceptual doctrine that is to be believed (quid credas). Belief then bears fruit in the actions and lifestyle of the believer (quid agas)." Battlestar certainly covers those, as it affects many actions and lifestyles:
Not to mention, Battlestar completely revolutionized distribution practices, and thus makes it a fascinating economic study as well.
My presentation was about how Battlestar Galactica, the reimagined TV Series, is a modern interpretation of the Bible. As I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy reading a paper, I'll try to lay it out in a more entertaining fashion:
So, first there are the easy parallels. Between the characters, we have figures of Moses in Laura Roslin (the dying leader/prophet), Paul is Saul Tigh (a military commander that persecutes Cylons, then finds he is one), and Gaius Baltar as Satan, just to name a few.
Also, the basic storyline follows that of Genesis and Exodus: There is a fall from Paradise (Kobol), and then the Twelve Tribes - like those of Israel - travelled out to new lands - in this case worlds - to continue their ways. Then came an exodus from those worlds, at which point they lived in the wastes - outer space - for several years, endured many hardships, then came to the Promised Land. Oh, and their leader died right when they reached it.
However, the storyline also follows the basic comedic style of the Bible, the "U." This happens in almost every episode - high at the beginning, then a catastrophe causes a fall, but they overcome it and reach a high point at the end - but so does the main plot points. They begin in paradise, but fall, then they rise to prominence on their twelve worlds, but those twelve worlds are laid waste by the Cylons, so they had to leave, but they found a new planet to inhabit, but the Cylons found them there too and the humans were enslaved, and there was another Exodus, and then they found Earth, and they populated the land and interbred with the natives (which were humans, just 150,000 years ago, but still homo sapiens). Notice the parataxis? Of course you did.
Anyway, we can also find it in the symbols: the mountain, garden, cave, and furnace. The characters experience epiphanies upon alighting on the Mountains of Earth, they inhabited the Gardens of Paradise (Kobol in actually in a couple episodes, and is pretty much a jungle) they drifted through the Cave of space, and they were purged through the Furnace of war and some nebulae.
Another point I talked about concerned the kerygmatic. Professor Sexson often said that the kerygmatic answers the question: "How can I live a fuller life?" The Bible attempts to answer this question. Battlestar Galactica asks the same question, but in a different form: "Why should humans survive?" This series provides no tangible solution, but you are left with a feeling that you understand why we should survive. The characters also undergo this kerygmatic process; upon reaching earth, each human goes out and finds his needful thing. For some, it's a spouse; for others, it's a nice, quiet farmstead. For Bill Adama, the Joshua or military leader, it's a cabin up on the mountain that his lover wanted to build.
Anyway, I would strongly recommend Battlestar Galactica to anyone, even if only for the cultural experience. For, as Frye says on page 97 of Words with Power, "The many religions of the world... accept a specific mythological background and then translate it into a conceptual doctrine that is to be believed (quid credas). Belief then bears fruit in the actions and lifestyle of the believer (quid agas)." Battlestar certainly covers those, as it affects many actions and lifestyles:
Not to mention, Battlestar completely revolutionized distribution practices, and thus makes it a fascinating economic study as well.
Notes for the Final
Group 1: Mountain 1
1. What is their spirit animal?
A- "7-horned" buck
Group 2: Garden 1
1. How does Frye suggest the original Adam was constituted?
A - Both male and female
Group 3: Cave
1. What is that which makes the descent into the Cave worthwhile?
A- Gnosis - Greek word for a "knowledge that provides transcendence or salvation:
Group 4: Furnace
1. What does Frye align with destruction and annihilation?
A - Creativity
Group 5: Mountain 2
1. Where did the Grinch have his epiphany?
A - At the top of Mount Crumpet
Group 6: Garden 2
1. What does Frye say that nature is?
A - symbolically maternal
From Presentations
1. How many mitzvots are in the Old Testament?
A- 613
2. What is the name of the first film in the Bergman trilogy?
A- Through a Glass Darkly
3.Janeism - total believer in the sanctity of all life. Most extreme form of ethical religion.
From Bible
We will test on the Book of Luke, John, the first letter to the Corinthians, and the Book of Revelation.
1. What is their spirit animal?
A- "7-horned" buck
Group 2: Garden 1
1. How does Frye suggest the original Adam was constituted?
A - Both male and female
Group 3: Cave
1. What is that which makes the descent into the Cave worthwhile?
A- Gnosis - Greek word for a "knowledge that provides transcendence or salvation:
Group 4: Furnace
1. What does Frye align with destruction and annihilation?
A - Creativity
Group 5: Mountain 2
1. Where did the Grinch have his epiphany?
A - At the top of Mount Crumpet
Group 6: Garden 2
1. What does Frye say that nature is?
A - symbolically maternal
From Presentations
1. How many mitzvots are in the Old Testament?
A- 613
2. What is the name of the first film in the Bergman trilogy?
A- Through a Glass Darkly
3.Janeism - total believer in the sanctity of all life. Most extreme form of ethical religion.
From Bible
We will test on the Book of Luke, John, the first letter to the Corinthians, and the Book of Revelation.
Monday, November 29, 2010
A discussion about the Bible
Well, I finally had that discussion with someone else about the Bible. Of course, I have been bringing it up to my roommate, especially when he suggests I clean up the place a little - the story about Mary, Martha, Jesus, and the one needful thing truly is a wondrous tale - but I actually sat down and had a conversation with someone. This someone also happened to be my mother.
I decided that I wanted to have a discussion with someone that I could actually learn something from, and I knew that my mother is very knowledgeable of the bible. Little did I know, she was actually very knowledgeable, and I definitely got taught a few things.
The first thing I learned was that for three years after she had my oldest sibling, she was a stay-at-home mom. Quite the turn around from today's Mom, for sure. But while she stayed at home, she decided to study the Bible. And that's it. She studied the Bible everyday (about)for three years. She had a Bible completely covered with little annotations in the margins. Once she ran out of margin space, she wrote everything down in notebooks. She had more notebooks on the Bible than I do for my 120 credits' worth of classes. It was crazy! And then she brought out a book entitled An Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible by James Strong, published 1894. A very old, very large book. It also had a Greek and Hebrew dictionary in it, which my mother exploited to the utmost. Every verb, noun, and phrase was looked up and translated back into Hebrew and Greek, then retranslated back into English to see how many different interpretations there were. And there were a lot. She told me that her favorite book, Daniel, was very different in Hebrew than it was in English. This intrigued me, so I asked if I could borrow her book. It is now currently sitting in my room. I'm somewhat afraid to touch the thing; it looks like it'll explode into a cloud of dust at any moment. But I'm sure I'll get over the fear soon and actually started really reading the Bible, as a multilingual facet of history.
