Archive for category Deuteronomy
A look under the hood of Deuteronomy
Posted by Joel in Deuteronomy on November 19, 2010
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A recent assignment was to look at Deuteronomy. This is a rough draft of what I submitted,
Arguably, the examination of Deuteronomy is one of my favorite areas of study which combine the Old Testament, the so-called (and falsely so-called) Intertestamental Times, and the New Testament thought world of the Pauline Corpus. The study of Deuteronomy, its formation, impact, and subsequent exaltation in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people in late antiquity which while dwelling in the Levant were still in exile, is only now really starting to scratch away the patina of history and allow us a glimpse of the importance of this book which is generally regarded as the summation of the Torah. What is interesting is that it doesn’t claim to be what others see it as – an authentically written account. It is simply a moral history lesson, perhaps coming to light during the reign of King Josiah (oddly enough, both the Text and the King were kept hidden away, preserved in the Temple, until the people needed them[i]). As Coogan points out, the author is situated in an area where Moses never arrived – on the other side of Jordan, which would prevent the historical notion of Mosaic authorship. If we are honest to the text, I believe we can begin to see this sacred book for exactly what it is – an appeal to God for a remembrance of the Mosaic Covenant and I would strongly contend, an attempt by a people facing destruction to make a covenant themselves with God to safeguard them from the future wrath. Whereas Leviticus is the Covenant handed down from On High, Deuteronomy is the plea offering from the people to God while attempting to preserve their cultural and ritual identity.
Simply put, Deuteronomy is the key to understanding much of the late Intertestamental pleas, encapsulated in such works as the Psalms of Solomon and writings found at Qumran, for a return of the Blessing while being faced with foes such as Babylon, the Greeks and finally Rome. Further, it is set looking forward to such a time that God would answer their pleas with forgiveness and mercy, restoring them[ii] once they have suffered long enough and have been brought to repentance. The land itself is given a significance beyond that of being Promised, but must be kept pure with a singular spot being chosen for God’s Holy Temple. Further, the steady reminder that God is One, and that only YWHW is God (which still permeates Judaism unto this day), is given and demanded by more than just words, but action. This historical Creed of the monotheistic faith is to be taught, hammered into the home and into the hearts and minds of all generations. They were securing themselves for Exile into foreign lands with strange gods and women who would entice their sons into leaving YWHW. Further, as Coogan notes, there is the sense that Deuteronomy is providing for a return to Israel, which is what leads me to believe that this Text is an appeal from the people to God that this time, unlike the other times, they know their consequences, are ready to repent and to be restored in due season. Other safeguards include, as many will note, the focus on social values (although the Year of Jubilee should not be forgotten), the notation that any king will ultimately be a bad thing for Israel, and that at some time in the future, a Prophet will rise up like Moses to once again bring the word of God to the people of Israel.
Deuteronomy is a highly political book in that it is seemingly found during a rebuilding effort of the Temple ordered by King Josiah. Ironically, shortly thereafter, both the Temple and the King would be lost, but the Text would survive and serve to pull together the Judean people, acting as a bulwark for God’s people. Further, it forgoes nearly all of the myth of Israel to focus solely on the things which Israel will need to survive in exile while appealing to God for a dismissal of the Curse and a restoration of the Blessing. Finally, this book serves to keep together the better parts of the Law, which is not a summation of Leviticus, but a different take in which the land was to be kept pure, the children taught about YWHW, kingship almost shunned, prophets discouraged on the pain of death unless they were like Moses[iii] , and of course, the emphasis on the inclusion and concern of the’ other’ into the cultic and social life of Israel. Deuteronomy is the setting in which the hope of the New Testament takes shape.
[i] “The book is thus, in our pair of narratives, similar in meaning and function to the king, but more important – more powerful – than the king, because the book rules over the king.” Grottannelli (1999:189; Sanders 2009:154)
[ii] Deuteronomy (in the LXX) 6.20-25; 7.12-16; all of chapter 30 compared with chapter 28
[iii] Prophets were not dealt with by the Torah, finding mention only three times before Deuteronomy. Further, 1st Samuel 9.9 explicitly states that before the time period of Samuel, there was no such thing as prophets, with those connected to God being called רֹאֶה)
Responding to Mary Douglas, The Eucharist: Its Continuity with the Bread Sacrifice of Leviticus
Posted by Joel in Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Old Testament on October 28, 2010
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Again, rough draft in response to this paper, which you should be able to find here.
I must admit, that it is most difficult to respond to someone of the stature of either Erich Zenger or Mary Douglas, and no matter how much I might disagree with them, my responses pale in comparison to their established body of work. Douglas knows that her argument is unconvincing, but given the space of a journal, and indeed, her work on the anthropology of Leviticus, I wouldn’t expect it to be neatly contained in this article. I believe that her argument about the bread/cereal sacrifice continued from the priestly codes to that of the Eucharistic celebration of the New Testament makes sense and can be easily verified; however, her outright dismissal of Deuteronomy (p 218) is in my opinion completely wrong. I note that the publication date of this article is 1999, and while the author most likely did not benefit from the studies produced by the New Perspective on Paul group and other, fuller, treatments of Second Temple Judaism, I think that her casual dismissal of Deuteronomy misshapes her entire argument and gives it a rather shaky defense.
