guest speaker for Dr. Lacey, Dr. David Stoloff, Professor and Chair, Education Department, Webb Hall 129, 860 – 465 – 5501, stoloffd@easternct.edu

These notes are posted at http://stoloffd.edublogs.org/category/bible-as-literature/.

Agenda for session on Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Introductions (and attendance taking) – who am I?, why am I here?

Some notes of this part of the Bible

Before the Common Era, Common Era – a bit more inclusive way of historic dating

Tanach – Torah, Prophets, Writings

The acronym is based on the initial Hebrew letters of each of the text’s three parts:

1. Torah תורה meaning “Instruction.” It is also called the Chumash חומש, meaning “the five” or “the five books of Moses.” In Greek, it is called the Pentateuch. The Torah is often referred to as the law of the Jewish people.
2. Nevi’im נביאים, meaning “Prophets.” This term is associated with anything to do with the prophets.
3. Ketuvim כתובים, meaning “Writings.” The Greek word being “Hagiographa.”

 Introducing Joshua

http://bible.ort.org/books/glosd1.asp?action=displayanchor&glosid=G347#G347

 The 12 spies story – http://bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displayid&id=4074

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2013&version=31

spies and Rahav – http://bible.ort.org/books/haftarotd4.asp?action=displayid&id=889

Joshua 2 and Joshua 2 in Hebrew – http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0602.htm

http://bible.ort.org/books/haftarotd4.asp?action=displayid&id=889

Homework readings – Joshua 1, 6, 19, 24;  Judges, 6-8 – Gideon, 13-16 – Samson;

1 Samuel, 15-17 - Saul, Amalekites, David’s annointing, Goliath, 28 - Saul and witch of Endor; 31 - Saul’s end;

11 Samuel, 11-12 – David and Bathsheba ,

1 Kings, 3, 9-11 – Solomon’s wisdom, building Temple, Queen of Sheba, wives, end

extra readings – Joshua 5:13-15 - a reflection of what other stories?, Judges 4 -5 – song of Deborah; Women and the Bible in Gabel et.al., The Bible as Literature

Project #1 assigned; quiz #3 on readings above on 9/25

Archaeology confirms: they really DID come a-tumblin’ down

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i2/jericho.asp

Joshua Fit the Battle Of Jericho-Mahalia Jackson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPZuWzZvoYQ&mode=related&search=

lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyB7TlzhtY0

Elvis Presley – Joshua Fit The Battle & He Touched Me

Some references that might be mentioned in the discussion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness - Truthiness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanach - Tanach

http://www.bibles.net/ - Online Bibles and search engines, links to online readings

http://bible.ort.org/ - navigating the bible

 http://www.mechon-mamre.org/ - Mechon Mamre in Jerusalem – Hebrew and English online bible – “Most of us belong to the mainstream “Baladi” Yemenite Jewish community.”

on Thursday, September 20, 2007

ENG 235 – Literature of the Bible – Dr. James Lacey

guest speaker for Dr. Lacey, Dr. David Stoloff, Professor and Chair, Education Department, Webb Hall 129, 860 – 465 – 5501, stoloffd@easternct.edu

These notes are posted at http://stoloffd.edublogs.org/category/bible-as-literature/.

Opening song – http://youtube.com/watch?v=G0pKAL3_2RE

Bob Dylan – Kennedy Center Honors – Gotta Serve Somebody sung by Shirley Ceaser

lyrics - Ms. Ceaser mentioned about Joshua 24:15

Resources for questions from last session -

The Noble Qur’an – http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/

Q. What’s the Difference Between Shia and Sunni Muslims? – http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm

Clarification on project – please do not use Sistine Chapel image -

http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/a/sischap_ceiling.htm

Studying Judges and Kings – small group discussions and presentations 

1) Joshua 1, 6, 19, 24 - Joshua

2) Judges 4 -5 – song of Deborah

3) Judges, 6-8 – Gideon,

4) Judges, 13-16 – Samson;

5) 1 Samuel, 15 - Saul, Amalekites,  28 - Saul and witch of Endor; 31 - Saul’s end;

6) 1 Samuel, 16-17 - annointing David, David & Goliath;  11 Samuel, 11-12 – David and Bathsheba ,

7) 1 Kings, 3, 9-11 – Solomon’s wisdom, building Temple, Queen of Sheba, wives, end

Please respond to these five discussion prompts -

1) Introduce the main character(s). 

2) Review his/her/their human qualities?  What is their relationship with the divine?  With other people? 

3) What methods do they use to solve their own problems and the problems of others?

4) What are the conclusions of their actions?

5) What are the future, long-term implications of their actions?

