Here's a link to an article that I found very interesting and would like to share with you ...
The Old Testament and the Israelite Perception of the Physical World
by Bella15 8 Replies latest jw friends
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Leolaia
Just a brief comment...
The article is pretty good, but I find it far too simplistic. In particular, there is no bridge between 'mythic' and 'mythopoetic', with the former involving gods producing natural phenomena (polytheism) and the latter involving only God (monotheism), while utilizing older mythic language. Most scholars recognize an intermediate stage between polytheism and monotheism, namely, henotheism, and pre-exilic Yahwism is usually understood as henotheistic (see Mark S. Smith and John Day), with true monotheism emerging in Deutero-Isaiah. What particularly comes to mind is the Enochic literature from the third century BC to the first century AD (in the post-exilic period), which presents the angels as laboring under the direction of God to maintain order to the cosmos and the different constituent parts of nature (the luminaries, the earth, the sea, the mountains, etc.) as bound together in a cosmic covenant to obey the command of God. By this time, under monotheism the lesser gods were demoted to the rank of angel (as God alone could be a god), and while the notion of a cosmic covenant may be thought of as mythopoetic, the Enochic corpus utilizes a genuine myth (the disobedience of the angels before the Flood) to explain both deviances in the natural order (such as late seasons and wandering stars resulting from angels transgressing the divine covenant) as well as the origin of evil and polytheism (with the spirits of the Nephilim who drowned in the Flood becoming the 'evil spirits' who induce mankind to sin and who teach mankind to regard the luminaries and other creations of nature as gods deserving of worship). This worldview is much closer to the 'mythic' frame than the 'mythopoetic' one (as it is defined in the article), while being somewhat intermediate between the two. I suspect there is an apologetic interest in the article in characterizing all 'mythic' language in the OT as specifically mythopoetic. I do agree that a lot of the older mythic language is used in non-mythic ways in parts of the OT; for example Ezekiel uses the Leviathan conflict myth in a figurative and poetic way to politically criticize Egypt (ch. 29), as well as other Canaanite motifs and myths to lampoon the king of Tyre (ch. 28).
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PSacramento
Ah Leo...we miss you and were just talking about you in another thread :)
*shakes finger* It wouldn't hurt you to post more young lady !
I have read about that "transformation" of "lesser" gods into angels under One Supreme God and I have to admit that it does make a certain sense.
We know that up untill the Babylonian captivity that the Hebrews spoke of angels but never gave them names, untill Michael and Gabriel appear.
1Enoch of course gives all 7 archangels names.
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Leolaia
Oh, which thread?
We know that up untill the Babylonian captivity that the Hebrews spoke of angels but never gave them names, untill Michael and Gabriel appear.
Indeed, later traditions stated that the names of the angels were brought back from Babylon (j Rosh Hashanah 1.2, Genesis Rabbah 48.9).
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Bella15
Thanks for your comment Leolaia. Reading stuff like this has helped a lot in my personal study. A little here a little there ...
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hamsterbait
Leo
When is your book coming out?
Id rather read it than Karen Armstrong's ess aitch one tee.
You present information so clearly (and some of your sources are soo abstruse) you should really think about this.
A straightforward book would prolly help many who would put down your sources after a couple of sentences.
Your style is good. GO GIRL!!
if you cant sell it - Ill be your agent. OXO
HB
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wobble
I second the motion Sir !
Leo has a rare talent, being able to cut through a forest of words and produce a neatly trimmed plant that we can all appreciate.
Just one thing Leo could copy from K.A, which I am sure she would do, is provide a good Glossary, those of us not familiar with technical terms or arcane literature appreciate one very much.
Hamster, howse about we give dear Leo a working title ? Something like "Ancient Myths, do you believe them ?" , I am sure you as her agent, can think of a better one !
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Leolaia
You guys are sweet.
Hey, hamsterbait, weren't you the one who was gonna raid my library and warned me to lock up my books? ;)
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hamsterbait
leo -
If you dont make some money from those books, I still plan to. Keep them locked up!
I actually wish that Simon would create a new scholarship thread so we can go straight ( in the mundane sense) for the kill on these kind of topics.
OXO
HB