I decided that I wanted to have a discussion with someone that I could actually learn something from, and I knew that my mother is very knowledgeable of the bible. Little did I know, she was actually very knowledgeable, and I definitely got taught a few things.
The first thing I learned was that for three years after she had my oldest sibling, she was a stay-at-home mom. Quite the turn around from today's Mom, for sure. But while she stayed at home, she decided to study the Bible. And that's it. She studied the Bible everyday (about)for three years. She had a Bible completely covered with little annotations in the margins. Once she ran out of margin space, she wrote everything down in notebooks. She had more notebooks on the Bible than I do for my 120 credits' worth of classes. It was crazy! And then she brought out a book entitled An Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible by James Strong, published 1894. A very old, very large book. It also had a Greek and Hebrew dictionary in it, which my mother exploited to the utmost. Every verb, noun, and phrase was looked up and translated back into Hebrew and Greek, then retranslated back into English to see how many different interpretations there were. And there were a lot. She told me that her favorite book, Daniel, was very different in Hebrew than it was in English. This intrigued me, so I asked if I could borrow her book. It is now currently sitting in my room. I'm somewhat afraid to touch the thing; it looks like it'll explode into a cloud of dust at any moment. But I'm sure I'll get over the fear soon and actually started really reading the Bible, as a multilingual facet of history.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
For the Test!
Assignment: Why didn't you finish the Bible in this semester?
What we will be focusing on for the New Testament: Book of Luke, the end of Book of John, the Book of Revelation, Book of Acts, two passages from Corinthians (2:9, and 13:, and 15:), Judges.
Read these chapters for Plotz as well
To know for the exam:
Parables for Book of Luke
How Bottom (From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), misread I Corinthians 2:9, and how he has been the only man to see, much less cohabit with, the queen of the fairies.
The Exam Questions:
1. What is temenos?
A - A holy precinct, the carving out of a sacred space within a secular landscape.
2. What does Sarah pretend to be so that she can be said to be Jewish?
A - A mute
3. According to Frye, what is the epiphanic moment in the Book of Job?
A - Chapter 38, when God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind.
Note: an epiphany is a manifestation of the divine.
4. According to Frye, the happy ending of the framed device is what?
A - The right one! Because the Bible is a comedy, and so must end on a high note.
5. What does "Islam" mean?
A - Submission to God
Note: Please read the Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie. It's not going to be on the test, though. Just a suggestion.
6. Why did Plotz think that Gideon was such an important character that he would name his child after the Judge?
A - Plotz considered Gideon one of the better people of the Bible, and because Gideon was one of the lowest people of the Bible that rises magnificently to the challenge God sets before him.
7. Of what tribe was Ruth?
A - The Moabites
8. What book of the bible has the most literary references?
A - Ecclesiastes
9. What Psalm inspired Allegri's misere?
A - Psalm 51
10. Define parataxis.
A - A literary form in which all clauses carry equal weight; e.g. they have no subordinate conjunctions.
11. What are the two types of Wisdom?
A - Conventional: proverbial literature; Speculative: dark, dooming philosophies, such as the Book of Ecclesiastes.
12. What book in the Bible never mentions God? (mentioned in Frye, Chapter 3)
A - The Book of Esther
13. Samson's act, after regrowing his hair, does what?
A - Pulls down the temple of the Phillistines, killing many people (and himself).
14.What is the metaphor comparing at the end of Ecclesiastes?
A - the metaphor is that of a decaying house to a human body
15. Ecclesiastes is a what?
A - A preacher
16. What is the central question of Job?
A - Theodicy, the attempt to justify the benevolence of a god that allows suffering of innocents.
A2 - Where shall wisdom be found?
17. What does Dr. Sexson's father warn him about when he traveled abroad?
A - Wine, women, and song.
18. In the parable that Jesus speaks in the book of Luke concerning Mary and Martha, Mary is encumbered by many things. However, Jesus says she should be concerned with what?
A - The needful thing.
19. In the book of Job, Job says: Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark, let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the dawning of the day: because it shut not up the doors of my mother's ___, nor hid sorrow from my eyes. Why died I not from the ____?
A - womb
20. What Apocryphal Book was the inspiration for Peter Quince at the Clavier?
A - Susanna
21. What story by Flannery O'Connor was about the burning bush?
A - Parker's Back
22 What was the conventional wisdom of Job's three friends?
A - Anybody who suffers must have done something wrong to deserve such suffering.
23. What does Job's wife suggest to Job?
A - That Job curse God and die.
24. Pages 116-190 for Frye; know them. They cover the fifth level of reading called the Kerygmatic.
A - The Kerygmatic answers the questions: How do I live a fuller life?
What we will be focusing on for the New Testament: Book of Luke, the end of Book of John, the Book of Revelation, Book of Acts, two passages from Corinthians (2:9, and 13:, and 15:), Judges.
Read these chapters for Plotz as well
To know for the exam:
Parables for Book of Luke
How Bottom (From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), misread I Corinthians 2:9, and how he has been the only man to see, much less cohabit with, the queen of the fairies.
The Exam Questions:
1. What is temenos?
A - A holy precinct, the carving out of a sacred space within a secular landscape.
2. What does Sarah pretend to be so that she can be said to be Jewish?
A - A mute
3. According to Frye, what is the epiphanic moment in the Book of Job?
A - Chapter 38, when God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind.
Note: an epiphany is a manifestation of the divine.
4. According to Frye, the happy ending of the framed device is what?
A - The right one! Because the Bible is a comedy, and so must end on a high note.
5. What does "Islam" mean?
A - Submission to God
Note: Please read the Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie. It's not going to be on the test, though. Just a suggestion.
6. Why did Plotz think that Gideon was such an important character that he would name his child after the Judge?
A - Plotz considered Gideon one of the better people of the Bible, and because Gideon was one of the lowest people of the Bible that rises magnificently to the challenge God sets before him.