(These questions follow the format of a doctoral dissertation – an introductory chapter, a review of the literature, a discussion of methods, a report on the conclusions, and a discussion of the long-term implications of the actions.)

Each member of the group should take notes in the spaces above and be prepared to participate equally in the 3-4 minute presentation. 

20 minutes for answering these questions in small groups, each individual in each group will share in the reporting of their responses

Other discussion points from first session -

1) Walter Lippman – http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlippmann.htm

2) Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978) was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on affirmative action. It bars quota systems in college admissions but affirms the constitutionality of affirmative action programs giving an advantage to minorities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California_v._Bakke

connections to this session -

1) Rastafari belief follows that the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I (know as Ras Tafari) is the living black messiah on Earth. … He came about his Imperial blood through his paternal grandmother, Tenagnework Sahle Selassie, who was an aunt of Emperor Menelik II and a claimed direct decendant of Makeda, Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of ancient Israel.
http://www.bobmarleyfoundation.org/roots_HIM.html

2) Imperial Ethiopia Royal Anthem [before 1974] -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIy2KuMcCzE

3) Names of G-d (the Divine)

El – Israel means – striving with the Divine

YHVH – not pronounced – when we see it, we say in Hebrew – my Lord – Adonai

Yahoo – the V letter is sometimes pronounced as an O or OO sound, the H at the end is silent

Yah

Adon Olam – a popular, well-known name – Lord of the Universe – title of a song that closes many services – this version from http://www.nevehshalom.org/music/ - Cantor Linda Shivers, Neve Shalom synagogue, Portland, Oregon

Elohim – a plural noun, like committee in English, that we use as singular – G-ds -

Elohainu – our G-d

Shekinah – the holy presence

Religious Jews will avoid the conflicts of saying or writing the Divine Name by saying baruch hashem – the blessed name

Not used – Baal – master, a husband is baal habayit – master of the house; the founder of the Hassid movement was known as Baal Shem Tov – Master of the Good Name

3) Leonard Cohen Hallelujah

(Cohen – priest, priestly blessing – http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Synagogue_Blessings/Priestly_Blessing/priestly_blessing.html

http://www.tvacres.com/greetings_spock.htm )

A version of these blessings are said to one’s children at the Shabbat dinner on Friday evening.  Fiddler on the Roof romantized this Shabbat prayer custom -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnaZqHy2ZHE&mode=related&search=

(current tribes – Cohen, Levi, Israel; the people is called Jews for
the connection to the tribe of Judah and the land Judea. I prefer Bnei Israel.

Jewish names – may be any name for Jews belong to all races and ethnic groups.  And those with Jewish names may not be Jews, but may have Jewish ancestry.  Common Jewish names in the US – Cohen, Katz, Kaplan;  Levi, Levine, Levin, Lebowitz, Lieberman; names ending in of, ov, owitz; Schwartz; names ending in berg, stein; Sephardic names – those descendants of Jews from Spain and the Mediterranean regions)

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen                              

(from Leonard Cohen Live in Concert)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf36v0epfmI

lyrics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FC4bJl_X9M                                      

 

ENG 235 – Literature of the Bible – Dr. James Lacey guest speaker for Dr. Lacey, Dr. David Stoloff, Professor and Chair, Education Department, Webb Hall 129, 860 – 465 – 5501, stoloffd@easternct.edu

• 1 Earlier Prophets
  • 1.1 Joshua
  • 1.2 Judges
  • 1.3 Samuel
  • 1.4 Kings
• 2 Latter Prophets
  • 2.1 Isaiah
  • 2.2 Jeremiah
  • 2.3 Ezekiel

The book Twelve “Minor” Prophets includes:

1. Hosea or Hoshea [הושע]
2. Joel or Yo’el [יואל]
3. Amos [עמוס]
4. Obadiah or Ovadyah [עבדיה]
5. Jonah or Yonah [יונה]
6. Micah or Mikhah [מיכה]
7. Nahum or Nachum [נחום]
8. Habakkuk or Habaquq [חבקוק]
9. Zephaniah or Tsefania [צפניה]
10. Haggai or Haggai [חגי]
11. Zechariah Zekharia [זכריה]
12. Malachi or Malakhi [מלאכי]

“Minor” in this context refers to the length of the books, not the importance of the prophets themselves.

Some examples of passages from the prophets:

Amos, 5;

 Amos 5:24 But let justice roll on like a river,
       righteousness like a never-failing stream!