She notes that the ‘continuity of writing and reading Leviticus was broken’ but still doesn’t see the role which Deuteronomy played in Second Temple Judaism and especially the Pharisaic community which gave rise to the early Church. For one, I don’t believe that there was such a stringent continuity which enabled Leviticus to shape the different Judaisms of the day, a fact which the author doesn’t call attention to. It is almost as if she assumes that the Judaism of Christ and the Apostles were the same as those who wrote the priestly codes, and yet we know from a simple reading of the Gospels (and indeed, comparing and contrasting Ruth/Ezra-Nehemiah and the books of the Kingdoms/Chronicles) that there was no such thing as a single Judaism. It would be my contention that instead of examining Leviticus tin search of a connection, Deuteronomy is the central book of the Torah for the Gospel writers and early Jewish-Christian community. Yes, while Leviticus is much more open to strangers and foreigners, which would have played well with the God-fearers (Acts 10.2), Deuteronomy shaped exiled-Israel’s view of itself through seeing the system of blessings and curses which the early Jewish-Christians would have seen brought about by the ultimate blessing, namely Christ, the prophet of Deuteronomy 18.
Further, Douglas, while examining minute texts in Leviticus to support the importance of the bread offering – and I believe she is correct in that the bread offering is an essential sacrifice which is often missed – she misses the Deuteronomic passages of 8.2-16 and 12.23-24 which speaks about the value of a heavenly bread given during redemption and the pouring out of a blood sacrifice. Further, her case, here at least, is not made for the notion of Temple sacrifice mimicking the body. I am not versed enough in this conversation to offer dialogue; however, I would note that some of the recent theological developments regarding Genesis One and is liturgical relationship identifying the Hebrew notion of Cosmos and Temple. Further, Deuteronomy sees little value in the Temple, preferring to focus more on the Land, which fit into the Christian theological spectrum, especially as the Temple was destroyed (before the Gospels were written) and the Gentiles became the dominant group in the Way.
With this said, I would agree with Douglas that the use of the bread in the Eucharist is not happenstance, and would have triggered something in the minds of the disciples and later readers (although I think it is the manna of the Wilderness saga). She is correct that the Eucharist is connected to the Paschal Meal and that it was ‘continuous with Bible teaching on sacrifice and that there was a solid basis for bread sacrifice laid down in Leviticus itself.’ Further, Douglas highlights the almost forgotten notion that illegal aliens were allowed to partake of the Passover meal which is something foreign to much of Deuteronomy, if not all. Finally, I ultimately disagree with her first premise, “For Christians, a loaf of bread and a cup of mine would substitute for the flesh and blood of animals,” and her exclusion of Deuteronomy to the favoring of Leviticus while seeing in her limited argument presented here many things that are missed in Leviticus.
Ten Reasons for Dating Deuteronomy to the Late Persian or Hellenistic Periods
Posted by Joel in Criticism, Deuteronomy on November 30, 2009
Granted, I realize that scholarship has not room for the supernatural, divine foreknowledge and all, but couldn’t most of these ‘reason’s be explained away by accepting some form of supernaturalism?
Defending the Bible – Rationally
Posted by Joel in Bible Translation, Debate/Discussion, Deuteronomy, Inerrancy on February 23, 2009
Defending the Bible is at times, tough, and there are times that we simply do not have the answers to the questions people ask. These situations create problems, especially if we respond with simply ‘Because the bible said so,’ or ‘Just believe.’ To those that are needing answers, these comebacks rarely provide help. Paul told us to always provide a good answer, and to be ready in an instant to do so. Granted, I find it difficult at best to amend myself to Paul’s demands, but I am trying. One of the issues that we face with an unbelieving world is biblical inerrancy. I believe that every word in our bibles came from the breath of God, but does this then disallow text criticism?
I am not going to get into that here; however, this past week, one my favorite bloggers posted something that, although I may at times disagree with, gives a biblical response – reasoned, rational, and within the scope of biblical inerrancy – to a question concerning the authorship of Deuteronomy. You and I may disagree with him, but his style of answer is biblically based, which is more than ‘Because the bible said so.’
I encourage you to read it, whether or not you agree with his outcome, and at the very least appreciate the manner in which he answers.
Deuteronomy 33.26-29, (LXX) Some thoughts
Posted by Joel in Deuteronomy, NRSV, Old Testament, Septuagint on February 10, 2009
“There is no one like the God of the Beloved,
Who rides the heavens and is your help,
And the Magnificent One of the firmament,There is Protection in of the rule of God –
Who is under the strength of the everlasting arms;
He will drive out the enemy from before your face,
Saying, “Destroy!’Then Israel shall dwell in hope,
Alone in the land of Jacob,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens shall also drop dew.Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
Your helper will defend as with a shield
And the sword shall be your boast!Your enemies shall speak falsely to you,
And you shall tread on their neck.”