7. Of what tribe was Ruth?
A - The Moabites
8. What book of the bible has the most literary references?
A - Ecclesiastes
9. What Psalm inspired Allegri's misere?
A - Psalm 51
10. Define parataxis.
A - A literary form in which all clauses carry equal weight; e.g. they have no subordinate conjunctions.
11. What are the two types of Wisdom?
A - Conventional: proverbial literature; Speculative: dark, dooming philosophies, such as the Book of Ecclesiastes.
12. What book in the Bible never mentions God? (mentioned in Frye, Chapter 3)
A - The Book of Esther
13. Samson's act, after regrowing his hair, does what?
A - Pulls down the temple of the Phillistines, killing many people (and himself).
14.What is the metaphor comparing at the end of Ecclesiastes?
A - the metaphor is that of a decaying house to a human body
15. Ecclesiastes is a what?
A - A preacher
16. What is the central question of Job?
A - Theodicy, the attempt to justify the benevolence of a god that allows suffering of innocents.
A2 - Where shall wisdom be found?
17. What does Dr. Sexson's father warn him about when he traveled abroad?
A - Wine, women, and song.
18. In the parable that Jesus speaks in the book of Luke concerning Mary and Martha, Mary is encumbered by many things. However, Jesus says she should be concerned with what?
A - The needful thing.
19. In the book of Job, Job says: Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark, let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the dawning of the day: because it shut not up the doors of my mother's ___, nor hid sorrow from my eyes. Why died I not from the ____?
A - womb
20. What Apocryphal Book was the inspiration for Peter Quince at the Clavier?
A - Susanna
21. What story by Flannery O'Connor was about the burning bush?
A - Parker's Back
22 What was the conventional wisdom of Job's three friends?
A - Anybody who suffers must have done something wrong to deserve such suffering.
23. What does Job's wife suggest to Job?
A - That Job curse God and die.
24. Pages 116-190 for Frye; know them. They cover the fifth level of reading called the Kerygmatic.
A - The Kerygmatic answers the questions: How do I live a fuller life?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Notes for 10-26-2010
We first talked about The Slave, by Isaac Singer. Make sure you take notes as you read it! And look up terms (Gemarrah, Talmud, Yiddish, etc.)! Our final term paper will be about this book. It will need to be about 3-4 pages. Something potentially helpful: The Slave is about the massacre of the 17th Century. His story seems to be similar to that of Job.
We then looked at the Book of Job. So we know that Job is innocent because the of the introduction to the story. God tested Job because of a bet with El Satan, making Job lose all his possessions and family. Through it all, Job did not curse God, but demanded answers. At the end of the story, God comes down and calls Job a worm for questioning him and there is an epiphany. And then God rewarded Job with more earthly possessions. The Book of Job can be broken into three parts, somewhat like a play: Act 1, the beginning, Acts 2, 3, and 4, the actual story of Job, and Act 5, the epilogue. Much like Escalus's Prometheus Bound. Professor Sexson likened the story of Job to an Oreo Cookie: the best part is in the middle. Make sure to pay special attention to Chapter 3 of Job; it's a very famous passage.
We also listened to "Sire of Sorrow" By Joni Mitchell. A fairly sad song. Look it up! Here are the lyrics: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/joni_mitchell/the_sire_of_sorrow_jobs_sad_song.html
We also spoke of Ecclesiastes, similar to the Book of Job. It's about a guy who is very pessimistic. Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds is taken directly from this book. Actually, quite a few famous titles come from this book. So it's pretty important.
We then looked at the Book of Job. So we know that Job is innocent because the of the introduction to the story. God tested Job because of a bet with El Satan, making Job lose all his possessions and family. Through it all, Job did not curse God, but demanded answers. At the end of the story, God comes down and calls Job a worm for questioning him and there is an epiphany. And then God rewarded Job with more earthly possessions. The Book of Job can be broken into three parts, somewhat like a play: Act 1, the beginning, Acts 2, 3, and 4, the actual story of Job, and Act 5, the epilogue. Much like Escalus's Prometheus Bound. Professor Sexson likened the story of Job to an Oreo Cookie: the best part is in the middle. Make sure to pay special attention to Chapter 3 of Job; it's a very famous passage.
We also listened to "Sire of Sorrow" By Joni Mitchell. A fairly sad song. Look it up! Here are the lyrics: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/joni_mitchell/the_sire_of_sorrow_jobs_sad_song.html
We also spoke of Ecclesiastes, similar to the Book of Job. It's about a guy who is very pessimistic. Turn Turn Turn by The Byrds is taken directly from this book. Actually, quite a few famous titles come from this book. So it's pretty important.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Notes for 10-19-2010
Homework Assignment: Have a bad day! And look in the Book of Job. Weigh in on Job's suffering on our blogs.
Read the Book of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs.
Read the Book of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs.
Peter Quince at the Clavier and Susanna
Susanna is a rather odd story in the Apocrypha. It was not written in Hebrew (as is noted in the heading of the story in our Bible version), and it speaks up for the rights of a woman, Susanna. In the story, two elders lust after a woman, Susanna, and catch her bathing alone in a garden. Confronting her, they say that if she will not lie with them, they will say that she was meeting a young gentleman. She cries out, they testify against her, and she is sentenced to death. Before she is killed, however, Daniel speaks up in her defense, questions the elders, and they are put to death instead for bearing false witness.
Peter Quince is a character from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is about two young couples falling in and out of love through the magic of fairies. Peter Quince is a commoner that attempts to be a playwright. He is a definite failure at it, with Nick Bottom being far better and capable. However, Nick Bottom's head is transformed into that of an ass's, and Titania (Queen of the Fairies) falls in love with him. She dotes on him for a bit, then has her lovespell lifted by the Oberon, the King of the Fairies. Nick falls asleep, is returned to normal, and wakes up saying that he has had the craziest dream, and they must write a ballad for it for the play (which is completely unrelated to the play itself; no donkeys are part of the play, nor fairies, nor even dreams).
