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.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)