My immediate thought concerns the God Who has no equal – and I think upon His Church. So many times we see people attempting to turn the Church into that which is like the world. We adopt their music, their style, their doctrine and theology, and their agendas. Our God has none like Him, and yet we would turn His body into a similitude of the adversary.
This passage begins with Moses giving blessings to the tribes of Israel, but ends with a psalm of praise to God. Of all the blessings that each tribe will be given, there is none like the blessing of having the one God to rule and to protect all of Israel. There is hope and strength in God alone, or divine protection under the rule of God.
It is a reminder for Israel not to go after foreign gods and kings, for they could not provide the protection of God.
This psalm is also a summation of the Covenant – if Israel was to stay under the rule of God, in the refuge of the Eternal God, then the enemies of the People would be thrust out from before them and be destroyed.
The NRSV at verse 27 attempts to reconstruct the Hebrew, and arrives at this,
He subdues the ancient gods, shatters the forces of old; he drove out the enemy before you, and said, “Destroy!”(Deuteronomy 33:27 NRVS)
This translation feeds the next verse, in that after these obsolete deities are driven away, after the high places are destroyed, all Israel will dwell alone in the land that God has given them. It is the same as the Church – when we remove those foreign gods from our lives, we will dwell with God alone. Would God really share His glory with another? Would we really seek to live under the protection of God and another?
Shema in Greek, found in Austria, dating to 3ad
Posted by Joel in Deuteronomy, Religious News on March 18, 2008
<a>http://public.univie.ac.at/index.php?id=6088&no_cache=1&L=2</a>
Here is an interesting article.
Archaeological sensation in Austria. Scientists from the University of Vienna unearth the earliest evidence of Jewish inhabitants in Austria
- Gold scroll. Download see German version.
13 March 2008
Archaeologists from the Institute of Prehistory and Early History of the University of Vienna have found an amulet inscribed with a Jewish prayer in a Roman child’s grave dating back to the 3rd century CE at a burial ground in the Austrian town of Halbturn. The 2.2-centimeter-long gold scroll represents the earliest sign of Jewish inhabitants in present-day Austria.
This amulet shows that people of Jewish faith lived in what is today Austria since the Roman Empire. Up to now, the earliest evidence of a Jewish presence within the borders of Austria has been letters from the 9th century CE. In the areas of the Roman province of Pannonia that are now part of Hungary, Croatia and Serbia, gravestones and small finds attest to Jewish inhabitants even in antiquity. Jews have been settling in all parts of the ancient world at the latest since the 3rd century BCE. Particularly following the second Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire, the victorious Romans sold large numbers of Jews as slaves to all corners of the empire. This, coupled with voluntary migration, is how Jews also might have come to present-day Austria.
Child’s grave
The one or two year old child, which presumably wore the silver amulet capsule around its neck, was buried in one of around 300 graves in a Roman cemetery which dates back to the 2nd to 5th century CE and is situated next to a Roman estate (“villa rustica”). This estate was an agricultural enterprise that provided food for the surrounding Roman towns (Carnuntum, Györ, Sopron).
The gravesite, discovered in 1986 in the region of Seewinkel, around 20 kilometres from Carnuntum, was completely excavated between 1988 and 2002 by a team led by Falko Daim, who is now General Director of the Roman-German Central Museum of Mainz, with the financial backing of the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the Austrian state of Burgenland. All in all, more than 10,000 individual finds were assessed, most notably pieces of glass, shards of ceramic and metal finds. The gold amulet, whose inscription was incomprehensible at first, was only discovered in 2006 by Nives Doneus from the Institute for Prehistory and Early History of the University of Vienna.
The inscription on the amulet is a Jewish prayer
ΣΥΜΑ ΙΣΤΡΑΗΛ ΑΔΩNΕ ΕΛΩΗ ΑΔΩN Α
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.
Greek script, Hebrew language
Greek is common with amulet inscriptions, although Latin and Hebrew and amulet inscriptions are known. In this case, the scribe’s hand is definitely familiar with Greek. However, the inscription is Greek in appearance only, for the text itself is nothing other than a Greek transcription of the common Jewish prayer from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy, 6:4): “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.”
Amulet to protect against demons
Other non-Jewish amulets have been found in Carnuntum. One gold- and three silver-plated amulets with magical texts were found in a stone sarcophagus unearthed west of the camp of the Roman legion, including one beseeching Artemis to intervene against the migraine demon, Antaura. Amulets have also been found in Vindobona and the Hungarian part of Pannonia. What is different about the Halbturn gold amulet is its Jewish inscription. It uses the confession to the center of Jewish faith and not magic formulae.
The gold-plated artefact from Halbturn can be viewed from 11 April 2008 onwards as part of the “The Amber Road – Evolution of a Trade Route? exhibition in the Burgenland State Museum in Eisenstadt.