Peter Quince at the Clavier is a symphony of words. Wallace Stevens uses imagery and wordplay to paint a musical setting, where events are represented in sounds, not words (which is rather interesting, considering that this is a poem, not a song). He claims that music is truly about emotion, not sound, and so he can paint the picture using words to invoke the image of sounds to create emotions, thereby making music. A rather indirect process, in my opinion, but interesting nonetheless. As far as what Peter Quince is doing at a clavier, I have no idea. The poem, I think, is attempting to rewrite his play with music, but goes off on a tangent about the Apocryphal Susanna tale. So I am well and truly lost. Where did Peter Quince get a clavier? And isn't the story of Susanna younger than ancient Greece and the story of Theseus? And how is Susanna relevant to his play, about two young lovers that commit misguided suicide (rather like Romeo and Juliet, you sly dog, Shakespeare)? Sooth, the only thing I can conclude is that Wallace Stevens wrote a really odd poem.
Peter Quince is a character from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is about two young couples falling in and out of love through the magic of fairies. Peter Quince is a commoner that attempts to be a playwright. He is a definite failure at it, with Nick Bottom being far better and capable. However, Nick Bottom's head is transformed into that of an ass's, and Titania (Queen of the Fairies) falls in love with him. She dotes on him for a bit, then has her lovespell lifted by the Oberon, the King of the Fairies. Nick falls asleep, is returned to normal, and wakes up saying that he has had the craziest dream, and they must write a ballad for it for the play (which is completely unrelated to the play itself; no donkeys are part of the play, nor fairies, nor even dreams).
Peter Quince at the Clavier is a symphony of words. Wallace Stevens uses imagery and wordplay to paint a musical setting, where events are represented in sounds, not words (which is rather interesting, considering that this is a poem, not a song). He claims that music is truly about emotion, not sound, and so he can paint the picture using words to invoke the image of sounds to create emotions, thereby making music. A rather indirect process, in my opinion, but interesting nonetheless. As far as what Peter Quince is doing at a clavier, I have no idea. The poem, I think, is attempting to rewrite his play with music, but goes off on a tangent about the Apocryphal Susanna tale. So I am well and truly lost. Where did Peter Quince get a clavier? And isn't the story of Susanna younger than ancient Greece and the story of Theseus? And how is Susanna relevant to his play, about two young lovers that commit misguided suicide (rather like Romeo and Juliet, you sly dog, Shakespeare)? Sooth, the only thing I can conclude is that Wallace Stevens wrote a really odd poem.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Notes for 10-14-2010
Assignment:
Go out and engage somebody in a discussion of the Bible. (Go argue!) Then reproduce it on your blog.
We talked about the Bible and A River Runs Through It (By Norman Maclean). The final image is that of the universe with the four rivers surrounding it (a mandala).
We also spoke of "The Great House" (Nicole Krause), which is about the destruction of the North Kingdom, and its rebuilding process. The Talmud is an authorized body of commentary about the Torah, which has (about) the same authority as the Torah. It answers the question: "What is a Jew without Jerusalem?" Essentially, the Temple and the City became the Book, which people then carried with them.
We then finished the story of Joseph. In a nuthsell, Joseph got thrown into a pit by his brothers. He was found and sold into slavery by Ishmaelites to Potiphar. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph, but, failing that, had him thrown in jail. He was released when he interpreted the Pharaoh's dream, who appointed Joseph second only to Pharaoh. About 9 years later, his bros showed up to buy grain. Joseph didn't reveal himself, but instead had them buy grain, he cried a bit, then he snuck the money back into their sacks. He also told them to come back with the youngest brother, Benjamin (whom he has never met). They came back with Benjamin, there is a slight scene, then he reveals himself to his brother. We read a little of this story from Thomas Mann's "Joseph and His Brothers". This helps fill in a few lacunae.
We then listened to Miserere Mei, Deus. A link is on my previous post.
Go out and engage somebody in a discussion of the Bible. (Go argue!) Then reproduce it on your blog.
We talked about the Bible and A River Runs Through It (By Norman Maclean). The final image is that of the universe with the four rivers surrounding it (a mandala).
We also spoke of "The Great House" (Nicole Krause), which is about the destruction of the North Kingdom, and its rebuilding process. The Talmud is an authorized body of commentary about the Torah, which has (about) the same authority as the Torah. It answers the question: "What is a Jew without Jerusalem?" Essentially, the Temple and the City became the Book, which people then carried with them.
We then finished the story of Joseph. In a nuthsell, Joseph got thrown into a pit by his brothers. He was found and sold into slavery by Ishmaelites to Potiphar. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph, but, failing that, had him thrown in jail. He was released when he interpreted the Pharaoh's dream, who appointed Joseph second only to Pharaoh. About 9 years later, his bros showed up to buy grain. Joseph didn't reveal himself, but instead had them buy grain, he cried a bit, then he snuck the money back into their sacks. He also told them to come back with the youngest brother, Benjamin (whom he has never met). They came back with Benjamin, there is a slight scene, then he reveals himself to his brother. We read a little of this story from Thomas Mann's "Joseph and His Brothers". This helps fill in a few lacunae.
We then listened to Miserere Mei, Deus. A link is on my previous post.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Notes for 10-12-2010
Psalm 51:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZL3POaATn8
The miserere became iconic, even cultic, because there was a boy that reached a pitch during this song that people had never heard before.
Assignment:
Read the Apocryphal Susanna (p.1467 in our Bibles). A story about Susanna, who walks in the garden, and two elders see her walking there everday and lust after her. They perverted their own minds so that they may not remember just judgments.
Then blog about the poem "Peter Quince at the Clavier":
http://plagiarist.com/poetry/1018/
We discussed the Story of Joseph:
Parataxis - a literary technique, in writing or speaking, that favors short, simple sentences, without the use of coordinating or subordinating conjunctions.
Used a lot in the Bible. For example, the beginning of Mark 6: 'and' is used a lot. Prof. Sexson claims that the repetitive elements are part of the power of the Bible (Samuel Coleridge agrees). It makes all parts of the Bible equivalently important; no part is more important than any other.
Dreams, pits, silver, and, house, blessed, all. These words are repeated often in the story of Joseph. Phrases to live by:
"Why use five words when fifty words will do?"
- Prof. Sexson
The repetition in the Bible is an Oral Literature element; it makes the story much easier to remember, and perhaps more interesting when heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZL3POaATn8
The miserere became iconic, even cultic, because there was a boy that reached a pitch during this song that people had never heard before.
Assignment:
Read the Apocryphal Susanna (p.1467 in our Bibles). A story about Susanna, who walks in the garden, and two elders see her walking there everday and lust after her. They perverted their own minds so that they may not remember just judgments.