“No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in his “I have a dream” speech – http://www.holidays.net/mlk/speech.htm

Isaiah 2, 3, 6, 11, 31;   

Isaiah 2:4

“4 He will judge between the nations
       and will settle disputes for many peoples.
       They will beat their swords into plowshares
       and their spears into pruning hooks.
       Nation will not take up sword against nation,
       nor will they train for war anymore.”

Ezekiel 1, 2, 3, 37,

Ezekiel 37:11-14 – dry bones image

 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ”

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound – Dem Bones

Isaiah 40; 45.1-7, 49. 1-6; 50.4-11; 52.11-15; 53

Isaiah 58:6-10 -  Isaiah 58, Covenant Soup Kitchen is in Willimantic, CT

 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness ^[a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
       you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
       “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
       with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday.

Micah 6:8 -

 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
       And what does the LORD require of you?
       To act justly and to love mercy
       and to walk humbly with your God.

 help us have mercy

Homework – select a total of 5 passages – one or more phrases –

from at least 3 prophets.  List the phrases by prophet, chapter, verse.

Explain why you chose the passages.  What does each mean to you? 

Prepare to present one of your passages at our next session and to turn in your notes with five passages as a homework assignment.

Homework on prophets

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm

23rd Psalms – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCU5Rh7xvE4

lyrics – http://www.interviewwithgod.com/psalm23.htm 

homework assignment – selecting 2 psalms or sections of Song of Songs, explaining what they mean to you, explain how they differ and how they are similar

homework on Psalms

Mid-term take home project assigned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNopQq5lWqQ

 opening song – Byrds – “Turn Turn Turn”

lyrics – http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/byrds/turn+turn+turn_20026419.html

Pete Seeger tells how he came to write “Turn Turn Turn.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WT6-BIav2I

sharing psalms, discussion of wisdom literature – Job 1-7, 14, 29-30, 38, 42, Ecclesiastes, homework – select 4 passages of wisdom, explain why you selected them, present one in class at next session

Book of Job short version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3HmHlTTz_A

Book of Proverbs

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=24&chapter=1&version=31

Woman of Valor – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverb%2031;&version=65; – Proverbs 31

homework on wisdom

October 9 – sharing wisdom; 

McKee Baptist Church ∙ HANDWRITING ON THE WALL 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl9KMj4USjU

Daniel – “My Judge is the Lord”- http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=1&version=31

 handwriting on wall – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%205:5,6,16-28

Daniel 5 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=5&version=31

Daniel in the Den of Lions – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=6&version=31

Daniel and The End Times – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=12&version=31

Apocrypha – http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/ and

 list http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/index.htm

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/dbremm/CaravaggioandReni.htm -

Judith – http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/jdt.htm, http://letgodbetrue.ca/apocrypha/?p=10

Susanna – http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/sus001.htm; http://www.ket.org/trips/opera/whois.htm

Bell and the Snake http://www.belandthedragon.co.uk/; 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/bel001.htm

 assignment - summarizes two stories from these books, speculate on what they meant to the story-teller and the listener when they were first told, prepare to discuss a story in class on October 16, 2007

homework on Apocrypha

October 11 – instructor-free day – I am going to the National Association of Multicultural Education conference – please work on your take home mid-term within your collaborative groups

discussion of women in Tanah – Exodus 20:17 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20:17

Leviticus 12 – Purification After Childbirth – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2012;&version=31;,

Genesis 38 – Judah and Tamar – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2038;&version=31;

Judges 4-5 – Deborah – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%204-5;&version=31;

Judges 11 - Jephthah – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2011;&version=31;

Proverbs 7 – Warning Against the Adulteress – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%207;&version=31;;

Proverbs 31.10-31 – a good wife –  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverb%2031;&version=31;

A list of other women in the Bible -

http://www.innernet.org.il/article.php?aid=74

Eve – http://christianity.about.com/od/oldtestamentpeople/p/eveprofilebible.htm

Sarah – http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Sarah.html

Rebecca – http://www.biblebb.com/files/KSS/kss-rebecca.htm

Leah – http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p91.htm

Rachel – http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/proverbs/art18.html

Yoheved – Jochebed – Exodus 6, Moses’ mother

mid-wives – Exodus 1 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%201;&version=31;

daughter of Pharoah - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=2&version=31, Zipporah

 Miriam – http://www.biblegateway.com/topical/topical_resource.php?source=1&tid=3389

David’s ancestors – Tamar and Ruth

Rahav – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%206;&version=31;

Assignment – choose 3 women from the Bible who might be role models for people today.  Describe which of their qualities should be emulated and which should be avoided.  Rate these role models – with 10 being the best model, 5 being an individual with equal amounts of positive and negative qualities. 

Homework on Biblical Women in the Tanah