Then blog about the poem "Peter Quince at the Clavier":
http://plagiarist.com/poetry/1018/
We discussed the Story of Joseph:
Parataxis - a literary technique, in writing or speaking, that favors short, simple sentences, without the use of coordinating or subordinating conjunctions.
Used a lot in the Bible. For example, the beginning of Mark 6: 'and' is used a lot. Prof. Sexson claims that the repetitive elements are part of the power of the Bible (Samuel Coleridge agrees). It makes all parts of the Bible equivalently important; no part is more important than any other.
Dreams, pits, silver, and, house, blessed, all. These words are repeated often in the story of Joseph. Phrases to live by:
"Why use five words when fifty words will do?"
- Prof. Sexson
The repetition in the Bible is an Oral Literature element; it makes the story much easier to remember, and perhaps more interesting when heard.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Exam on Thursday, should take 40 minutes to complete. 100 points
Useful Links:
1. http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/Publications/frye.html
Test will cover Plotz's chapters on:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges
Here is a general idea of what the questions are going to be:
1. What is the shape of the Bible, according to Northrop Frye?
A - a U-shape, or the shape of comedy (because it ends happily).
Note: The Apocalypse is not a tragedy.
2. Why is the Bible a comedy according to Northrop Frye?
A - Because it has a happy ending.
3. Why does Frye believe the Bible is unified?
A - in terms of imagery and in terms of narrative structure
Note: God is the male and society as Israel is the female.
4. In a patriarchy, even men are ___(blank)____
A - In a patriarchy, most people are women. Only a select group of men are patriarchs, or fathers. So even men are women
5. In monotheism, what is the view on other gods?
A - only one god exists. Not only are any other gods less powerful, they don't even exist. Monolotry kills off the other gods.
6. What trumps the rights of women?
A - The rules of patriarchal hospitality
7. What is the significance of the "feminine"? The "female"? The "woman"?
A - There is a difference between the "feminine", the "female," and a "woman." The feminine is symbolic, the female is a biological construct, the woman is an actual character in the Bible. Eve and Zipporah are examples of the "feminine".
8. In the Bible, from where does the feminine originate?
A - The female is secondary, while the male is primary. The female comes from the male (as in Adam's rib). The ability of giving birth comes from the male.
9. What is Couvade?
A - a condition in which the husband or partner of an expectant mother experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the mother. "childbirth envy"
10. What are The Epistles?
A - A major literary form, literally the "letters", the collection of letters that make up the canon of the New Testament
11. What are the seven parts of the Bible according to Frye?
A - Creation, Exodus, Law, Wisdom, Prophecy, Gospel, Apocalypse
(Classless Emus Like Watching Penguins Go Asunder)
12. Which son was originally intended to be blessed by Joshua?
A - Esau
13. True or False: Lillith was the other wife of Adam, according to the Bible.
A - False: Lillith is not in the Bible.
14. What is a Lacuna?
A - An unexplained gap in a story. It is best to compare stories to understand this definition: In Homer's Odyssey, every little bit of information is given so that you can't interpolate the story. However, in Genesis 22, we are given a minimal amount of detail, and can therefore interpolate the story
15. What Levitical Law prohibits Rachel's father from searching the saddlebags beneath her?
A - It is taboo to even approach a woman during menstruation.
Note: Rachel had taken the teraphim (Rachel's father's household gods) from her father, which is why he wished to search the bags.
Why is the Book of Ruth and the Story of Tamar in the positions they are in?
A - They provide geneologies that interrelate the characters of the Bible. Or, they provide geneaological continuity
16. What does Tamar dress herself as in order to have "issue" (to have children)?
A - A harlot
17. For whom does God have a preference?
A - The least likely person for the task.
18. Plotz says that the Ten Commandments are _____ in the Bible.
A - not present
19. What are the two views concerning the authorship of the Pentateuch?
A - 1. Moses wrote the first five books.
2. That the first five books had several authors.
20. Who are the "scholarly" authors of the Pentateuch?
A - JEDPR: Jehovist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, Priestly, Redactor
21. How did Zipporah save Moses from being smited by the vengeful God?
A - She circumcises her son and holds the foreskin between the legs of Moses.
Note: This is a symbolic indicator of one's commitment. This is common: a mutilation to prove faith. Like tattoos and scars.
22. What style is indicative of the P writer?
A - The P writer is very concerned with ritual and geneaologies.
23. What style is indicative of the J writer?
A -
24. What does "apocalypse" mean?
A - "lifting of the veil"
25. What is the rainbow in the Bible?
A - an etiological element; and a symbol of the covenant with Noah to never drown the earth again.
26. Why do women give birth in pain, why do snakes crawl on their bellies, and why must men toil upon the earth?
A - Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
27. What did God say his name was to Moses?
A - YHWH, or "I am that I am"
28. Why was Jacob renamed Israel?
A - Wrestling with the Angel at the break of day provided Jacob with a transformative experience, and thus he became the name of his people and nation.
29. What was the punishment for the Tower of Babel?
A - God "confused the languages" so that people couldn't understand each other. This was to make it impossible for the people to reach heaven.
30. What are the four images that Frye sees as primary archetypal images?
A - The cave, the furnace, the mountain, and the garden
31. What aspects of Biblical literature inspired Shakespeare, Chaucer, Eliot?
A - repetitive parallelism, or the practice of saying the same thing twice, but in different ways.
32. Who Jane Eyre's favorite writer in the Bible?
A - The J writer.
33. What is the major event in Jewish mythology?
A - The exodus from Egypt
Note: The central identity of the Israelite people is that they were led out from bondage. They are always a displaced people.
34. In what year did the southern kingdom fall?
A - 587 BCE
35. Why did God kill Onan?
A - He spilled his seed.
Useful Links:
1. http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/Publications/frye.html
Test will cover Plotz's chapters on:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges
Here is a general idea of what the questions are going to be:
1. What is the shape of the Bible, according to Northrop Frye?
A - a U-shape, or the shape of comedy (because it ends happily).
Note: The Apocalypse is not a tragedy.
2. Why is the Bible a comedy according to Northrop Frye?
A - Because it has a happy ending.
3. Why does Frye believe the Bible is unified?
A - in terms of imagery and in terms of narrative structure
Note: God is the male and society as Israel is the female.
4. In a patriarchy, even men are ___(blank)____
A - In a patriarchy, most people are women. Only a select group of men are patriarchs, or fathers. So even men are women
5. In monotheism, what is the view on other gods?
A - only one god exists. Not only are any other gods less powerful, they don't even exist. Monolotry kills off the other gods.
6. What trumps the rights of women?
A - The rules of patriarchal hospitality
7. What is the significance of the "feminine"? The "female"? The "woman"?
A - There is a difference between the "feminine", the "female," and a "woman." The feminine is symbolic, the female is a biological construct, the woman is an actual character in the Bible. Eve and Zipporah are examples of the "feminine".
8. In the Bible, from where does the feminine originate?
A - The female is secondary, while the male is primary. The female comes from the male (as in Adam's rib). The ability of giving birth comes from the male.
9. What is Couvade?
A - a condition in which the husband or partner of an expectant mother experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the mother. "childbirth envy"
10. What are The Epistles?
A - A major literary form, literally the "letters", the collection of letters that make up the canon of the New Testament
11. What are the seven parts of the Bible according to Frye?
A - Creation, Exodus, Law, Wisdom, Prophecy, Gospel, Apocalypse
(Classless Emus Like Watching Penguins Go Asunder)
12. Which son was originally intended to be blessed by Joshua?
A - Esau
13. True or False: Lillith was the other wife of Adam, according to the Bible.
A - False: Lillith is not in the Bible.
14. What is a Lacuna?
A - An unexplained gap in a story. It is best to compare stories to understand this definition: In Homer's Odyssey, every little bit of information is given so that you can't interpolate the story. However, in Genesis 22, we are given a minimal amount of detail, and can therefore interpolate the story
15. What Levitical Law prohibits Rachel's father from searching the saddlebags beneath her?
A - It is taboo to even approach a woman during menstruation.
Note: Rachel had taken the teraphim (Rachel's father's household gods) from her father, which is why he wished to search the bags.
Why is the Book of Ruth and the Story of Tamar in the positions they are in?
A - They provide geneologies that interrelate the characters of the Bible. Or, they provide geneaological continuity
16. What does Tamar dress herself as in order to have "issue" (to have children)?
A - A harlot
17. For whom does God have a preference?
A - The least likely person for the task.
18. Plotz says that the Ten Commandments are _____ in the Bible.
A - not present
19. What are the two views concerning the authorship of the Pentateuch?
A - 1. Moses wrote the first five books.
2. That the first five books had several authors.
20. Who are the "scholarly" authors of the Pentateuch?
A - JEDPR: Jehovist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, Priestly, Redactor
21. How did Zipporah save Moses from being smited by the vengeful God?
A - She circumcises her son and holds the foreskin between the legs of Moses.
Note: This is a symbolic indicator of one's commitment. This is common: a mutilation to prove faith. Like tattoos and scars.
22. What style is indicative of the P writer?
A - The P writer is very concerned with ritual and geneaologies.
23. What style is indicative of the J writer?
A -
24. What does "apocalypse" mean?
A - "lifting of the veil"
25. What is the rainbow in the Bible?
A - an etiological element; and a symbol of the covenant with Noah to never drown the earth again.
26. Why do women give birth in pain, why do snakes crawl on their bellies, and why must men toil upon the earth?
A - Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
27. What did God say his name was to Moses?
A - YHWH, or "I am that I am"
28. Why was Jacob renamed Israel?
A - Wrestling with the Angel at the break of day provided Jacob with a transformative experience, and thus he became the name of his people and nation.
29. What was the punishment for the Tower of Babel?
A - God "confused the languages" so that people couldn't understand each other. This was to make it impossible for the people to reach heaven.
30. What are the four images that Frye sees as primary archetypal images?
A - The cave, the furnace, the mountain, and the garden
31. What aspects of Biblical literature inspired Shakespeare, Chaucer, Eliot?
A - repetitive parallelism, or the practice of saying the same thing twice, but in different ways.
32. Who Jane Eyre's favorite writer in the Bible?
A - The J writer.
33. What is the major event in Jewish mythology?
A - The exodus from Egypt
Note: The central identity of the Israelite people is that they were led out from bondage. They are always a displaced people.
34. In what year did the southern kingdom fall?
A - 587 BCE
35. Why did God kill Onan?
A - He spilled his seed.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God and Fluorescence Facial Features
I came across a wonderful little story in Exodus that truly piqued my scientific interest: Exodus 33-34. The interesting parts are these:
"And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." Exodus 33: 23
""And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tablets of testimony in Moses; hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him." Exodus 34: 29.
Humans do not have bioluminescent capabilities. We do not have the facilities in our bodies to cause a reaction that releases bursts of light. So what must have happened is that God's "back parts" released radiation that was resonant with the atoms and molecules in Moses' face. Let me explain how this works:
Electrons are "bound" in specific states in orbits about the nucleii of atoms, which can be thought of as radii. When a photon - a particle that carries electromagnetic energy - is absorbed by an electron, it can go to a higher state, or a larger radius. However, electrons don't like being energetic, so it soon shoots a photon back out so that it can go back to the first state, or radius.
Therefore, God's "back parts" must have emitted photons of a resonant wavelength that made the electrons in Moses' face transition to a higher state for a while, then transition back down and release a photon (thus fluorescing). And this was in the visible range (for the people saw it), and therefore was between approximately 390 nm and 750 nm.
This raises an interesting question: Could we perhaps harness God's back side as a power source? According to The Da Vinci Code, God is theorized as the original source of energy. However, the closer to "heat death" we become, the less power we can harvest and use. Perhaps the utilization of God's back side would allow us to escape that end, and continue surviving on into infinity.
Just food for thought.
"And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." Exodus 33: 23
""And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tablets of testimony in Moses; hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him." Exodus 34: 29.
Humans do not have bioluminescent capabilities. We do not have the facilities in our bodies to cause a reaction that releases bursts of light. So what must have happened is that God's "back parts" released radiation that was resonant with the atoms and molecules in Moses' face. Let me explain how this works:
Electrons are "bound" in specific states in orbits about the nucleii of atoms, which can be thought of as radii. When a photon - a particle that carries electromagnetic energy - is absorbed by an electron, it can go to a higher state, or a larger radius. However, electrons don't like being energetic, so it soon shoots a photon back out so that it can go back to the first state, or radius.
Therefore, God's "back parts" must have emitted photons of a resonant wavelength that made the electrons in Moses' face transition to a higher state for a while, then transition back down and release a photon (thus fluorescing). And this was in the visible range (for the people saw it), and therefore was between approximately 390 nm and 750 nm.
This raises an interesting question: Could we perhaps harness God's back side as a power source? According to The Da Vinci Code, God is theorized as the original source of energy. However, the closer to "heat death" we become, the less power we can harvest and use. Perhaps the utilization of God's back side would allow us to escape that end, and continue surviving on into infinity.
Just food for thought.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Exodus: a series of unfamiliar units and a commentary on current social debates
So far, Exodus is full of units: ephah, matrix, omer, shittim wood, cherubim, cubit, selvedge, taches, ephod, ouches, mitre, and chapiters, to name the ones I found. So I will spend some time defining these, so as to make reading (hopefully) a little easier:
Ephah: a Hebrew unit of dry measure, equal to about a bushel (35 l).
Matrix: The womb; or something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops
Omer:a Hebrew unit of dry measure, the tenth part of an ephah
Shittim Wood: the wood, probably acacia, of which the ark of the covenant and various parts of the tabernacle were made. Ex. 25, 26.
Cherubim: a member of the second order of angels, often represented as a beautiful rosy-cheeked child with wings
Cubit: an ancient linear unit based on the length of the forearm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, usually from 17 to 21 in. (43 to 53 cm)
Selvedge: the edge of woven fabric finished so as to prevent raveling, often in a narrow tape effect, different from the body of the fabric
Tache: a buckle; clasp
Ephod: a richly embroidered, apronlike vestment having two shoulder straps and ornamental attachments for securing the breastplate, worn with a waistband by the high priest. Ex. 28:6, 7, 25–28.
Ouches: a clasp, buckle, or brooch, esp. one worn for ornament; or the setting of a precious stone
Mitre: the official headdress of the ancient high priest, bearing on the front a gold plate engraved with the words Holiness to the Lord. Ex. 28:36–38
Chapiters: The upper part of a column that supports the entablature
Now, I found a couple of the rules of Exodus 22 to be rather odd. The first was this: "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins." Exodus 22: 16-17.
This is a line that implicitly condones pre-marital sex, but only if you betroth her afterward. And this is only for a maid, or a virgin. So if a woman is not a virgin, then you can sleep with that woman with no consequences (thus far in the Bible). And there does not appear to be a time limit stated, for example "he shall surely endow her to be his wife within the period of seven days, or he shall be put to death." (Punishments are typically mortal in the Bible, so I just added that for good measure). So, in essence, the pre-marital sex rule, up to the point of the end of Exodus, is that it is just fine to do so long as you eventually intend to marry the girl. And dowries are now an archaic practice in the United States, so it's free no matter how you look at it. So pre-marital sex is fine. Just don't spill your seed (Genesis 38: 9-10).
The other rule was this: "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." Exodus 22: 28.Why is "gods" plural? This seems rather odd, especially when paired with Exodus 34: 14: "...for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Does he mean angels? Are we to revere angels as gods? I thought the angels had to bow to us? Although, of course, the Bible does contradict itself constantly, and is more a form of oral literature which does not always follow logically, and the logical inconsistencies are merely to be taken in stride.
As for abortion, well, Exodus 21: 22-25 sums that up: "If me strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow, he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." So abortion is allowed so long as the father allows it. So far, anyway.
Ephah: a Hebrew unit of dry measure, equal to about a bushel (35 l).
Matrix: The womb; or something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops
Omer:a Hebrew unit of dry measure, the tenth part of an ephah
Shittim Wood: the wood, probably acacia, of which the ark of the covenant and various parts of the tabernacle were made. Ex. 25, 26.
Cubit: an ancient linear unit based on the length of the forearm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, usually from 17 to 21 in. (43 to 53 cm)
Selvedge: the edge of woven fabric finished so as to prevent raveling, often in a narrow tape effect, different from the body of the fabric
Tache: a buckle; clasp
Ephod: a richly embroidered, apronlike vestment having two shoulder straps and ornamental attachments for securing the breastplate, worn with a waistband by the high priest. Ex. 28:6, 7, 25–28.
Mitre: the official headdress of the ancient high priest, bearing on the front a gold plate engraved with the words Holiness to the Lord. Ex. 28:36–38
Chapiters: The upper part of a column that supports the entablature
Now, I found a couple of the rules of Exodus 22 to be rather odd. The first was this: "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins." Exodus 22: 16-17.
This is a line that implicitly condones pre-marital sex, but only if you betroth her afterward. And this is only for a maid, or a virgin. So if a woman is not a virgin, then you can sleep with that woman with no consequences (thus far in the Bible). And there does not appear to be a time limit stated, for example "he shall surely endow her to be his wife within the period of seven days, or he shall be put to death." (Punishments are typically mortal in the Bible, so I just added that for good measure). So, in essence, the pre-marital sex rule, up to the point of the end of Exodus, is that it is just fine to do so long as you eventually intend to marry the girl. And dowries are now an archaic practice in the United States, so it's free no matter how you look at it. So pre-marital sex is fine. Just don't spill your seed (Genesis 38: 9-10).
The other rule was this: "Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people." Exodus 22: 28.Why is "gods" plural? This seems rather odd, especially when paired with Exodus 34: 14: "...for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Does he mean angels? Are we to revere angels as gods? I thought the angels had to bow to us? Although, of course, the Bible does contradict itself constantly, and is more a form of oral literature which does not always follow logically, and the logical inconsistencies are merely to be taken in stride.
As for abortion, well, Exodus 21: 22-25 sums that up: "If me strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow, he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." So abortion is allowed so long as the father allows it. So far, anyway.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Elements of Literature in the Bible
Although I have been reading the Bible for going on a month, I am always surprised to find elements of oral literature. The repetition, the inconsistencies in logic, the poetic nature of it; all point to these stories being, at one time, part of the oral tradition. And not just that, but they were also part of the same story. The repetition of seven and forty, tricking Abimelech thrice with the use of "she's my sister," the repetition of lines, etc., just gets to me. Not to mention, the etiological elements, such as rainbows and painful childbirths, irk me because it's obvious that no one actually tried to find a real cause for them; or, if they did, they were called heretics. Like Copernicus. Or Galileo.
Now, perhaps Bibles were always to be spoken aloud and recited, but if not, then why does it sound so much like someone just sat down and wrote the oral version, without editing it? You would think that after three thousand years, one of the editors (J, P, D, E, or R) would have thought, Hey, let's make this a little more readable, and change the narrative to one that sounds as if it should be read, not spoken. Though I guess that's just wishful thinking. The repetitive nature is simply becoming annoying, I guess.
I've started into the Exodus' Thou shalt not's, and I think I've come across an idea for reading it. I put some sort of beat behind it, and read it as a rap. It helped with the "generations" parts too. Seeing as how most of it is in pentameter, it's working rather well. I might try putting on some Kid Cudi on behind it, and see how much easier it is to read. I'll probably just end up turning up the Kid Cudi and listening to that, but perhaps I'll become engrossed in the repetitive lines of the Bible. Hopefully.
Something that interested me was the beginning of Genesis chapter 4: "This is the book of the generations of Adam..." Why is that single chapter being referred to as a book? Or is it referring to all of Genesis? I do believe that it is referring simply to that chapter. So why do we not refer to each chapter as a "book", and each book as a "tome" or "volume" or some such equivalent? It just made me think.
To add to the list of things the Bible is obsessed with:
1. Anthropomorphism (or the reverse of that: ascribing animalistic traits to a human)
2. Revenge: karma always comes back and bites you in the ass, even if it's a generation removed.
3. Whine a little to someone with more influence than you, and you'll get whatever you want.
4. Business transactions.
Good life lessons.
Now, perhaps Bibles were always to be spoken aloud and recited, but if not, then why does it sound so much like someone just sat down and wrote the oral version, without editing it? You would think that after three thousand years, one of the editors (J, P, D, E, or R) would have thought, Hey, let's make this a little more readable, and change the narrative to one that sounds as if it should be read, not spoken. Though I guess that's just wishful thinking. The repetitive nature is simply becoming annoying, I guess.
I've started into the Exodus' Thou shalt not's, and I think I've come across an idea for reading it. I put some sort of beat behind it, and read it as a rap. It helped with the "generations" parts too. Seeing as how most of it is in pentameter, it's working rather well. I might try putting on some Kid Cudi on behind it, and see how much easier it is to read. I'll probably just end up turning up the Kid Cudi and listening to that, but perhaps I'll become engrossed in the repetitive lines of the Bible. Hopefully.
Something that interested me was the beginning of Genesis chapter 4: "This is the book of the generations of Adam..." Why is that single chapter being referred to as a book? Or is it referring to all of Genesis? I do believe that it is referring simply to that chapter. So why do we not refer to each chapter as a "book", and each book as a "tome" or "volume" or some such equivalent? It just made me think.
To add to the list of things the Bible is obsessed with:
1. Anthropomorphism (or the reverse of that: ascribing animalistic traits to a human)
2. Revenge: karma always comes back and bites you in the ass, even if it's a generation removed.
3. Whine a little to someone with more influence than you, and you'll get whatever you want.
4. Business transactions.
Good life lessons.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Genesis 1-12
When I first read the Bible, I had problems with it. It tends to contradict itself in very obvious ways. For example, Genesis 1 and 2. They have different accounts of creation. Which makes me pause, because you'd think creation should at least only have one tale regarding it. However, I read an interesting introduction to this new Bible here, and it suggests to look past the tale to look for meaning, and so that is what I will be doing, rather than pointing out contradictions. EEEEHnyway...
So far, I have learned several things:
Half of Genesis is very interested in young men, and who their fathers were. Or, more specifically, their lineage.
1. God hates vegetarians. Cain is spurned for his offering of "the fruit of the ground", while Abel is praised for his offering from his flock. Also, Jehovah forbid Adam and Eve from eating a fruit. Knowledge of Good and Evil, indeed. Rather, knowledge of good fruit.
2. Women are only mentioned if they were really hot or really gullible or really evil. We have discussed this a bit in class, with Lot's wife and daughters, Sarai (who so far up through Genesis 12 has simply been hot, though she supposedly becomes a little more evil later on), Eve, etc., being in one of these categories. Maybe this trend will change as we continue.
3. Nakedness is to be avoided in public. Not just for you, but for others as well. Ham's family is forced into slavery because he saw Noah naked. Poor Ham.
On a more serious note, I recall a book I once read that treated the creation story(ies) as an allegory of two societies, one of the hunter/gatherer society and one of the more civilized agricultural society. It was an excellent book, though the premise was a little weird (a telepathic gorilla is one of the main characters). It was called "Ishmael." I'll post a link for it, hopefully it'll spur some interest for you:
http://books.google.com/books?id=83p-OMrNalYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ishmael&hl=en&ei=EzSJTNGYA5S6sQPxq8DMCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
To all my devoted fans, good luck and happy hunting.
So far, I have learned several things:
Half of Genesis is very interested in young men, and who their fathers were. Or, more specifically, their lineage.
1. God hates vegetarians. Cain is spurned for his offering of "the fruit of the ground", while Abel is praised for his offering from his flock. Also, Jehovah forbid Adam and Eve from eating a fruit. Knowledge of Good and Evil, indeed. Rather, knowledge of good fruit.
2. Women are only mentioned if they were really hot or really gullible or really evil. We have discussed this a bit in class, with Lot's wife and daughters, Sarai (who so far up through Genesis 12 has simply been hot, though she supposedly becomes a little more evil later on), Eve, etc., being in one of these categories. Maybe this trend will change as we continue.
3. Nakedness is to be avoided in public. Not just for you, but for others as well. Ham's family is forced into slavery because he saw Noah naked. Poor Ham.
On a more serious note, I recall a book I once read that treated the creation story(ies) as an allegory of two societies, one of the hunter/gatherer society and one of the more civilized agricultural society. It was an excellent book, though the premise was a little weird (a telepathic gorilla is one of the main characters). It was called "Ishmael." I'll post a link for it, hopefully it'll spur some interest for you:
http://books.google.com/books?id=83p-OMrNalYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ishmael&hl=en&ei=EzSJTNGYA5S6sQPxq8DMCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
To all my devoted fans, good luck and happy hunting.
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